The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is a

London borough The London boroughs are the 32 local authority districts that together with the City of London make up the administrative area of Greater London; each is governed by a London borough council. The present London boroughs were all created at ...

in north-east

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England. Its population is estimated to be 276,983 in 2019. It borders five other London boroughs:

Enfield Enfield may refer to: Places Australia * Enfield, New South Wales * Enfield, South Australia ** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb ** Enfield High School (South Australia) ...

to the north-west,

Haringey The London Borough of Haringey (pronounced , same as Harringay) is a London borough in North London, classified by some definitions as part of Inner London, and by others as part of Outer London. It was created in 1965 by the amalgamation of ...

to the west, Hackney to the south-west,

Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the ...

to the south-east and Redbridge to the east, as well as the non-metropolitan county of

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

to the north. The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

s of

Leyton Leyton () is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It borders Walthamstow to the north, Leytonstone to the east, and Stratford to the south, with Clapton, Hackney Wick and Homerton, across the River L ...

, Walthamstow and

Chingford Chingford is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The town is approximately north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow t ...

; it took its name from

Waltham Forest The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is a London borough in north-east London, England. Its population is estimated to be 276,983 in 2019. It borders five other London boroughs: Enfield to the north-west, Haringey to the west, Hackney to t ...

– an institution which managed deer in south-west

Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...

is a remainder of the former

and forms the eastern and northern fringe of the borough. The River Lea lies to the west where its associated marshes and parkland form a green corridor which, along the reservoir-lined reaches, separates

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and east London, and is the historic border between Middlesex and Essex. Waltham Forest was one of the host boroughs of the

London Olympics in 2012 The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

, with the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and part of the

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a sporting complex and public park in Stratford, Hackney Wick, Leyton and Bow, in east London. It was purpose-built for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, situated adjacent to the Stratford City developm ...

providing an ongoing legacy in the UK and London.

History

Early history

The area was in the territory of the

Trinovantes The Trinovantēs (Common Brittonic: *''Trinowantī'') or Trinobantes were one of the Celtic tribes of Pre-Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the Thames estuary in current Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk, and included land ...

tribe during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

and through the Roman period, when the tribal area was a unit of local government. It subsequently became part of the Kingdom of the

East Saxons la, Regnum Orientalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the East Saxons , common_name = Essex , era = Heptarchy , status = , status_text = , government_type = Monarch ...

a unit which is likely to have its roots in the territory of the Trinovantes. After the Kingdom of Essex lost its independence, it evolved into the county of

. The Domesday book of 1086 records four manors in the area,

, Walthamstow, Higham and

. At some point, before or after the

Domesday survey Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manusc ...

these also became parishes, with Higham becoming part of the parish of Walthamstow. These parishes had largely stable borders from which those of the later Municipal Boroughs were derived, and these are the basis of our understanding of the extent of these local areas today.

Preservation of Epping Forest

The southern part of Epping Forest still extends into the north of the borough, 90% of it having been preserved by the Epping Forest Act of 1878. This not only assisted in preserving the forest, the attraction value also helped stimulate urbanisation of nearby areas.

Urbanisation

Until the late Victorian era, the area that became the modern borough was rural in nature with a small dispersed population and a primarily agricultural landscape. Leyton, in particular, grew quite rapidly between 1870 and 1910.

Industrial firsts

In 1892, a private citizen named Frederick Bremer built the first British motorcar in a workshop in his garden, at Connaught Road, Walthamstow. The vehicle is on display at the

Vestry House Museum Vestry House Museum is a history museum in Walthamstow focusing on the heritage of the local area. The collection includes various artefacts dating from the Victorian era to the 20th century, including numerous archived documents and photograp ...

in Walthamstow. In 1909, the aviation pioneer A V Roe successfully tested the first all-British aeroplane, the

Roe I Triplane The Roe I Triplane (often later referred to as the Avro Triplane) was an early aircraft designed and built by A.V. Roe which was the first all-British aircraft to fly.Jackson 1990 p.6 (Roe's previous biplane had a French engine). Backgrou ...

, on land at Walthamstow Marshes.

