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London Borough of Waltham Forest

London Borough of Waltham Forest

FieldValue
official_nameLondon Borough of Waltham Forest
settlement_typeLondon borough
imagesize270px
image_shieldCoat of arms of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.svg
shield_size100px
image_blank_emblemLb_waltham_forest_logo.svg
blank_emblem_typeCouncil logo
blank_emblem_size150px
mottoFellowship is Life
image_mapWaltham Forest in Greater London.svg
map_captionWaltham Forest shown within Greater London
coor_pinpoint
coordinates_footnotestags --
subdivision_typeSovereign state
subdivision_nameUnited Kingdom
subdivision_type2Constituent country
subdivision_name2England
subdivision_type3Region
subdivision_name3London
subdivision_type4Ceremonial county
subdivision_name4Greater London
established_titleCreated
established_date1 April 1965
seat_typeAdmin HQ
seatWalthamstow
government_footnotestags --
government_typeLondon borough council
governing_bodyWaltham Forest London Borough Council
leader_title2London Assembly
leader_name2Sem Moema (Labour) AM for North East
leader_title3MPs
leader_name3Calvin Bailey (Labour)
Stella Creasy (Labour)
Iain Duncan Smith (Con)
area_footnotestags --
area_magnitude
area_total_km238.82
area_total_sq_mi
area_total_dunam
area_urban_footnotestags --
area_rural_footnotestags --
area_metro_footnotestags --
area_rank(of )
population_footnotestags --
population_total
population_as_of
population_rank(of )
population_density_km2auto
timezoneGMT
utc_offset±00:00UTC
timezone_DSTBST
utc_offset_DST+1
postal_code_typePostcodes
postal_code,
area_code_type
area_code020
iso_codeGB-WFT
registration_plate
blank1_nameONS code
blank1_info00BH
blank2_nameGSS code
blank2_infoE09000031
blank_name_sec2Police
blank_info_sec2Metropolitan Police
websitehttps://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/

Stella Creasy (Labour) Iain Duncan Smith (Con)

The London Borough of Waltham Forest () is an outer London borough formed in 1965 from the merger of the Essex municipal boroughs of Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford.

The borough's administrative headquarters are at Waltham Forest Town Hall, which before the merger of the boroughs, was called Walthamstow Town Hall. The population was 278,428 at the 2021 census. Waltham Forest borders five other London boroughs: Enfield to the north-west, Haringey to the west, Hackney to the south-west, Newham to the south-east and Redbridge to the east, as well as the Epping Forest District of Essex to the north.

The borough takes its name from the former Waltham Forest – a Royal Forest that managed deer in south-west Essex. Epping Forest is a remainder of the former Waltham Forest 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 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, with the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre and part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park providing an ongoing legacy in the UK and London.

History

Name

The borough took its name from the former Waltham Forest, a Royal Forest that managed deer in an area of south-west Essex that stretched eastwards from the River Lea and included large areas of agricultural land as well as the wooded areas subsequently known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest.

The first known use of the name Waltham Forest is 1205 (in Medieval Latin) as foresta nostra prope Waltham, and the use of the name persisted, until the end of the seventeenth century.

Early history

The area was in the territory of the Trinovantes tribe during the Iron Age 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 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 Essex.

The Domesday book of 1086 records four manors in the area, Chingford, Walthamstow, Higham and Leyton. At some point, before or after the Domesday survey 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 in Walthamstow. In 1909, the aviation pioneer A V Roe successfully tested the first all-British aeroplane, the Roe I Triplane, on land at Walthamstow Marshes.

Air Raids in World War One

The area now known as Waltham Forest experienced at least two Zeppelin raids during World War I. 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, and it is thought they mistook the Lee Valley Reservoir Chain for the Thames.

Blitz - World War Two

During the most intense period of the Blitz (October 1940 to June 1941), the area was hit by around 728 high explosive bombs, 17 parachute mines and an unknown, but much greater number of small incendiary bombs. Subsequent raids were lighter and less frequent, but 1944 saw a number of V-1 'flying bombs' and V-2 long-range ballistic missiles hit the area, including a V-1 which landed on central Walthamstow killing 22 and a V-2 which landed on Chingford Road, Walthamstow killing 8.

