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Stratford is an East End of London district within the London Borough of Newham. It is located in East London and 10 km (6 miles) east-northeast of Charing Cross. The district is part of the Lower Lea Valley and consists of towns of Forest Gate, East Village, Maryland, Stratford City and Mill Meads.
Stratford is first mentioned in a document in 1067 as Strætforda and it means ford on a Roman road. It comes from the Old English words “stræt” which means street and ford. A part of the area was also known as Stratford Hamme.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sports complex built for the Summer Olympics 2012. The 114-meters sculpture within the park, ArcelorMittal Orbit, is UK’s largest public work of art. Famous bands and artists such as Guns N’ Roses and Robbie Williams held concerts in the park.
Other famous landmarks in Stratford include Gurney memorial drinking fountain, a granite obelisk that was constructed in 1861 to commemorate Samuel Gurney, the Quaker abolitionist and philanthropist and King Edward VII public house, a Grade II listed building.
Three times world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was born in West Ham. Actor and opera singer Leon Greene was also born here. Footballers Rob Lee, Tony Cottee, Martin Peters, Mark Noble, Ernie Gregory, and Sol Campbell are other notable former residents.
Stratford is traditionally part of the earliest township and subsequent district of West Ham, up until 1965 when it became the western part of the new municipality within Greater London. Stratford, together with Romford and Ilford, are the major shopping, leisure and cultural hubs of East London. Furthermore, it has become an important business spot (second to Canary Wharf) in the eastern part of the capital.