
Stratford was recorded in 1177 and is derived from the Old English straet, 'road' and ford - and means 'the road with a ford'. The ford was where the Roman road to Colchester crossed one of the various branches of the River Lea.
The station was opened as STRATFORD on 4 December 1946. (The original Eastern Counties Railway station was opened on 20 June 1839.)
In the early 20th century Stratford was a thriving community with many of its local inhabitants employed at the Great Eastern Railway's main works.