Susceptible to flooding from three adjacent rivers, it was the southernmost marshland section of the ancient parish of Hornchurch.

[5] Increasing ownership of the land by people who lived outside of Havering meant that the costs of maintenance of drainage systems and marsh walls fell to those who were locally resident.

[6] The London, Tilbury and Southend Railway was built through the north of the area in 1854 with a level crossing at Manor Way and the nearest station at Rainham.

Waste arriving by barge from central London and dredging of the River Thames in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was disposed in the marshland and consequently the land is at risk of contamination.

In the 1950s a foundry was built as part of the Ford Dagenham plant land in Hornchurch, covering 200 acres.

[10] It became an area of regeneration by the early 21st century and was included in the London Riverside section of the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone.

South of there is the Beam Reach commercial regeneration area and the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME).

There is a Hornchurch Marshes Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) for Census recording.

[12] The area, with the exception of land owned by the Ford Motor Company, is part of the London Riverside business improvement district.