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Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within 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 ...
. The town borders
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
to the north,
Snaresbrook Snaresbrook is a district in the London Borough of Redbridge, in East London. It is located east of Charing Cross. The name derives from a corruption of Sayers brook, a tributary of the River Roding that flows through Wanstead to the East. ...
and
South Woodford South Woodford is an area of East London, England, within the London Borough of Redbridge. It adjoins Woodford Green to the north, Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a town within the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London. T ...
to the east,
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
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 ...
to the south, and
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
to the west. At the 2011 census, Walthamstow had a population of approximately 109,424 and is around north-east of
Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning the City of London and several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local gove ...
. Occupying most of the town's east-to-west High Street,
Walthamstow Market Walthamstow Market, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is the second longest outdoor market in Europe ( the longest one is Porta Portese in Rome, which is 2 km long ). It occupies all but the last of Walthamstow's High Street. It is rep ...
is the longest outdoor market in Europe. East of the town centre is
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
, the oldest part of Walthamstow, and the location of St Mary's Church, the town's parish church. To the north of the town is the former
Walthamstow Stadium Walthamstow Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London.BBC News - Walthamstow race track to close' It was regarded as the leading greyhound racing stadium ...
, which was considered an East End landmark. The
William Morris Gallery The William Morris Gallery is a museum devoted to the life and works of William Morris, an English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist. It is located in Walthamstow at Water House, a substantial Grade II* listed Georgian home. The extens ...
in Forest Road, a museum that was once the family home of
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
, is a
Grade II* In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
listed building. The town is served by five railway stations, including Walthamstow Central and Blackhorse Road—interchange stations on the
Victoria line The Victoria line is a London Underground line that runs between in South London, and in the east, via the West End of London, West End. It is printed in light blue on the Tube map and is one of the only two lines on the network to run comp ...
of the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
.
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 ...
was a
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 ...
, originally part of the
Becontree Hundred Becontree was an ancient hundred in the south west of the county of Essex, England.John Marius Wilson, '' Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales'', (1870-72) Its area has been entirely absorbed by the growth of London; with its name reused in 19 ...
of Essex. As part of the suburban growth of London, the town expanded rapidly in the 19th century, becoming part of the
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
of the city. It has formed part of the
Metropolitan Police District The Metropolitan Police District (MPD) is the police area which is policed by the Metropolitan Police Service in London. It currently consists of the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, which excludes the City of ...
since 1840, and the
London postal district The London postal district is the area in England of to which mail addressed to the London post town is delivered. The General Post Office under the control of the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom, Postmaster General directed Rowland Hil ...
since its inception in 1856. The parish became a local board district in 1873, an
urban district An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...
in 1894 and a
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 ...
in 1929. Following reform of local government in London in 1965, it merged with the municipal boroughs of
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
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 ...
to form the new Waltham Forest local authority district, becoming part of
Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
. The
borough council A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...
is based at
Waltham Forest Town Hall Waltham Forest Town Hall (formerly Walthamstow Town Hall) is a municipal building located in Walthamstow, East London. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Waltham Forest London Borough Council, is a Grade II Listed Building. History Th ...
on Forest Road.


History


Toponymy

Walthamstow is recorded as ''Wilcumestowe'' ("the Place of Welcome") and in the
Domesday Book 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 at the behest of William the Conqueror. The manuscript was originally known by ...
of 1086 as ''Wilcumestou''.


Early history

The Domesday Book describes Wilcumestou as a manor owned by the Anglo-Saxon nobleman Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon and Northumbria before the Norman conquest of 1066. After the execution of Earl Waltheof, the property of the land passed to his wife, Countess Judith, also known as Judith of Lens, a niece of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book records 36
villeins A villein is a class of serf tied to the land under the feudal system. As part of the contract with the lord of the manor, they were expected to spend some of their time working on the lord's fields in return for land. Villeins existed under a ...
, 25
bordars Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed dur ...
and 4
slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
living in the manor in 1086. Alice, daughter of Earl Waltheof and Countess Judith, inherited Walthamstow. She married the Norman nobleman Ralph de Tosny or Toeni (also known as Raoul IV de Conches) in 1103. When her husband died, , Alice gave the church of Walthamstow to the Priors of the Holy Trinity based in Aldgate, London. King John stayed in Walthamstow for two nights in February 1208. In the 1660s Sir
William Batten Sir William Batten (c. 1601 – 5 October 1667) was an English naval officer and administrator from Somerset, who began his career as a merchant seaman, served as second-in-command of the Parliamentarian navy during the First English Civil War ...
, Surveyor of the Navy, and his wife Elizabeth Woodcocke had a house in Wood Street where, according to
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
, Batten lived "like a prince" and cultivated a
vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
. The Vestry House, now 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 ...
, was used as the first
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
. The influential textile designer and craftsman
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
was born in Walthamstow in 1834. The Georgian mansion where he lived as a teenager houses the
William Morris Gallery The William Morris Gallery is a museum devoted to the life and works of William Morris, an English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist. It is located in Walthamstow at Water House, a substantial Grade II* listed Georgian home. The extens ...
. By 1870 Walthamstow had grown to the size of a small suburb and a new town hall was built in Orford Road from which affairs of the village were run. A new town hall designed by architect
Philip Dalton Hepworth Philip Dalton Hepworth (12 March 1888 – 21 February 1963) was a British architect. He studied in both the UK and France, at the Architectural Association School of Architecture and the École des Beaux-Arts, and returned to work as an architec ...
in the Nordic Classical style was built between 1938 and 1942.


