| Gallows Corner | |
|---|---|
 Gallows Corner in 2005 | |
  Gallows Corner Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ535905 |
| • Charing Cross | 15.8 mi (25.4 km) WSW |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ROMFORD |
| Postcode district | RM2, RM3 |
| Dialling code | 01708 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°35′31″N0°13′01″E / 51.592°N 0.217°E /51.592; 0.217 | |
Gallows Corner is a major road junction inRomford inGreater London, England. It was the site of the gallows of theLiberty of Havering, hence the name.
Gallows Corner sits on the Hornchurch/Romford boundary at a point where it switched from an east–west alignment along the ancient Colchester Road to a north-south alignment.
During the 18th century, Gallows Corner was a copse-sided part of the road and, approachable by meagre path only from the south or various small lanes in other directions, a favourite spot for waylaying coaches. It was close to the site for the gallows, thought to be north of what is now Eastern Avenue (west), on a grassy stretch below Masefield Crescent. Several entries in the Romford registers of burials of felons confirm many of those executed there in the 16th and 17th centuries. In grounds of Ravensbourne School is where the small jail stood where the condemned were held.[citation needed]
The former name of Straight Road was Gallows Lane.[2]
The current junction is a large roundabout with five exits and a flyover. The exits are:
The flyover linked Eastern Avenue (East) with the Southend Arterial Road. According to theRomford Recorder it was erected in 1970 by Terry and Co; it took the form of a system ofprefabricated units (called the Braithwaite FliWay) that was cheaper and quicker to build than a conventional underpass or castin-situ flyover.[3] It was notorious for being angular, with sudden changes of slope rather than a smooth arch. The flyover was closed for several months in 2008 for remedial work carried out to the road deck, with several sections replaced. It was found in final inspection that thebridge parapets had suffered severe corrosion. The bridge was fitted with emergency barriers which meant that traffic was restricted to one lane in the London-bound (westbound) direction only. It re-opened to two-way traffic in 2009.[4]
The junction was closed to normal traffic on 23 June 2025 to enable the life expired flyover to be completely demolished and rebuilt on the original foundations, it was expected to re-open in September 2025.[5] This has led to "long queues and significant delays" both locally and in the wider area bounded by the M25, M11 and A13.[6] In August, Transport for London confirmed that the works would continue until October at the earliest.[7]
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2024) |
The junction has an above-average number ofcollisions.Transport for London has put forward proposals to make the junction safer by changing the roundabout layout, adding newwhite lines and guidance markings, and extending the reduced speed limits on the approaches to the junction. Works were expected to start during spring 2018.[8]
Works did not, however, commence in 2018; the local radio stationTime 107.5 reported in July 2021 thatTfL was planning to submit a bid to theDepartment of Transport in Spring 2022 to access £50m of Government funding to address the issues with the junction.[9] In 2025 work began to make improvements to the roundabout. It is expected it will be totally closed from June - September for work to be done.
The junction is referred to in the filmLayer Cake.
