Gallows Corner
Gallows Corner is a road junction in the London Borough of Havering.
It is a roundabout with five exits:
- To the west-north-west, the A12 Eastern Avenue East towards Central London
- To the south-east, the A127 Southend Arterial Road towards Southend-on-Sea
- To the north-east, the A12 Colchester Road towards Brentwood, Chelmsford, Colchester and Ipswich
- To the north-north-west, a minor road called Straight Road (it is indeed quite straight)
A flyover links the first and third exits. It is notorious for being angular, with several sudden changes of slope rather than a smooth arch, causing a very bumpy ride.
During the 18th century, Gallows Corner was a lonely country crossroads and a favourite spot for waylaying coaches. It was close to the site for the gallows, thought to have been located north of the Southend Arterial Road on the grassy stretch below Masefield Crescent. Under the charter of the Liberty of Havering-atte-Bower, the Court of Quarter Sessions could try capital offences on payment to the Crown. The place of execution was then the gallows at Gallows Corner. There are several entries in the Romford Registers of burials of felons who were executed there in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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