Urban development

Until the late 19th century Walthamstow was largely rural, with a small village centre (now
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
) and a number of large estates. The main route through the district was Hoe Street. There were various smaller lanes crossing the town. The road now known as Forest Road was originally called Clay Street. Further south, the High Street was named Marsh Street, and led from the original settlement out to the
marshes In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in general ...
. Shernhall Street is an ancient route, as is Wood Street, to the east. With the advent of the
railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
s and the ensuing
suburbanisation Suburbanization (American English), also spelled suburbanisation (British English), is a population shift from historic core cities or rural areas into suburbs. Most suburbs are built in a formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence o ...
in the late 19th century, Walthamstow experienced a large growth in population and speculative building. The Lighthouse Methodist Church which dates from 1893 is situated on Markhouse Road, on the corner of Downsfield Road. There is a lantern at the top of the tower, which also contains a spiral staircase. The church was erected because of the generosity of Captain David King of the shipbuilding firm of Bullard King & Co which also ran the Natal Direct Shipping Line, which ran ships direct from London to
Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...
without stopping at the Cape.


Transport breakthroughs

In 1885,
John Kemp Starley John Kemp Starley (24 December 1855 – 29 October 1901) was an English inventor and industrialist who is widely considered the inventor of the modern safety bicycle, and also originator of the tradename Rover. Early life Born on 24 De ...
, originally from Church Hill in Walthamstow, designed the first modern bicycle, and in 1892,
Frederick Bremer Frederick William Bremer (12 July 1872 in Stepney, London – 1941 in Walthamstow, England) was a British gasfitter, plumber, engineer and inventor recognised as the man who built the first petrol-fuelled car in Great Britain in 1892. Bremer ...
built the first British motorcar in a workshop in his garden, at Connaught Road. 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. The
LGOC X-type The LGOC X-type is an early model of London double-decker bus. History The X-type was the first bus built by London General Omnibus Co. Ltd (LGOC). The manufacturing part of LGOC became AEC in June 1912. In 1908 LGOC merged with its two ma ...
and B-type buses were built at Blackhorse Lane from October 1908 onwards. The B-type is considered one of the first mass-production buses. The manufacturing operation later became AEC, famous as the manufacturer of many of London's buses. On 13 June 1909, A. V. Roe's aircraft took to the air from Walthamstow Marshes. It was the first all-British aircraft and was given the ominous nickname of the "Yellow Terror" but officially carried the name Avro1. Roe later founded the
Avro Avro (an initialism of the founder's name) was a British aircraft manufacturer. Its designs include the Avro 504, used as a trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the d ...
aircraft company, which later built the acclaimed
Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster, commonly known as the Lancaster Bomber, is a British World War II, Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to ...
.


Walthamstow Power Station

''Walthamstow Borough Corporation'' had been authorised in 1904 to supply electricity to the Borough. The power station in Exeter Street had three brick chimneys and an array of wooden cooling towers. In 1923 the revenue to the Borough from sales of electricity was £109,909. Upon
nationalisation Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with priv ...
of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the
British Electricity Authority The British Electricity Authority (BEA) was established as the central British electricity authority in 1948 under the nationalisation of Great Britain's electricity supply industry enacted by the Electricity Act 1947. The BEA was responsible for ...
and later to the
Central Electricity Generating Board The Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) was responsible for electricity generation, transmission and bulk sales in England and Wales from 1958 until privatisation of the electricity industry in the 1990s. It was established on 1 Januar ...
. The CEGB closed the station in 1967 when the
thermal efficiency In thermodynamics, the thermal efficiency (\eta_) is a dimensionless performance measure of a device that uses thermal energy, such as an internal combustion engine, steam turbine, steam engine, boiler, furnace, refrigerator, ACs etc. For ...
was 9.30 per cent.''CEGB Statistical Yearbook (1964–67)''. CEGB, London. It was subsequently demolished.


Local government

From 1894 the
Municipal Borough of Walthamstow Walthamstow was a local government district in southwest Essex, England from 1873 to 1965, around the town of Walthamstow. It was within the London suburbs, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District. Its former ...
was an
urban district An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...
and from 1929 a
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 ...
in
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 ...
. In 1931 the population of the borough, covering an area of , peaked at 132,972. In 1965 the borough was abolished and its former area merged with that of the
Municipal Borough of Chingford Chingford was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1965, around the town of Chingford. It was within the London suburbs, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District. Its former a ...
and the
Municipal Borough of Leyton Leyton was a local government district in southwest Essex, England, from 1873 to 1965. It included the neighbourhoods of Leyton, Leytonstone and Cann Hall. It was suburban to London, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Po ...
to form 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
Greater London Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
. Other places in east London formerly of the county of Essex, such as
Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...
and
Romford Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...
were placed into London Boroughs along with Walthamstow. None of the postal district names or codes was changed at this time (e.g.
Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...
remained Ilford, Essex IG1-IG6 and Walthamstow remained


