Hainault is a suburban area in the London Borough of Redbridge, with most of the housing built between 1947 and 1953. It is adjacent to the Metropolitan Green Belt, bordered on the east by Hainault Forest Country Park and to the north by open land and the boundary with the Epping Forest District of Essex.
The name Hainault was recorded as 'Henehout' in 1221 and 'Hyneholt' in 1239. It is Old English and means 'wood belonging to a religious community', referring to the ownership of Hainault Forest, part of the larger Epping Forest, by Barking Abbey. The spelling was altered from the 17th century because of a false connection to Philippa of Hainault, the wife of Edward III.
The area had been mainly forested, was owned by Barking Abbey and formed part of the Royal Forest of Essex. The large density of forest meant the area was predominately used for the provision of timber for building ships and houses. A decline in demand for timber, and a greater demand for food, led in 1851 to an Act of Parliament authorising the deforestation of much of Hainault Forest. Within six weeks 3000 acres of woodland was cleared.
Urban development began after August 1856, when the Great Eastern Railway built a line between Stratford and Loughton. In 1903 a loop line to Ilford was opened and Hainault was one of the new stations.
Although it had been hoped that housing development would ensue from the building of the railway, it was a long time coming. Building projects commenced after the Second World War from 1947 to 1953. The development of 2,779 houses was in the style known as a 'cottage estate' with the names of the roads relating to the history of Hainault Forest.