Whipps Cross is an area of the districts of
Leytonstone
Leytonstone ( ) is an area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, Stratford to the south-west, Leyton to the west, and Walthamstow to the nor ...
and
Walthamstow
Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...
in the
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is an Outer London, outer London boroughs, London borough formed in 1965 from the merger of the municipal boroughs of Municipal Borough of Leyton, Leyton, Municipal Borough of Walthamstow, Walthamstow an ...
in
East London
East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
, England. It is most famous for
Whipps Cross University Hospital
Whipps Cross University Hospital is a large university hospital in the locality of Whipps Cross in Leytonstone and is within Epping Forest in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, London, England. It is managed by Barts Health NHS Trust.
Hist ...
. Prior to 1965, it was located in the
historic county of
Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
.
The area
The name Whipps Cross specifically applies to the junction of
Lea Bridge Road
Lea Bridge Road is a major through route in east London, across the Lea Valley from Clapton to Whipps Cross in Leyton. It forms part of the A104 road.
Places served on the road are the Lea Valley Park, Lea Bridge railway station and the ...
(
A104) with Whipps Cross Road (A114) and Wood Street (
B160). It lay on the boundary of the former
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
es and
Municipal Borough
A municipal borough was a type of local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state.
Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of ...
s of
Walthamstow
Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...
and
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 Ri ...
, which were both incorporated into Waltham Forest in 1965. It is the highest point in Leyton at above sea level.
The area to the south and west of Whipps Cross is residential, mainly terraced housing built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. On the south side of the Whipps Cross junction is a large Victorian house which is used as a
Territorial Army Centre by
68 Signal Squadron of the
Inns of Court & City Yeomanry
The Inns of Court & City Yeomanry is a British Army unit formed through the amalgamation of The Inns of Court Regiment (The Devil's Own) and The City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) in 1961. Its lineage is maintained by 68 (Inns of Court & ...
. Adjacent to this building is a
war memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war.
Symbolism
Historical usage
It has ...
in the form of a
Celtic cross
upright 0.75 , A Celtic cross symbol
The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in the British Isles and Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. It became widespread through its u ...
, to the 7th Battalion, the
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...
(Territorial) and other local Territorial Army units of both World Wars. It bears the inscription ''"We are the dead. To you with failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high."'' This memorial was moved from Church Hill, Walthamstow when the TA drill hall there closed in the 1950s.

The area to the south and east of the junction, on the southern side of Whipps Cross Road, was once the site of Forest House but has for the last century been occupied by
Whipps Cross Hospital. To the north and east of Whipps Cross is an area of
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 Lond ...
called Leyton Flats, which features a lake created from old gravel pits officially called Hollow Pond (often referenced as 'Hollow Ponds' locally).
Between 2017 and the spring of 2019, a major reconstruction converted the junction from a
roundabout
A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
to a
junction
Junction may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Junction'' (2012 film), an American film
* ''Junction'' (2024 film), an American film
* ''Jjunction'', a 2002 Indian film
* ''Junction'' (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille
* Junction (E ...
controlled by traffic lights. The work included dedicated
cycle lane
Bike lanes (US) or cycle lanes (UK) are types of bikeways (cycleways) with lanes on the roadway for cyclists only. In the United Kingdom, an on-road cycle-lane can be firmly restricted to cycles (marked with a solid white line, entry by motor ...
s from every direction and was part of a £15 million improvement plan for Lea Bridge Road.
Origin of the name
The name is first mentioned in local records of the late fourteenth century as ''Phip's cross'', referring to a
wayside cross
A wayside cross is a cross by a footpath, track or road, at an intersection, along the edge of a field or in a forest. It can be made of wood, stone or metal. Stone crosses may also be conciliation crosses. Often they serve as waymarks for wal ...
set up by a member of the family of one John Phyppe. Further versions on maps and deeds are ''Phyppys Crosse'' in 1517, ''Fypps Chrosse'' 1537, ''Phippes Cross'' 1572, and finally ''Whipps Cross'' by 1636. The change in the initial
consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract, except for the h sound, which is pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract. Examples are and pronou ...
is thought to have been a product of the local
Essex dialect
English in Southern England (also, rarely, Southern English English; Southern England English; or in the UK, simply, Southern English) is the collective set of different dialects and accents of Modern English spoken in Southern England.
As of ...
at that time, in which "F" sounds were pronounced as "W". These early examples disprove a local legend, which supposes that the name derives from it being the place where those found guilty of breaking the
forest laws
A royal forest, occasionally known as a kingswood (), is an area of land with different definitions in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The term ''forest'' in the ordinary modern understanding refers to an area of wooded land; however, the ...
were
whipped.