Post-war history

Since the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
, the town has become increasingly popular mostly as a result of
gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...
. Local property prices increased at a high rate of 22.3% from 2013 to 2014, compared to London's average of 17.8%. It has turned Walthamstow into a 'trendy' town similar to
Shoreditch Shoreditch is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Hackney alongside neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets, which are also perceived as part of the area due to historic ecclesiastical links. Shoreditch lies just north ...
. The leafy
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
in particular has become sought-after by buyers. On 29 May 2015, a regular local
unicyclist A unicycle is a vehicle that touches the ground with only one wheel. The most common variation has a frame with a saddle, and has a pedal-driven direct-drive. A two speed hub is commercially available for faster unicycling. Unicycling is practic ...
was hit and dragged under by a double decker route 212 bus in Hoe Street. Locals numbering up to 100 people helped to pull the bus off the unicyclist. The MP for Walthamstow,
Stella Creasy Stella Judith Creasy (born 5 April 1977) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Walthamstow since 2010. She served in the frontbench teams of Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman from 2011 to 2015. ...
, later said she was "proud" of the community for saving the unicyclist's life.


Governance

Walthamstow elects councillors to
Waltham Forest London Borough Council Waltham Forest London Borough Council, also known as Waltham Forest Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London. The council has been under Labou ...
. It is within the Walthamstow parliamentary constituency.


Geography and locale

Walthamstow is bordered to the north by
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
and to the south by
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
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 ...
. Woodford lies to the east with a boundary running through
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 ...
, Hackney lies to the south-west beyond the Walthamstow Marshes and the Lea, while
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
is situated westward on the far side of the
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...
and 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, together with the flood plain which it occupies, is a major geographic constraint; together with ...
. The A112 (Leyton High Road, Hoe Street, Chingford Road, Chingford Mount Rd) passes south–north through Walthamstow and its neighbouring towns forming part of an ancient route from
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
to
Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the London metropolitan area, metropolitan and urban area of London, England, East London, north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich ...
. Walthamstow is situated south of the
North Circular Road The North Circular Road (officially the A406 and sometimes known as simply the North Circular) is a ring road around Central London. It runs from Chiswick in the west to North Woolwich in the east via suburban north London, connecting var ...
. Walthamstow Central is the main transport hub.
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
conservation area is a district to the east of what has become the commercial centre of Walthamstow. The area is roughly defined as being south of Church Hill, west of Shernhall Street, north of Grove Road, and east of Hoe Street. Orford Road is the main route through the district, though even this is a quiet thoroughfare by the standards of London. The village has a small selection of specialist shops,
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
s and restaurants, and house prices tend to be higher in the streets of this neighbourhood. It was voted best urban village in London by ''Time Out'' magazine in 2004. ''Upper Walthamstow'' is to the east of
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
. The area's main thoroughfare is Wood Street, which has several shops and local businesses, and is served by the
London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
at Wood Street station on the Liverpool Street to
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
line. One of the
Great Trees of London Great Trees of London is a list created by Trees for Cities after the Great Storm of 1987, when the general public were asked to suggest suitable trees. Forty-one were chosen, with a further 20 added in 2008. In 2010, '' Time Out'' Guides Limi ...
, the Wood Street
Horse Chestnut The genus ''Aesculus'' ( or ), with notable species including buckeye and horse chestnut, comprises 13–19 species of flowering plants in the family Sapindaceae. They are trees and shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with ...
, is located next to the former Jones's Butchers Shop, a grade II listed, late 18th century weatherboarded building. The tree is thought to be upwards of 175 years old. Wood Street is home to Wood Street Indoor Market. The market was the site of a cinema from 1912 to 1955, operated by the Penny Picture Theatre Co. It re-opened under new independent management in 1953 as the Rio Cinema, but this was short lived and it closed in 1955. Now the market is filled with quirky market traders, and was documented in a short documentary made by Mark Windows. Walthamstow has a wide variety of housing stock, but the vast majority of residential property was built in the early 20th century. From Coppermill Lane in the west (next to the marshes), to Wood Street in the east, there are thousands of terraced streets dating to the
Edwardian era In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...
and the 1920s. The area along Markhouse Road and St James Street has many examples of Warner properties. These were developed as affordable housing for the working classes in the early part of the 20th century.
Bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
ing raids in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and urban redevelopment projects in the 1960s and 1970s have left areas with more modern housing, mostly in the shape of low-rise concrete blocks. The northern continuation of Markhouse Road is St James's Street to which Blackhorse Road follows, served by underground and railway stations, which in turn becomes Blackhorse Lane. This is bound on its western side by industrial units and warehouses. The London Borough of Waltham Forest has proposed developing the area around Blackhorse Road railway station to become a gateway to the town. Although bounded by the marshes to the west and parts of Epping Forest to the east, there is little open space in the actual town. There used to be two
commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...
in the town, Church Common, adjacent to St. Mary's Church in
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
and Markhouse Common, located off Markhouse Lane (now Markhouse Road) and what is now the western end of Queens Road. Both open spaces were lost in the 19th century, when the land was sold to property developers. Lloyd Park has been open to the public since 1900 and is located on Forest Road behind the
William Morris Gallery The William Morris Gallery is a museum devoted to the life and works of William Morris, an English Arts and Crafts designer and early socialist. It is located in Walthamstow at Water House, a substantial Grade II* listed Georgian home. The extens ...
. It has a formal garden with a pond, and the adjacent Aveling Field has facilities for bowling, tennis, basketball, an outdoor gym, a skate park and a children's play area.