Air Raids in World War One

The area now known as Waltham Forest experienced at least two

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

raids during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. On 17/18 August 1915, Airship L10 took a route roughly following the Gospel Oak to Barking railway line, dropping incendiary and high-explosive bombs. The first bomb, an incendiary, fell on Hoe St, Walthamstow, at the junction of Orford and Queens Road; the last was dropped in Aldersbrook area. Ten people were killed in Leyton and another 48 injured across the wider area. On 23/24 September 1916 the German Navy airship L 31 dropped around ten bombs along the line of Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, killing eight there. On both occasions the Germans believed they were bombing the

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

, and it is thought they mistook the

Lee Valley Reservoir Chain The Lee Valley Reservoir Chain is located in the Lee Valley, and comprises 13 reservoirs that supply drinking water to London. The Reservoir Chain is a major geographic constraint; together with the Thames it is one of the two significant topogr ...

for the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

Blitz - World War Two

During the most intense period of the

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...

(October 1940 to June 1941), the area was hit by around 728 high explosive bombs, 17

parachute mine A parachute mine is a naval mine dropped from an aircraft by parachute. They were mostly used in the Second World War by the Luftwaffe and initially by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. Frequently, they were dropped on land targets. Histo ...

s and an unknown, but much greater number of incendiary device, small incendiary bombs. Subsequent raids were lighter and less frequent, but 1944 saw a number of V-1 flying bomb, V-1 'flying bombs' and V-2 rocket, V-2 long-range ballistic missiles hit the area, including a V-1 which landed on central Walthamstow killing 22 and a V-2 rocket, V-2 which landed on Chingford Road, Walthamstow killing 8.

Creation of the modern Borough

The London Government Act 1963 established the borough in 1965 from the combined areas of the former Municipal Borough of Chingford, Municipal Borough of Leyton and Municipal Borough of Walthamstow. A petition opposed calling the new borough "Walthamstow", so perhaps for that reason the new borough took its name from the former

, an institution responsible for managing deer in an area that stretched eastwards from the River Lea and included large areas of agricultural land as well as the wooded areas subsequently known as

and Hainault Forest.

Settlement

The main centres of population in the borough are

in the north, Walthamstow in the centre (the administrative hub including the council offices) and

and Leytonstone to the South. Waltham Forest has the fifth largest Muslim population in England and the third largest in London (coming after its neighbouring boroughs,

and London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Tower Hamlets).

Ethnicity

Open spaces

and the green corridor along the River Lea provide some of the borough's many open spaces, which include: * Epping Forest (part) *

(part) *

(part) * Walthamstow Marshes * The Walthamstow Wetlands Reserve, opened in 2017, provides of open space. * Leyton Jubilee Park * Lloyd Park (Walthamstow), Lloyd Park * Ridgeway Park * Chingford Mount Cemetery * Mansfield Park * Highams Park Field

Arts, culture and leisure

Historically known as the seat of the Arts and Crafts Movement under the stewardship of William Morris, Waltham Forest has continued to succour many contemporary artists & art groups. These include the North East London Independent Artists (NELIA) group, based at the Changing Room Gallery in Lloyd Park, the 491 Gallery in Leytonstone, and a number of independent artists, also mainly in the Leytonstone area. The annual E17 Art Trail, which includes open studios, exhibitions and events, is the biggest art event in the borough, and there is now a similar event in Leytonstone. Eamon Everall, founder member of the Stuckism art movement is a long-time resident in the borough where he also maintains a studio. Waltham Forest is home to a number of musicians that have found success in the UK, including East 17, Blazin' Squad, and Indie rock, Indie band Hefner (band), Hefner, who formed in Walthamstow. The borough is also a centre of the Grime (music), grime musical genre; grime acts hailing from the borough include More Fire Crew, Lethal Bizzle, and Jammer (rapper), Jammer amongst others. The borough had a key role in the history of rave music culture, whether it be clubs, artists, and DJs. Widely regarded as one of the seminal tracks of jungle music, the creator of "We Are I.E." Lennie de Ice grew up and lived in Walthamstow. Walthamstow was also home to DJ Rap and MC Navigator. The venue Dungeons was located on the Lea Bridge Road in

