Gallows Corner

Gallows Corner is an area and major road junction in the London Borough of Havering near Romford.

The junction is a large roundabout with five exits and a flyover. The exits are:

• West: A12 (Eastern Avenue East), towards central London.
• Southwest: A118 (Main Road), towards Romford.
• Southeast: A127 (Southend Arterial Road), towards Southend-on-Sea.
• Northeast: A12 (Colchester Road), towards East Anglia.
• North: Straight Road, a minor road towards Harold Hill.

The flyover links Eastern Avenue East with the Southend Arterial Road. It was erected in 1971, and takes the form of a system of prefabricated units (called the Braithwaite FliWay) that was cheaper and quicker to erect than a conventional underpass or cast in-situ flyover. It is notorious for being angular, with sudden changes of slope rather than a smooth arch. The flyover was closed for several months in early 2008 for remedial work carried out to the road deck, with several sections replaced. It was found upon final inspection that the bridge parapets had suffered severe corrosion. The bridge was fitted with emergency barriers which meant that traffic was restricted to one lane in the London-bound direction only. It has since re-opened for two-way traffic.

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 what is now Eastern Avenue East, on a grassy stretch below Masefield Crescent. Under the charter of the Royal Liberty of Havering, 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. Ravensbourne School, for children with special needs, stands on the site of the gaol where the condemned were held.

The road junction is referred to in the film Layer Cake.