Demography

Walthamstow roughly approximates to seven of the
electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected t ...
s within the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chapel End (northeastern part), Higham Hill (northwestern part), High Street (western), Hoe Street (inner-eastern and
Walthamstow Village Walthamstow Village is the oldest part of Walthamstow, east London. It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added. The area cent ...
), Markhouse (southwestern), William Morris (northern), and Wood Street (eastern and ''Upper Walthamstow''). The 2011 census counted a total population of 109,424 of all these wards combined. As of the 2011 census, White British is the largest ethnicity in all wards. Other White is the second largest in all wards except Markhouse. The other double-digit ethnicities are Pakistani and Black African. The
minority ethnic The term "minority group" has different meanings, depending on the context. According to common usage, it can be defined simply as a group in society with the least number of individuals, or less than half of a population. Usually a minority g ...
proportion ranges from 48.5% in Chapel End to 58.2% in Markhouse. The male life expectancy ranged from 77.2 years in Hoe Street to 82.1 years in Chapel End; the female life expectancy ranged from 82.1 years in both Higham Hill and Hoe Street to 84.8 years in High Street. This data covers 2009–2013. The median house price as of 2014 was highest in Wood Street ward (£387,500) and lowest in Markhouse ward (£324,000).


Economy

The High Street is dominated by
Walthamstow Market Walthamstow Market, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is the second longest outdoor market in Europe ( the longest one is Porta Portese in Rome, which is 2 km long ). It occupies all but the last of Walthamstow's High Street. It is rep ...
, which began in 1885, and occupies all but the last 100 yards of the street. It is reputed to be a mile long, but in fact measures approximately . It is the longest street market in Europe. The market is open five days a week (not Sunday or Monday), and there is a Sunday
farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...
. The street is lined with shops: a selection of high street chains, but also many independent small shops specialising in food, fabrics, and household goods, as well as cafés. There are two patches of more recent development: Sainsbury's supermarket and the covered shopping centre 17&Central (originally Selborne Walk, then The Mall Walthamstow, badly damaged by a fire in 2019 and fully restored) both of which have large multi-storey car parks. The historic central library on the High Street was one of many built with money donated by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist
Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...
, whose portrait bust can be seen on the exterior of the building. The library was damaged by a fire in 1982 but modernised and expanded in 2006–07. At the same time, a large plot at the corner of High Street and Hoe Street was set for substantial redevelopment as a retail space. This site was previously the location of the town's central
post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...
and a shopping arcade built in the 1960s. Plans for the redevelopment of this site initially fell through in 2005, but work on a new cinema, flats and restaurants started in April 2013 and was completed in December 2014. As of 2024, there is current refurbishment of the town square and new homes adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre which is being extended. The ''Walthamstow Beer Mile'', also known as the ''Blackhorse Beer Mile'', is an attraction consisting of a growing number of micro-breweries, and their associated tap-rooms, in and around Blackhorse Road and Blackhorse Lane.


Transport


Railway

Walthamstow is served by trains on the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
,
London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a Urban rail in the United Kingdom, suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, it now serves a large part of Greate ...
and
National Rail National Rail (NR) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group, a group representing passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England, Scotland, and Wales. The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by ...
networks. is the area's busiest interchange. It is the northern terminus of the London Underground
Victoria line The Victoria line is a London Underground line that runs between in South London, and in the east, via the West End of London, West End. It is printed in light blue on the Tube map and is one of the only two lines on the network to run comp ...
, which provides the area with a direct connection to
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
, the West End and
Brixton Brixton is an area of South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century ...
. The station is also served by London Overground services between
London Liverpool Street Liverpool Street station, also known as London Liverpool Street, is a major central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, in the ward of Bishopsgate Without. It is ...
and
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
, via
Hackney Downs Hackney Downs is a park and an area of historically common land in the Lower Clapton area of the London Borough of Hackney. The name is sometimes also used to apply to the neighbourhood around the park. Hackney Downs Park The Downs open space ...
. There is an out-of-station interchange with , which is on the London Overground between
Gospel Oak Gospel Oak is an area of north west London in the London Borough of Camden at the very south of Hampstead Heath. The neighbourhood is positioned between Hampstead to the north-west, Dartmouth Park to the north-east, Kentish Town to the south-ea ...
and
Barking Barking may refer to: Places * Barking, London, a town in East London, England ** London Borough of Barking, 1965–1980 ** Municipal Borough of Barking, 1931–1965 ** Barking (UK Parliament constituency) ** Barking (electoral division), Greater ...
. is located to the west of Walthamstow; it is also served by Victoria line trains and London Overground trains between Gospel Oak and Barking. Other stations include and , on the London Overground between Liverpool Street and Chingford. is also nearby, served by
Greater Anglia Greater Anglia (legal name Transport UK East Anglia Limited) is a British train operating company owned as a joint venture by Transport UK Group and Mitsui & Co. It operates the East Anglia franchise, providing the commuter and inter-city se ...
trains between Stratford and
Bishop's Stortford Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district, in the county of Hertfordshire, England. It is in the London metropolitan area, London commuter belt, near the border with Essex, just west of the ...
, via
Tottenham Hale Tottenham Hale is a district of north London and part of the London Borough of Haringey, bounded by the River Lea and located to the south/south-east of Tottenham proper. From 1850 to 1965, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in Mi ...
and
Harlow Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a Planned community, new town in 1947, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the ...
, with onward connections to
Stansted Airport Stansted Airport is an international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, northeast of Central London. As London's third-busiest airport, Stan ...
. All railway stations in the area are in London fare zone 3, except for Wood Street which is in zone 4.


