Ruth Bell

About Ruth Bell

I’m a Newham resident and have lived here for nine years. I’m a freelance journalist and copy writer with a life-long interest in history. Fascinated by my adopted local area, I wanted to find out more about how the streets surrounding where I live evolved into those seen today. I became interested in Katherine Road, in particular, when I learned it was named after a famous local resident. Katharine Fry was the daughter of 19th century social and prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. A keen local historian herself, Katharine wrote a book on the history of East and West Ham.

My project is a study of the development of Katherine Road in E6, E7, which runs between Romford and Barking Roads. I want to show how it was transformed from a country road with a handful of houses (called Red Post Lane and Plashet Lane) as late as the 1870s, into the busy collection of homes, businesses and schools seen today. As well as covering some of the early history of the road (including exploring the name change and origin of that name, Katharine Fry), the aim is to focus on a number of buildings on the road that can still be seen and show how their use has changed over time. For example, the former Earl of Wakefield pub is now a church, nursery and community centre; meanwhile the Katherine Road Community Centre was previously a TB and chest clinic.

One of the focal points will be Sandringham Primary School (built 1895 as a Board School) with the aim of running a workshop with the children to show how their local area has developed.