Ilford

Ilford has spent a century as the place people pass through on the way to somewhere they've heard of, a strange fate for a town that gave its name to a brand of camera film. The only complete mammoth skull ever found in Britain was dug up near Uphall Road and promptly moved to South Kensington, which set the tone for most of what Ilford produces. The Elizabeth line will now get you to Stratford's shops faster than the town centre can make a case for its own. What remains is a hard-working, crowded town with two enormous towers, one excellent park, and no patience for estate agents who list it as Wanstead-adjacent.