Place Name
It is thought to be a literal reference to an annual fair that was held near an old oak tree from the 18thCentury near here. The lop refers to the pruning of the tree’s branches. Norman Gunby in A Potted History of Ilford writes that the name first appeared in 1738 when the fair, “which grew from the annual outing and bean-feast established by Daniel Day of Wapping was already well established. A lop is a lopped tree or part thereof. The ancient and immense Fairlop Oak was blown down in 1820 after having been damaged previously by fire and storm.”