Buses

The following
London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus s ...
routes serve the area: * 20 * 34 * 55 * 58 * 69 * 97 *
123 123 may refer to: * The first three positive Arabic numerals * 123 (number), the natural number following 122 and preceding 124 * AD 123, a year of the Julian calendar, in the second century AD * 123 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * ...
*
158 Year 158 ( CLVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tertullus and Sacerdos (or, less frequently, year 911 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 158 for th ...
*
212 Year 212 ( CCXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Asper and Camilius (or, less frequently, year 965 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 212 for this ye ...
*
215 Year 215 ( CCXV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Laetus and Sulla (or, less frequently, year 968 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 215 for this year ha ...
*
230 Year 230 ( CCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Agricola and Clementinus (or, less frequently, year 983 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 230 for th ...
*
257 __NOTOC__ Year 257 (Roman numerals, CCLVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Valerianus and Gallienus (or, less frequently, year 1010 ''Ab urbe condita'') ...
*
275 __NOTOC__ Year 275 ( CCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Aurelianus and Marcellinus (or, less frequently, year 1028 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denominat ...
*
357 __NOTOC__ Year 357 ( CCCLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1110 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomin ...
*
675 __NOTOC__ Year 675 ( DCLXXV) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 675 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe ...
*
SL1 Nortel Meridian is a private branch exchange telephone switching system. It provides advanced voice features, data connectivity, LAN communications, computer telephony integration (CTI), and information services for communication applications ran ...
* SL2 * W11 * W12 * W15 * W16 * W19 *
N26 N26 Bank SE, doing business as N26, and formerly named Papayer GmbH, and Number26 GmbH'','' is a multinational German fintech and neobank company based in Berlin that offers a variety of financial services to individuals and businesses. N26 was ...
( night route) * N38 (night route) * N73 (night route)
Walthamstow bus station Walthamstow Bus Station serves Walthamstow town centre in London Borough of Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest, London, England. The station is owned and maintained by Transport for London. The station can be accessed from both Selborne Road and Hig ...
is next to Walthamstow Central station, along Selborne Road.


Road

Several arterial routes pass through Walthamstow which link the district to other areas in London and the
East of England East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact ...
. To the north, the A406 (North Circular) runs east–west around Walthamstow. The road links the district to
Ilford Ilford is a large List of areas of London, town in East London, England, northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Redbridge, Ilford is within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. It had a po ...
, the M11 (for
Stansted Airport Stansted Airport is an international airport serving London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It is located near Stansted Mountfitchet, Uttlesford, Essex, northeast of Central London. As London's third-busiest airport, Stan ...
) and
London City Airport London City Airport is an international airport in London, England. It is located in the Royal Docks in the London Borough of Newham, Borough of Newham, about east of the City of London and east of Canary Wharf. These are the two centres ...
to the east. To the west, the North Circular passes through
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
,
Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, London, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon. It is ...
and
Brent Cross Brent Cross is a major traffic interchange and area in the London Borough of Barnet, England. Originally the name of a crossroads, it is located a mile from the centres of Hendon and Golders Green. Notably, the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, ...
''en route'' to
Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district in West London, split between the London Borough of Hounslow, London Boroughs of Hounslow and London Borough of Ealing, Ealing. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist Wi ...
. The route meets the M1 and M4 motorways (for
Luton Luton () is a town and borough in Bedfordshire, England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea, about north-west of London. The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settleme ...
and
Heathrow Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...
airports). To the southeast of nearby
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 ...
, the A12 ( Eastern Avenue) carries traffic northeast towards the M25,
Romford Romford is a large List of places in London, town in east London, east London, England, located northeast of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Havering, the town is one of the major Metropolitan centres of London, metropolitan centr ...
, and destinations in
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 ...
and
Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...
. Southwest, the A12 passes around Stratford and
Hackney Wick Hackney Wick is a neighbourhood in East London, England. The area forms the south-eastern part of the district of Hackney, and also of the wider London Borough of Hackney. Adjacent areas of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, namely Fish I ...
before terminating in Poplar. Other routes include: * A104 (
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 ...
) – southwest to Lea Bridge and Clapton, northeast to the A406 (North Circular),
Buckhurst Hill Buckhurst Hill is an affluent suburban town in Epping Forest District, Epping Forest, Essex, within the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area developed following the opening ...
and
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 ...
. * A112 (Hoe Street/Chingford Road) – southbound to
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 ...
, Stratford and London City Airport, northbound to the A406 (North Circular),
Chingford Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walt ...
and
Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the London metropolitan area, metropolitan and urban area of London, England, East London, north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich ...
. * A1006 – north–south through Walthamstow carried by Church Road, Markhouse Road, St James's Street and Blackhorse Road. * A503 (Forest Road) – runs east–west through Walthamstow from the A406 (North Circular) in the east to
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
, Holloway and
Camden Town Camden Town () is an area in the London Borough of Camden, around north-northwest of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is identified in the London Plan as one of 34 major centres in Greater London. Laid out as a residential distri ...
to the west.