, and a number of UK pirate radio, pirate radio stations including Friends FM, Dance FM, and Eruption Radio, Eruption FM broadcast from tower blocks such as the Cathall, Cathall Estate in Leytonstone. The only theatre in the borough, The Waltham Forest Theatre, was situated in Lloyd Park. Though a local campaign was launched to save it in 2008 the theatre was demolished in 2011. Leyton Orient F.C. is the local professional Association football, football team, based at Brisbane Road, Leyton. In the 1962–63 season the club played in the top tier of English football, the Football League First Division, but currently are in EFL League Two, League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Truman's Brewery is moving to Waltham Forest close to Blackhorse Road underground station in 2020, which will be a new entertainment hub in Walthamstow. Waltham Forest is the first ever London Borough of Culture. The award from the Mayor of London ensures that arts and culture are placed at the heart of our communities. Some of the programmes are: Hennography, Polish Jazz London Series, Human Library, E17: My Home, Waltham Forest Cello Fest - "London Borough of Culture meets Classical Music", We're all bats, E17 Designers Winter Night Market, Red Light Busking, Underground Lunchtime Recitals, Forest Uprising, Welcome to the Forest and Fighter Workshops.

Housing

Waltham Forest was one of six local authorities to set up a Housing Action Trust under the Housing Act 1988. The Waltham Forest HAT covered various estates in need of urban renewal, regeneration: Cathall Road in Leytonstone, Oliver Close in

, Boundary Road in Walthamstow and Chingford Hall in

. The HAT transferred its redeveloped estates to Community-based Housing Association and shut down in April 2002. English Partnerships then demolished four empty tower blocks. The remaining Council housing in the borough is now managed by an arms-length management organisation, Waltham Forest Housing (formerly Ascham Homes).

Olympics

Waltham Forest was one of four host boroughs in east London for the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 Olympics. The northern part of the Olympic Park, London, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is located in Eton Manor. The borough hosted events in its three Olympic-size swimming pools, one synchronised swimming pool and one water polo pool. These pools were used for athlete training. During the Paralympic Games, Eton Manor hosted the Wheelchair Tennis events, with temporary seating for 10,500 spectators. In April 2012, the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence identified the roof of Fred Wigg Tower as a potential location for surface-to-air missile defences during the Games.

Education

Waltham Forest has a number of institutes, including 3 colleges of further education. Leyton Sixth Form College was the second sixth form college in Southern England to get a licence, and was awarded the title of best college in London for sport in 2013. Others include Waltham Forest College and Sir George Monoux College. Waltham Forest has a sixth form college reorganised system which it adopted in 1985.

Neighbouring authorities

Neighbouring authorities are Epping Forest District, Epping Forest (

) in the north, Redbridge in the east, with

and Hackney to the south.

and

lie to the west.

Constituent districts and wards

Waltham Forest_London_UK_labelled_ward_map_2002

Districts

* Bakers Arms * Cann Hall *

* Chingford Hatch * Friday Hill, London, Friday Hill * Highams Park#Hale End, Hale End * Highams Park *

* Leytonstone * Upper Walthamstow * Walthamstow * Whipps Cross

Wards

*Cann Hall *Cathall (ward), Cathall *Chapel End *Chingford Green *Endlebury *Forest (ward), Forest *Grove Green, London, Grove Green *Hale End and Highams Park *Hatch Lane *High Street (ward), High Street *Higham Hill *Hoe Street *Larkswood *Lea Bridge *Leyton (ward), Leyton *Leytonstone *Markhouse *William Morris (ward), William Morris *Wood Street (ward), Wood Street *Valley (ward), Valley

