Stanford Rivers is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England.

The nearest London Underground station to the village is Epping, 5 miles (8 km) to the west, the terminus of the Central line.

The Ongar workhouse building survives today as a trade and business area in the hamlet of Little End at the southeast of Stanford Rivers parish.

[4] Notable people and principal landowners in Stanford Rivers were, in 1874 and 1882 Sir Charles Cunliffe Smith, 3rd Baronet (1827–1905); in 1894 Sir Cecil Clementi Smith (1840–1916) who was also lord of the manor, and Capt George Edward Capel Cure; in 1902 Sir Charles Cunliffe Smith again with the now Major George Edward Capel Cure of Blake Hall; in 1914 Sir Drummond Cunliffe Smith, 4th Baronet (1861–1947) of Suttons, Stapleford Tawney who was also lord of the manor, and Major George Edward Capel Cure of Shakenhurst (hall and estate), Cleobury Mortimer.

The Smith estate and manor of Suttons in Stapleford Tawney contained 1,384 acres (6 km2) of land in Stanford Rivers.

Later trade businesses in the early 20th century included Holly Tree Laundry (1914), and an electrical engineers, chimney sweeper and an Egg Grading Station (1933).

[4][6] Largely non-manual occupations included a relieving officer and registrar (1855), a registrar of births & deaths & relieving & vaccination officer (1882 and 1894), a head keeper to Charles Cunliffe Smith, and a head gamekeeper of Ongar Park wood (1902 Toot Hill), a sanitary inspector to the Ongar Rural District Council, a land steward (1914 and 1933), and a head [game]keeper (1914 and 1933).

[4] From before at least 1855 to beyond at least 1933 the Anglican incumbent's benefice (living) of the ecclesiastical parish with its 52 acres (200,000 m2) of glebe land, application of tithe rent-charge, and attached residence was in the gift of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

A charity of £400 was established by Mary Rayner in 1871, based on investments in India at 3%, the interest annually distributed in clothing to the poor of the parish.

[4] The Church of St Margaret, of 300 sittings, is of Norman style, with chancel and nave, and a western tower of wood with a spire containing two bells.

Members of the Stuart family, Earls and Marquisses of Bute were buried here but with the exception of two they have been removed to Roath.

The line was opened by the Great Eastern Railway on 1 April 1865, serving principally as a goods yard carrying agricultural produce from the nearby farms into London.

[8] Some reports state that since the station was situated a considerable distance from any substantial settlement, 17 passengers used it a day, making it the quietest on the entire London Underground network.

[citation needed] Although the building remained, the platform was removed by LT when they heard that, despite the formal closure, some trains were still dropping off passengers.

[citation needed] Blake Hall station, and the surrounding area featured in an episode of Michael Portillo's Great British Railway Journeys in 2012.

Portillo rode a train from Blake Hall to North Weald stations whilst explaining the usage of the line in relevance to the surrounding countryside.

[9][failed verification] Stanford Rivers is represented at Westminster by Alex Burghart, the Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar.

Stanford Rivers is represented on the Essex County Council under the Ongar & Rural division of the Epping Forest district.

In the 2017 county council elections the Conservative candidate won the division seat with 68.2% of the vote, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 12.6%.

[14] Also Grade II* is Littlebury, a previous hall house dating to the early 16th century, 'T' plan two-storey of brick ground floor and timber-framed above.

[16] The Woodman Public House at the south of the parish on London Road is a timber-framed and weatherboarded and gabled building dating to the 17th century;[17] Adjacent to the north of The Woodman is the White Bear, previously The White Bear Hotel until at least 1933, chiefly an 18th and 19th century gabled and brick building.