Air pollution

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 ...
monitors kerbside and roadside
Nitrogen Dioxide Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . One of several nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown gas. It is a paramagnetic, bent molecule with C2v point group symmetry. Industrially, is an intermediate in the s ...
(NO2) levels in Walthamstow. To the north of Walthamstow, at the Crooked Billet Roundabout (North Circular), there is an automatic monitoring site which recorded an average NO2 concentration of 61.1μg/m3 (
microgram In the metric system, a microgram or microgramme is a unit of mass equal to one millionth () of a gram. The unit symbol is μg according to the International System of Units (SI); the recommended symbol in the United States and United Kingdom wh ...
s per
cubic metre The cubic metre (in Commonwealth English and international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) or cubic meter (in American English) is the unit of volume in the International System of Units (SI). Its symbol is m ...
) in 2017. This fails to meet the UK National Air Quality Objective set by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at 40μg/m3. Alternative roadside monitoring sites along Hoe Street and Selborne Road also failed to meet the UK National Air Quality Objective, with one
diffusion tube A diffusion tube is a scientific device that passively samples the concentration of one or more gases in the air, commonly used to monitor average air pollution levels over a period ranging from days to about a month. Diffusion tubes are widely u ...
on Selborne Road recording an annual average NO2 concentration of 61.0μg/m3.


Cycling

Transport for London Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom. TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
(TfL) and the London Borough of Waltham Forest provide
cycling infrastructure Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of bicycle pedal, pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the ...
in Walthamstow. In 2014, cyclists made up approximately 8.41% of general traffic across the Borough, and in the same year, the Borough was awarded a "Mini Holland" grant by the
Mayor of London The mayor of London is the chief executive of the Greater London Authority. The role was created in 2000 after the Greater London devolution referendum in 1998, and was the first directly elected mayor in the United Kingdom. The current ...
to improve infrastructure and
cycle route Cycle, cycles, or cyclic may refer to: Anthropology and social sciences * Cyclic history, a theory of history * Cyclical theory, a theory of American political history associated with Arthur Schlesinger, Sr. * Social cycle, various cycles in ...
s across Walthamstow. Cycling routes include: *Quietway 2 – begins at Walthamstow Central and runs along low-traffic streets to
Bloomsbury Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London, part of the London Borough of Camden in England. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural institution, cultural, intellectual, and educational ...
, via Walthamstow Marshes, Clapton,
Hackney Central Hackney Central is a sub-district of Hackney, London, Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney in London, England and is four miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross. The Hackney Central area is focused on Mare Street and the retail area ...
,
Angel An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
and
Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...
. The route is unbroken and signposted, but indirect. *Lea Bridge Road Cycle Route – from
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 ...
to Clapton via Lea Bridge. The route runs on segregated
cycle track A cycle track or cycleway (''British'') or bikeway (''mainly North American''), sometimes historically referred to as a sidepath, is a separate route for cycles and not motor vehicles. In some cases cycle tracks are also used by other users such ...
parallel to the A104. *Forest Road Cycle Route – from Walthamstow to
Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
on cycle lanes and tracks adjacent to the A503. The
River Lea The River Lea ( ) is in the East of England and Greater London. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Cr ...
towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, Working animal, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mod ...
is also nearby, which provides a direct, traffic-free cycle link from Walthamstow Marshes to
Hackney Wick Hackney Wick is a neighbourhood in East London, England. The area forms the south-eastern part of the district of Hackney, and also of the wider London Borough of Hackney. Adjacent areas of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, namely Fish I ...
and Stratford to the south, and
Tottenham Hale Tottenham Hale is a district of north London and part of the London Borough of Haringey, bounded by the River Lea and located to the south/south-east of Tottenham proper. From 1850 to 1965, it was part of the Municipal Borough of Tottenham, in Mi ...
,
Enfield Lock Enfield Lock is an area in the London Borough of Enfield, north London. It is approximately located east of the Hertford Road between Turkey Street and the Holmesdale Tunnel overpass, and extends to the River Lee Navigation, including the En ...
,
Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...
and
Harlow Harlow is a town and local government district located in the west of Essex, England. Founded as a Planned community, new town in 1947, it is situated on the border with Hertfordshire, and occupies a large area of land on the south bank of the ...
to the north. The towpath also carries
National Cycle Route 1 The cycle-path is located in the United Kingdom. Route Dover to Canterbury Dover , Deal, Kent, Deal , Sandwich, Kent, Sandwich , Canterbury Links with National Cycle Route 2, RCR 16, Kent, Regional route 16, and RCR 17, Kent, Regional r ...
(NCR 1), an unbroken, signposted cycle route from
Dover Dover ( ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent, southeast England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies southeast of Canterbury and east of Maidstone. ...
to the
Shetland Islands Shetland (until 1975 spelled Zetland), also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the Uni ...
, which in North London carries cyclists from
Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is a financial area of London, England, located in the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority defines it as part of London's central business district, alongside Central London. Alongside ...
to Enfield Lock via Victoria Park and Walthamstow Marshes. The route is a
shared-use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is "designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists". Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, Bridle path, bridleways and ra ...
maintained by the
Canal and River Trust The Canal & River Trust (CRT), branded as in Wales, holds the guardianship of 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, together with reservoirs and a wide range of heritage buildings and structures, in England and Wales. Launched on 12 July 2012, the ...
and
Sustrans Sustrans ( ) is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network. Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United ...
.