Forest House
The Forest House estate lay to the south of Whipps Cross Road and west of James Lane. It has its origins in a lease of land granted by the Abbot of
Stratford Langthorne Abbey
Stratford Langthorne Abbey, or the Abbey of St Mary's, Stratford Langthorne was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1135 at Stratford Langthorne — then Essex but now Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. The Abbey, also known as West Ha ...
in 1492. ''Forrest House'' had been built by 1568 and was rebuilt before 1625. In 1658,
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich
George Goring, 1st Earl of Norwich (28 April 1585 – 6 January 1663) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1628 when he was raised to the peerage.
Biography
Goring was the son of George Gori ...
acquired the estate by marriage. His second son,
Charles, Lord Goring, enlarged the estate and is buried in
Leyton Parish Church
The Parish Church of St Mary with St Edward and St Luke, Leyton, also known as Leyton Parish Church and formerly, St Mary the Virgin, Leyton, is a Church of England parish church in Leyton, East London. Although records of the church go back to ab ...
. Ownership of Forest House passed to
Sir Henry Capell who sold it to
James Houblon
Sir James Houblon (1629 – ''circa'' 26 October 1700) was an influential merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London.
James was baptised at St Mary Woolchurch Haw Church in London on 26 July 1629, the second son of James Houblon ...
in 1682, who immediately started to build a new house on the site in the
English Baroque
English Baroque is a term used to refer to modes of English architecture that paralleled Baroque architecture in continental Europe between the Great Fire of London (1666) and roughly 1720, when the flamboyant and dramatic qualities of Baroque ...
style with a
Doric porch. Houblon was a wealthy
City
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
merchant of
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
descent, whose sons
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second E ...
and
Abraham
Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...
were born at Forest House. In 1703, the estate was sold to
Sir Gilbert Heathcote, the last
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
to ride on horseback at the
Lord Mayor's Show
The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century. A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as their inaugura ...
. The estate was sold to the
Bosanquet family in 1743, and it remained in their hands until 1889, when it was sold to the
West Ham
West Ham is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Newham. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross.
The area was originally an ancient parish formed to serve parts of the older Manor of Ham, a ...
Board of Guardians
Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930.
England and Wales
Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the po ...
who established a
work house
In Britain and Ireland, a workhouse (, lit. "poor-house") was a total institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses. The earliest ...
there. During
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the work house infirmary was used to treat wounded soldiers and this became ''Whipps Cross Hospital'' in 1917. In that year, it was visited by King
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
and
Queen Mary. The mansion itself became a ward for male mental patients. It was finally demolished in 1964 and only part of the garden wall (thought to date from 1641) remains.
Whipps Cross Lido
In 1905, a swimming pond was excavated by manual labour as part of an
unemployment
Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
relief scheme. It was located to the north of the Hollow Pond, close to the junction of Lea Bridge Road and Snaresbrook Road. It was locally known as "the Batho", but it became notorious for being muddy and unhygienic.
In 1923, the borough councils 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 Ri ...
and
Walthamstow
Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. The town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and South Woodford to the east, Leyton and Leytonstone to the south, and Tottenham to the west. At ...
jointly agreed to fund its improvement, and in May 1932, a new
lido
Lido may refer to:
Geography
* Lido (Belgrade), a river beach on the Danube in Belgrade, Serbia
* Venice Lido, an 11-kilometre-long barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Italy
* Ruislip Lido, a reservoir and artificial beach in Ruisl ...
or open-air
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...
was opened by the
Lord Mayor of London
The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
.
At a cost of £6,000, it was an irregular oval shape with a straight section for racing; a paved surround and changing rooms were built and the pool was fed by an underground
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a he ...
. However, the new lido was closed in the following September, after a water sample had shown it to be "unfit for bathing purposes".
After another rebuilding, including the sealing of the floor of the pool with concrete and the installation of a
chlorination plant, Whipps Cross Lido reopened in 1937.
[Ramsey, Winston G (editor) 1986, ''Epping Forest Then and Now'', After the Battle Publications, (pp.148–149)] It was a very large pool, long by wide, with a connected circular diving pool deep. The pool had a capacity of 1,300,000 gallons, putting it in the top ten of largest lidos by capacity in the UK.
In 1965, a children's paddling pool and a junior swimming bath were incorporated into the lido at a cost of £7,000. This was achieved by installing a 1.2m (4ft.) wide partition across the existing pool.
By 1981, attendances had fallen to 20,000 per annum and the decision was taken to close the lido on 4 September 1982. By December 1983, the site had been levelled and returned to forest land; only part of the access road remains.
The location can be seen at the georeferenced map link.
References
{{LB Waltham Forest
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Waltham Forest