IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Colchester Road, ROMFORD, RM3 0AD

Junction of A12 and A127, with the temporary flyover (now over 30 years old!). Photo taken in Straight Road looking south.

The main view that greets you as you cross the Gallows Corner Flyover on the A127 eastbound is the A12 Colchester Road and several retail outlets, including several sofa superstores such as DFS, and there is a Comet superstore just out of shot to the right. According to a sign on the side of this store facing the A127, there is also to be a new Argos store here very soon. View taken looking east-northeast along the A12 Colchester Road.

As you turn onto the A12 Colchester Road from the Gallows Corner Roundabout, this strange hybrid crossing hones into view. It's a toucan crossing in the respect that it is light-controlled, but it is also partly a zebra crossing as it is lit with an Urbis ZX3 Zebra streetlight (a special streetlight whose optics are specifically designed for zebra crossings). This just goes to show how important so called "white" lighting is on crossing points to improve safety these days. The taller streetlight in the background is a Philips MA60 dating back to the 1970s, and behind that is a modern Thorn Riviera casual replacement, which would've replaced a failed MA60. View taken looking north-northeast in the centre of the square from the A12 Colchester Road.

This is the view looking back to Gallows Corner (just visible at the extreme left of the image) from the exit to the retail park comprising DFS, Land of Leather and Comet. The view in the other direction isn't so interesting - it's just the A12 continuing its path onward to East Anglia. What is peculiar here is the gazetteer information. This image, taken just a short distance away on the opposite carriageway: Image is classed as Harold Wood, whilst this image taken a little further along, reverts back to being known as Gidea Park. So the A12 actually starts off as Gidea Park here, dips into Harold Wood, and then back into Gidea Park again, whilst having a perfectly straight path! View taken looking west-southwest along the A12 Colchester Road to Gallows Corner.

Virtually up to the start of the Second World War the Plough was an isolated pub at Gallows Corner on the Colchester Road, most frequently used by Eastenders as a watering hole on the way to visit the delights of Southend-on-Sea. But with the post-war residential development of Harold Wood it became a local pub. It eventually ceased trading several years ago, and a devastating fire in April 2011 reduced it to the current burnt-out shell. Plans are currently being drawn up to demolish what remains of the structure and to build a new KFC outlet in its place.

This is a response to John Winfield's Image, taken from high above where he took the photo on the nearby Gallows Corner flyover which features in his image. I have sharpened the image slightly as it was a little blurred, which I could tell especially by the lamp posts in shot. What strikes me as rather strange here on Geograph is that this first half of the flyover is classed as Gidea Park while the other half is classed as Harold Wood, meaning the flyover is right on the border of two places! View taken looking north-northeast.

This is the A127 (Southend Arterial) at its junction with the A13 and A118

The flyover on the right was supposed to be temporary when it was built and has lasted getting on for 50 years and going strong.

Where the A12 and the A127, the Southend Arterial Road, part company. The A127 optionally avoids the roundabout by using the rather make-shift looking flyover, which nevertheless has been here a very long time now.