A densely built-up, multi-ethnic locality in south Ilford. The medieval manor of Loxford was in the possession of Barking Abbey and in 1319 the Abbess of Barking was licensed to fell oaks in Hainault Forest to rebuild her house here after a fire. The present Loxford Hall dates from about 1830 and was enlarged around 1860. The terraced street plan of the Loxford Hall estate was laid out at the end of the nineteenth century as one of a cluster of developments that filled southern Ilford with relatively small and cheap houses. The first Loxford schools were opened in 1904. The council’s Loxford Lane estate has a few variations of architectural detail on the basic low-rise theme but these are rendered ineffective by the poor materials and state of repair. Behind the estate is the sorry-looking Loxford Water, a tributary of the River Roding that forms the northern boundary to Barking Park. Loxford Hall now serves as a child and family consultation centre for the North East London Mental Health Trust. Loxford’s main ethnic groups are white, Pakistani and Indian, and the South Asian community is served by a variety of specialist shops on Ilford Lane. The name Loxford is rarely used by locals, who simply refer to the area as “the Barking end of Ilford Lane.”