Creation of the modern borough

The London Borough of Waltham Forest was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former municipal boroughs of Chingford, Leyton and Walthamstow. The area was transferred from Essex to Greater London to become one of the 32 London Boroughs.

A petition opposed calling the new borough "Walthamstow", so perhaps for that reason the new borough took its name from the former Waltham Forest.

Governance

Main article: Waltham Forest London Borough Council

[[Waltham Forest Town Hall

The local authority is Waltham Forest Council, based at Waltham Forest Town Hall (formerly Walthamstow Town Hall).

Greater London representation

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the North East constituency.

Settlement

Population pyramid of Waltham Forest in 2021

The main centres of population in the borough are Chingford in the north, Walthamstow in the centre (the administrative hub including the council offices) and Leyton 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, Newham and Tower Hamlets).

| 1801 |6500 | 1811 |8165 | 1821 |9239 | 1831 |9505 | 1841 |9806 | 1851 |10759 | 1861 |22635 | 1871 |34512 | 1881 |46388 | 1891 |92948 | 1901 |154146 | 1911 |255661 | 1921 |267592 | 1931 |280094 | 1941 |274172 | 1951 |268383 | 1961 |251205 | 1971 |235145 | 1981 |214595 | 1991 |217625 | 2001 |218277 | 2011 |258249 | 2021 |278428

Ethnicity

Ethnic GroupYear1971 estimations1981 estimations1991 census2001 census2011 census2021 censusNumber%Number%Number%Number%Number%Number%White: Total92.2%175,27682.5%157,82474.4%140,80364.5%134,79952.1%147,02452.8%Asian or Asian British: Total26,94012.7%33,65915.4%54,38920.8%55,54519.9%Black or Black British: Total23,92111.3%33,67315.4%44,79117.3%41,64714.9%Mixed or British Mixed: Total7,7493.6%13,7765.2%17,9836.4%Other: Total3,3481.6%2,4571.1%10,5044.0%16,2295.8%Non-White: Total7.8%37,12217.5%54,20925.6%77,53835.5%123,45047.9%131,40447.2%Total100%212,398100%212,033100%218,341100.00%258,249100.00%278,428100%
White: British121,69455.7%92,99936.0%94,76634.0%
White: Irish5,1122.4%3,9591.5%4,2301.5%
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller3691980.1%
White: Roma1,3970.5%
White: Other13,9976.4%37,47214.5%46,43316.7%
Asian or Asian British: Indian7,0427,6713.5%9,1343.5%9,1343.3%
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani13,2986.3%17,2957.9%26,34710.2%28,74010.3%
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi1,8752,1664,6321.7%5,1661.9%
Asian or Asian British: Chinese1,2331,4432,5792,6260.9%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian3,4925,0842.3%11,6974.5%9,8793.5%
Black or Black British: African5,96712,6305.8%18,8157.3%18,7596.7%
Black or Black British: Caribbean14,4216.8%17,7978.2%18,8417.3%17,5876.3%
Black or Black British: Other Black3,5333,2461.5%7,1352.7%5,3011.9%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean3,0071.4%4,5681.7%5,1351.8%
Mixed: White and Black African1,1952,4032,7771.0%
Mixed: White and Asian1,5802,6021.0%3,8751.4%
Mixed: Other Mixed1,9674,1931.6%6,1962.2%
Other: Arab3,7761.4%2,8841.0%
Other: Any other ethnic group3,3481.6%2,4571.1%6,7282.6%13,3454.8%

Religion

Religion1995 estimatesNumber%Total100%
Christian
No religion
Muslim
Religion not stated
Hindu
Jewish2,7001.3%
Sikh
Other religion
Buddhist

Open spaces

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

  • Epping Forest (part)
  • Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (part)
  • Lee Valley Reservoir Chain (part)
  • Walthamstow Marshes
  • The Walthamstow Wetlands Reserve, opened in 2017, provides 211 ha of open space.
  • Leyton Jubilee Park
  • 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 biennial 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 was the first ever London Borough of Culture in 2019.