Modern culture

*Walthamstow was home to the popular 1990s boy band
East 17 East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. They are best known for their 1994 hit single " Stay Another Day", which was the UK Christmas number one that year. The g ...
, who named themselves after the area's postal code E17, and titled their debut album ''
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 ...
''. *The artwork for Blur's ''
Parklife ''Parklife'' is the third studio album by the English rock band Blur, released on 25 April 1994, by Food Records. After moderate sales for their previous album '' Modern Life Is Rubbish'' (1993), ''Parklife'' returned Blur to prominence in ...
'' album featured photos of the band at
Walthamstow Stadium Walthamstow Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in east London.BBC News - Walthamstow race track to close' It was regarded as the leading greyhound racing stadium ...
. *Singer
Jimmy Ray James "Jimmy" Ray (born 3 October 1970) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Career In press interviews and promotional materials, Ray cited his influence by the music of Elvis Presley and other rock and roll stars such as Buddy Holl ...
grew up in the Lloyd Park area and attended Winns primary, and Sidney Chaplin and McEntee secondary schools. In the early 1990s he performed at various E17 venues, including the Royal Standard, as part of local pop group 'The Cutting Room'. Ray later had solo hits in the UK and US. *Major centre in London's
grime music Grime is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in London in the early 2000s. It developed out of the earlier UK dance style UK garage, and draws influences from jungle, dancehall, and hip hop. The style is typified by rapid, sy ...
scene, with many bedroom studios and underground music enterprises. Artists include
Lethal Bizzle Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" c ...
and his band Fire Camp. *The
Bromheads Jacket Bromheads Jacket (briefly Bromheads) are an English three-piece post punk band, formed in 2005 in Sheffield. History Bromheads formed in Sheffield in 2005, following the split of a band called Fixated. Although often compared to other Sheffie ...
song "Poppy Bird" references Walthamstow in the chorus. *Small Wonder Records was located on Hoe Street in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It produced the first records by The Cure, Crass, Cockney Rejects, The Cravats and Bauhaus. The proprietor Pete Stenett closed the shop and label in 1982, but it was 'rebuilt' further down Hoe Street for the 40th anniversary of E17 punk in 2016. *Mentioned in the
Paul McCartney and Wings Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, was a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in 1971 in London by former The Beatles, Beatle Paul McCartney; his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards; session drummer Denny Seiwell; a ...
song "
Old Siam, Sir "Old Siam, Sir" is a hard rock single from Wings' 1979 album, '' Back to the Egg''. It was the A-side of the UK version of the single, reaching No. 35. The B-side, "Spin It On" in the UK was also a track from the album, " Back to the Egg". "Old ...
" from the 1979 album ''
Back to the Egg ''Back to the Egg'' is the seventh and final studio album by the British-American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Parlophone in the UK and Columbia Records in North America (their first for the label). Co-produced by Chris Thomas, ...
''. *"Long ago, outside a chip shop in Walthamstow" is the first line of a song named "Ann and Joe", recorded by
The Barron Knights The Barron Knights are a British humorous pop rock group, originally formed in 1959 in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire,Colin Larkin, ''Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music'', (Muze UK Ltd, 1997), ), p. 32 as the Knights of the Round Table. C ...
in the late 1970s. This was a spoof of "Long ago, high on a mountain in Mexico", the opening words of Angelo, which was a UK number one hit in 1977 for
Brotherhood of Man Brotherhood of Man were a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s with three number one hits in the UK. They won the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with " Save Your Kisses for Me". Created in 1969 by songwriter and record producer ...
. *"Waiting in Walthamstow" is a song by
The Cranberries The Cranberries were an Irish rock music, rock band formed in Limerick in 1989. The band was composed of lead singer and guitarist Dolores O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan (Noel's brother), and drummer Fergal Lawler. O'Riord ...
from the album ''
Roses A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be e ...
''. *The track the "Battle of Epping Forest" by
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
on the album ''
Selling England by the Pound ''Selling England by the Pound'' is the fifth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, released on 28 September 1973, by Charisma Records. The album was recorded in August 1973 following the tour supporting their previous al ...
'' has lyrics based in the area such as "Along the Forest Road, there's hundreds of cars – luxury cars." *The indie rock band
The Rifles The Rifles is an infantry regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of four Regular battalions and three Reserve battalions. Each Regular battalion was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the ...
and the rock band
The Bevis Frond The Bevis Frond is an English rock band formed in 1986 in Walthamstow, London, England. The band is fronted by Nick Saloman and has recorded many singles and albums on various independent labels. Information Saloman was originally in a band kn ...
. *
Educating the East End ''Educating the East End'' is the third series of the British documentary television programme ''Educating'' broadcast on Channel 4. The eight-episode first series was first broadcast from 4 September 2014. Its format is based on the BAFTA Award- ...
was filmed at Frederick Bremer School as its third series of the Educating TV show; its series was filmed in the 2013-2014 academic year, with its series broadcasting in late 2014.


