 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 13.2 mi (21.2 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| Southwest end | Islington | |||
| Major intersections |  A1 A1200 A1199 A105 A10 A1207 A107 A1006 A112 A114 A503 A406A1199 A1009 A110 A121 A1069A121 | |||
| Northeast end | Epping | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United Kingdom | |||
| Constituent country | England | |||
| Primary destinations | Hackney Downs railway station,Dalston Junction railway station &Essex Road railway station. | |||
| Road network | ||||
| ||||
TheA104 is anA road which runs fromIslington Green inLondon toEpping inEssex, England.[1][2][3]
The A104 takes inEssex Road, Balls Pond Road, Dalston Lane (part of), Pembury Road, Cricketfield Road, Downs Road (part of), Lower Clapton Road (part of) and Lea Bridge Roundabout (both shared with A107), Lea Bridge Road,Whipps Cross Roundabout, Woodford New Road, High RoadWoodford Green, and Epping New Road.
The southern section of the A104 follows its original course, as set out in the 1922Ministry of TransportList of Class I and Class II Roads and Numbers. The route was defined as "London (Essex Road, Balls Pond Road, Lea Bridge Road) - Woodford".[4][5]
The northern section - between Woodford and Wake Arms - was originally part of theA11, which ran continuously betweenAldgate in theCity of London andNorwich,Norfolk. The A11 through Woodford, Buckhurst Hill andEpping Forest became known as the A104 after theM11 motorway opened between Woodford andBishop's Stortford in 1975. The sections north of Wake Arms were renumberedB1393 (through Epping),A414 (throughHarlow) andA1184 (throughSawbridgeworth and Bishop's Stortford).[5][6][7]
According to the 1985 article "Islington: Communications", the northern portion ofEssex Road was known as Seveney Street in the 1500s, a title which suggests the road could haveRoman origins.[8] Throughout its history Essex Road has also taken the names Lower Street and Lower Road (as opposed toUpper Street, which remains the name of the A1 route). Its current title appeared in official documents from at least 1863.[8] Islington Local History Education Trust believes Essex Road is so named because it is part of a main route into the county of Essex, although it may take its name from theearldom of Essex.[9] Arailway station bearing the street's name was opened in 1904 - on theNorthern City Line betweenFinsbury Park andMoorgate.[8][9] As of 2022, station is served byGreat Northern trains between London Moorgate andWelwyn Garden City orStevenage (viaHertford North).[10]
Lea Bridge Road runs between Clapton andWhipps Cross. Until the mid-18th century, a ferry crossing existed at theRiver Lea between Clapton and Leyton. Legislation from eighteenth century and histories of Hackney and Leyton refer to the crossing point as "Jeremy's ferry" - a name which was used from at least 1709.[11][12][13] The first bridge near Jeremy's ferry was constructed in 1745. TheRiver Lea Bridge and Roads Act 1757 (30 Geo. 2. c. 59) set out that a permanent crossing should be installed at Jeremy's ferry:
An Act for building a Bridge over the River Lea, at or near a Place called Jeremy's Ferry; and for making, repairing and widening Roads from thence into the great Roads at Snaresbrook in the County of Essex, and at Clapton in the County ofMiddlesex.[11]
A permanent timber bridge was built in 1772, which was replaced with an iron crossing in the early 1820s, followed by a new bridge in the 1890s.[12]
Mapping from the 18th century suggests the route north-east out of Leyton, further into the county of Essex, was established through heath and forest in the 1700s, which was "the haunt ofhighwaymen" at the time.[13]
There is no evidence of Epping New Road (between Woodford and Wake Arms) in John Norden's 1594 "Map of Essex". Historians have identified two main routes between London and Epping in the sixteenth century - the first throughWaltham Abbey and the second throughStratford,Chigwell andAbridge. A route between Epping andLoughton was established by 1678, but the Epping New Road - bypassing Loughton - was not created until 1834.[14] According to the Buckhurst Hill Residents' Society, the creation of the Epping New Road "encouraged some of the earliest developments" in the town.[15] A study of the Epping andOngar Highway Trust, which was charged with caring for public highways in the corridor between Woodford and Harlow, suggests that around 25 coaches passed through Epping each day in the 1800s on what appeared to be the main route between London,Cambridge,Bury St Edmunds andNorwich.[14]
The forest either side of Epping New Road is protected according to theEpping Forest Act 1878 and is managed by theCorporation of London (which also governs theSquare Mile in central London).[16] As of 2022, the road is maintained byEssex County Council andRedbridge London Borough Council (southernmost portion).
A roads in Zone 1 of theGreat Britain road numbering scheme | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
51°36′04″N0°00′52″E / 51.60113°N 0.01442°E /51.60113; 0.01442