Waltham Forest is home to a number of musicians that have found success in the UK, including East 17, Blazin' Squad, and indie band Hefner, who formed in Walthamstow. The borough is also a centre of the grime musical genre; grime acts hailing from the borough include More Fire Crew, Lethal Bizzle, and 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 Lea Bridge Road in Leyton, and a number of pirate radio stations including Friends FM, Dance FM, and Eruption FM broadcast from tower blocks such as the 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 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 League One, the third tier of the English football league system.

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 regeneration: Cathall Road in Leytonstone, Oliver Close in Leyton, Boundary Road in Walthamstow and Chingford Hall in Chingford. 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 Olympics. The northern part of the 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 identified the roof of Fred Wigg Tower as a potential location for surface-to-air missile defences during the Games.

Education

Main article: List of schools in Waltham Forest

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.

A class in Riverley Primary School in Leyton won the 'funniest joke' competition run by the Beano in 2025 and the school's Maisha Mahfuza won the 'funniest teacher' accolade.

Neighbouring authorities

Neighbouring authorities are Epping Forest (Essex) in the north, Redbridge in the east, with Newham and Hackney to the south. Haringey and Enfield lie to the west.

Constituent districts and wards

A map showing the wards of Waltham Forest since 2002

Districts

  • Bakers Arms
  • Cann Hall
  • Chapel End
  • Chingford
  • Chingford Hatch
  • Friday Hill
  • Hale End
  • Highams Park
  • Leyton
  • Leytonstone
  • Upper Walthamstow
  • Walthamstow
  • Whipps Cross

Wards

  • Cann Hall
  • Cathall
  • Chapel End
  • Chingford Green
  • Endlebury
  • Forest
  • Grove Green
  • Hale End and Highams Park South
  • Hatch Lane and Highams Park North
  • High Street
  • Higham Hill
  • Hoe Street
  • Larkswood
  • Lea Bridge
  • Leyton
  • Leytonstone
  • Markhouse
  • St James
  • Upper Walthamstow
  • Valley
  • William Morris
  • Wood Street

Transport

Railway

The area is served by the following London Underground lines:

  • Central line serves the south of the borough, running alongside the A12 road, with stations at Leyton and Leytonstone.
  • The Victoria line runs roughly through the middle of the borough, with stations at Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road.

Both lines are both part of the Night Tube, which provides overnight tube services on Friday and Saturday nights.

London Overground runs through the borough on the following lines:

  • The Gospel Oak to Barking line has stations at Walthamstow Queen's Road, Blackhorse Road, Leyton Midland Road and Leytonstone High Road.
  • Lea Valley lines run from Liverpool Street station in the City of London; there are stations at St James Street, Walthamstow Central, Wood Street, Highams Park and Chingford.

Greater Anglia serves the south-west of the borough with a station at Lea Bridge; these services connect and .

Buses

A number of London Buses routes serve the borough, as well as six night bus routes. Services are operated by Arriva London, Stagecoach London and London General.

Cycling

The pioneering Mini Holland programme has begun to provide protected cycle lanes across the southern half of the borough, increasing the ability to use bicycles as a transport option.

Transport usage

In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were:

  • Underground, metro, light rail or tram: 21.0% of all residents aged 16–74
  • 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

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

Notable residents

David Beckham

Main article: List of people from Waltham Forest

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 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, 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, and musician Geordie Greep.

Sports teams

  • Leyton Orient Football Club
  • Walthamstow F.C.
  • West Essex F.C.
  • Leyton Football Club
  • Lee Valley Lions

Twinned cities

The London Borough of Waltham Forest is twinned with

  • Saint-Mandé, France,
  • Wandsbek, Germany,
  • Saint John's, Antigua and Barbuda, and
  • Roseau, Dominica.

Friendship links have also been established with

  • Mirpur, Pakistan.

