The large and healthy suburb of Ilford is easily among the most desirable and beautiful locations in the county of Essex. London has many suburbs but it is hard to find one more inviting and friendly than Ilford. This is a good thing, though, because London depends quite a bit on the massive commercial appeal of Ilford. Many important businesses and entertainment venues can be found in Ilford and outside of this main urban area is a large conglomeration of residents living not far away from London. Ilford is a very diverse area as well, especially when one uses the divisions of Ilford North and Ilford South. In Ilford North Asians make up fifteen percent of the population while in Ilford South that population is nearly forty percent. Whites make up 75% of the residents in North Ilford but in South Ilford that figure is reduced to around forty percent. Clearly Ilford is nothing if not eclectic and this adds greatly to the charm of the town and sets itself apart from being just another extension of London. To be sure, Ilford did arise as a stopping point of sorts between London and other locations in Great Britain but it did have an identity all its own both before and after being swept along in the Greater London urban area and its outlying suburbs. In other words, While Ilford's growth can be largely attributed to London's ever-increasing size, Ilford is a town all its own and has been for many centuries.
As far back as the eleventh century and beyond, Ilford was an important town, even earning a mention in the Domesday Book of 1086. Ilford had been inhabited for far longer than that, though, and recent excavations even uncovered such prehistoric treasures as a wooly mammoth skull. This was the only complete mammoth skull ever uncovered in the United Kingdom and it sits comfortably to this day in its well-deserved spot in the British Natural History Museum. There have also been relics unearthed from the Iron Age and many tools and forts that date back to the first and second centuries A.D are still on display in Ilford. These early inhabitants were little more than loosely formed clans, though, and it wasn't until the Middle Ages that Ilford was truly a city in the strictest sense of the term. By that time, though, London was growing steadily and Ilford was becoming an increasingly important stopping point for weary travelers. This growth continued and by the time the Industrial Revolution came about it was considered a sure bet that Ilford would simply become another suburb of London. This is where we find Ilford today but those of us in the know realize just how old and important Ilford has been for much of its long and storied life. Thus, it is all well and good to take a trip to Ilford in order to take advantage of the great shopping district and exciting entertainment in the town but it is important to keep in mind that there was once an Ilford that was singular and distinct from London.
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