Transport

The Central line (London Underground), Central line of the London Underground serves the south of the borough, running alongside the A12 road (Great Britain), A12 road with stations at Leyton tube station, Leyton and Leytonstone tube station, Leytonstone. The Victoria line runs roughly through the middle of the borough with stations at Walthamstow Central station, Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road station, Blackhorse Road. The Gospel Oak to Barking line of London Overground has stations at Walthamstow Queen's Road railway station, Walthamstow Queen's Road, Blackhorse Road station, Blackhorse Road, Leyton Midland Road railway station, Leyton Midland Road and Leytonstone High Road railway station, Leytonstone High Road. London Overground also runs services on the Lea Valley lines from Liverpool Street station in the City of London and serves stations at St James Street railway station, St James Street, Walthamstow Central station, Walthamstow Central, Wood Street railway station, Wood Street, Highams Park railway station, Highams Park and Chingford railway station, Chingford. Greater Anglia (train operating company), Greater Anglia serves the south-west of the borough with a station at Lea Bridge railway station, Lea Bridge. A number of London Buses routes serve the borough, as well as six Night buses in London, night bus routes. The Central line and the Victoria line are both part of the Night Tube, which provides overnight tube services on Friday and Saturday nights. The pioneering Mini-Hollands, Mini Holland program has begun to provide protected cycle lanes across the southern half of the borough, increasing the ability to use bicycles as a transport option. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: underground, metro, light rail, tram, 21.0% of all residents aged 16–74; driving a car or van, 7.0%; bus, minibus or coach, 7.0%; train, 6.5%; on foot, 4.3%; work mainly at or from home, 2.1%; bicycle, 1.8%.

Law enforcement

There is one police station which is based in Chingford and a number of additional patrol centres throughout the borough. Policing is now provided by the North-East Basic Command Unit (BCU) following a merger of Waltham Forest's and Newham's policing in 2018

Notable residents

Waltham Forest is the birthplace of William Morris, best known as one of the principal founders of the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris was a designer of wallpaper and patterned fabrics, a writer of poetry and fiction, and a pioneer of the socialist movement in Britain. Other notable people, such as footballer and former England Captain David Beckham, rapper, songwriter and actor Redzz, ''I, Claudius (TV series), I, Claudius'' star Derek Jacobi, former Essex and England cricket Captain Graham Gooch, and the film director and producer Alfred Hitchcock, were also born in the borough. The heavy metal band Iron Maiden was formed in Leyton, and Eastenders actress Rita Simons was born in Leytonstone. Notable Eastenders Actor Adam Woodyatt is from Walthamstow. The poet Pascale Petit (poet), Pascale Petit, shortlisted three times for the TS Eliot poetry prize, lives in Walthamstow. Notable rap/grime artist Lethal Bizzle is from Walthamstow, and Grayson Perry, the 2003 Turner Prize-winning artist, has his studio in Walthamstow. X Factor finalist Fleur East is also from Walthamstow as well as British Taekwondo Athlete Lutalo Muhammad.

Sports teams

* Leyton Orient F.C., Leyton Orient Football Club * West Essex F.C. * Leyton F.C., Leyton Football Club * Lee Valley Lions

Twinned cities

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is Town twinning, twinned with * Saint-Mandé, France, * Wandsbek, Germany, * Antigua and Barbuda, and * Dominica. Friendship links have also been established with * Mirpur, Pakistan, Mirpur, Pakistan.

Gallery

File:Walthamstow Town Hall 20 Apr 2006.jpg, Waltham Forest Town Hall File:Hunting Lodge Chingford.JPG, Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge File:Walthamstow Stadium 1.JPG, Walthamstow Stadium File:Leytontownhall.jpg, Leyton Town Hall File:Walthamstow Marshes.JPG, Walthamstow Marshes File:LU Leytonstone sign.jpg, Leytonstone tube station, Leytonstone Station File:Beaumont.jpg, All Saints and St Paul's Tower File:Walthamstow, The Ancient House.jpg, The 'Ancient House' in Walthamstow Village File:Former Chingford Town Hall (geograph 4814495).jpg, Chingford Town Hall (No longer in use) File:Walthamstow Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 1768510.jpg, Walthamstow Bus Station just off Selborne Walk

References

External links

Waltham Forest Council

Local newspaper

Waltham Forest Police
{{DEFAULTSORT:London Borough Of Waltham Forest London Borough of Waltham Forest, London boroughs, Waltham Forest 1965 establishments in the United Kingdom Pakistani-British culture in London