References

References

  1. "Waltham Forest definition and meaning {{!}} Collins English Dictionary".
  2. "CUBE: Waltham".
  3. {{cite Routledge. Waltham
  4. The Place Names of Essex, PH Reaney, English Place Name Society, Volume XII, Cambridge University Press, Reissued 1969
  5. Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England, p46. Barbara Yorke. Yorke makes reference to research by Rodwell and Rodwell (1986) and Bassett (1989)
  6. Powell, W R. (1973). "'Leyton: Introduction', in A History of the County of Essex". British History Online.
  7. (14 April 2015). "Bremer". Britainbycar.co.uk.
  8. "Alliott Verdon Roe - E17 (1) : London Remembers, Aiming to capture all memorials in London". Londonremembers.com.
  9. London 1914-17 The Zeppelin Menace, Ian Castle. Osprey Publishing 2008
  10. University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with the National Archives and funded by JISC.. "Bombs dropped in Waltham Forest - Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census". Bomb Sight.
  11. "Bomb Census London: An East End Raid Over Walthamstow And Leyton". Culture24.
  12. (2 August 2018). "London V2 Rocket Sites...Mapped". Londonist.
  13. "V1 Bomb Damage Walthamstow - British Pathé". Britishpathe.com.
  14. "V2 Rocket incident at Chingford Road, Walthamstow. Remains of a Stock Photo: 81006133". Alamy.
  15. Youngs, Frederic. (1979). "Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England". [[Royal Historical Society]].
  16. "Waltham Forest: Total Population". Great Britain Historical GIS Project.
  17. Tim Butler, Chris Hamnett. "Ethnicity, class and aspiration".
  18. (1985). "Ethnic minorities in Britain: statistical information on the pattern of settlement". Commission for Racial Equality.
  19. "1991 census – theme tables". NOMIS.
  20. "KS006 - Ethnic group". NOMIS.
  21. "Ethnic Group by measures". NOMIS.
  22. "Ethnic group - Office for National Statistics".
  23. "A PROFILE OF BRITISH JEWRY - 1995".
  24. [http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/exhibitions/stuckists/eamoneverall.aspx "'The Gift', Eamon Everall"], [[Walker Art Gallery]], [[National Museums Liverpool]]. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  25. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46825340 BBC: "Events mark Waltham Forest becoming Borough of Culture"]
  26. (18 June 2020). "Sound systems & House parties – Rendezvous Projects". Rendezvous CIC.
  27. Victoria Munro. (6 November 2021). "Thank you for the music". Waltham Echo.
  28. Alice Clapperton. (9 November 2019). "Crest of a rave". Waltham Echo.
  29. Sarah Cosgrove, "Teenage twins in bid to take over theatre", ''The Waltham Forest Guardian'' {{When. (April 2012)
  30. "English Partnerships: A residuary body for Housing Action Trusts".
  31. (24 May 2010). "Ascham Homes performance worsens". Waltham Forest Guardian.
  32. (1 May 2012). "Missiles could be deployed at six sites during Olympics, MOD confirm". Daily Telegraph.
  33. Koscielak, Kasia. "News - Leyton Sixth Form achieves Investors in People Gold Award".
  34. "College named best in London for sport".
  35. "Further Education (Hansard, 6 June 1991)".
  36. Jones, Alan. (11 June 2025). "Punctuation joke wins Beano competition". Press Association.
  37. "Central line timetable". Transport for London.
  38. "Victoria line timetable". Transport for London.
  39. (2 June 2024). "London Overground Timetables". Transport for London.
  40. (2 June 2024). "Timetables". Greater Anglia.
  41. "Services in Waltham Forest". Bustimes.org.
  42. (16 January 2015). "About Enjoy Waltham Forest {{!}} Enjoy Waltham Forest".
  43. "2011 Census: QS701EW Method of travel to work, local authorities in England and Wales". Office for National Statistics.
  44. "The Met to Merge Newham & Waltham Forest police forces".
  45. "Town twinning". Waltham Forest Council.
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