Street art

Walthamstow's links with William Morris and art have led to an increasing number of
street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
and murals painted on public buildings. Some examples of street art in Walthamstow are shown below: View of "Back the Bid" street art in Hawthorne Road (geograph.org.uk 5856771).jpg, Hawthorne Road View of street art above the Locus of Walthamstow from Chingford Road.jpg, Chingford Road View of street art on the railway bridge on West Avenue.jpg, West Avenue View of street art on the side of The Victoria pub on Hoe Street 2.jpg, Hoe Street View of street art on the side of The Flower Pot pub from Wood Street 2.jpg, Wood Street View of street art on the side of Nicholas, Razek and Mallary Chartered Accountants on Wood Street 2.jpg, Wood Street View of plumbing-themed street art on the side of Bathroom Gallery on Wood Street 2.jpg, Wood Street


Cinema

An early British film studio the Walthamstow Studios operated in the area between 1914 and 1930. The EMD (Granada) Walthamstow (formerly the Granada) is a
Grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
cinema building in Hoe Street. The cinema also operated as a live music venue, with concerts by
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
,
John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...
,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
,
Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is ...
,
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...
,
Alex Paterson Alex Paterson (also known as Dr Alex Paterson, born Duncan Alexander Robert Paterson; 15 October 1959) is an English musician and co-founder of ambient house group the Orb, in which he has worked since its inception. Life and work Paterson at ...
,
Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...
,
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...
,
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
,
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...
and
Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...
. It closed in 2003 when it was sold to the
Universal Church of the Kingdom of God The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG; ; , IURD) is an international Evangelical Neo-charismatic movement, Neo-charismatic Christian denomination with its headquarters at the Temple of Solomon (UCKG), Temple of Solomon in São Paulo, B ...
(UCKG), which sought permission for a change of use to a place of worship. Many members of the local community opposed and successfully campaigned against the UCKG plans. Comedian and presenter
Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh actor, comedian, writer and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. He and Smith came to national attention in the 1980s for ...
, actor
Paul McGann Paul John McGann ( ; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial '' The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy '' Withnail and I'' (1987), which wa ...
and writer
Alain de Botton Alain de Botton (; born 20 December 1969) is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. He published ''Essays in Love'' (1993) ...
were among the famous names who backed local residents in asking the local authority to stop plans to convert the building into a church. The Waltham Forest Film Society and Campaign to Save Our Cinema was the focal point for local campaigners. UCKG failed to gain
planning permission Planning permission or building permit refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. House building permits, for example, are subject to buil ...
to convert the building from Waltham Forest Council and later from the then
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government The secretary of state for housing, communities and local government is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom and is the Cabinet minister responsible for the overall leadership and strategic direction of the Ministry of Ho ...
,
Eric Pickles Eric Jack Pickles, Baron Pickles, (born 20 April 1952) is a British Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician who served as Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Brentwood and Ongar from 1992 United ...
. In 2014 the building was sold to a pub company who set up a bar in the grand foyer and began bringing it back into use as a
venue A venue is the location at which an event takes place. It may refer to: Locations * Venue (law), the place a case is heard * Financial trading venue, a place or system where financial transactions can occur * Music venue, place used for a conce ...
. In 2019 Waltham Forest Council purchased the former auditorium with the intention of opening it as an entertainment venue in 2022. The Empire cinema, a separate new multiplex, opened in December 2014 on
Walthamstow market Walthamstow Market, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is the second longest outdoor market in Europe ( the longest one is Porta Portese in Rome, which is 2 km long ). It occupies all but the last of Walthamstow's High Street. It is rep ...
. It closed on 7 July 2023 when the chain went into administration. The cinema was subsequently badly damaged, and all the screens ripped, during an illegal rave in September 2023.


Sports clubs

* Walthamstow F.C. *
Walthamstow Avenue F.C. Walthamstow Avenue Football Club was an English football club based in Walthamstow in London. Based at Green Pond Road, they played in dark and light blue hooped shirts, and light blue shorts. The club was established in 1900, and was one of t ...
(defunct club located at Green Pond Road Stadium) * Walthamstow Avenue & Pennant * Waltham Forest Hockey Club * Haringey & Waltham Development F.C. * Walthamstow Cricket Club


Education

Walthamstow
secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
s include: * Frederick Bremer School *
Forest School Forest school is an outdoor education delivery model in which students visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as "an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular o ...
* Holy Family Catholic School * Kelmscott School *
Walthamstow Academy Walthamstow Academy is a mixed secondary school and sixth form located in 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 ...
*
Walthamstow School for Girls Walthamstow School for Girls is a single sex girls' secondary school situated in Walthamstow, London. It currently educates 900 girls between the ages of 11–16.. Locally, the school is known as 'Green School'. It is close to Walthamstow Cen ...
*
Willowfield School Willowfield School is a mixed gender secondary school in Walthamstow, East London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population ...
Sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...
and
further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...
providers include: *
Big Creative Academy Big Creative Academy is a free school sixth form located in the Walthamstow area of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, England. Big Creative Academy was established in 2014 and specialises in the creative industries. The academy is part of ...
*
Sir George Monoux College Sir George Monoux College is a sixth form college located in Walthamstow, London. It is a medium-sized college with around 1,620 full-time students as of 2018. Brief history Sir George Monoux, the founder of the Grammar School (later College) ...
* Waltham Forest College


Media

Local news is provided by the '' East London & West Essex Guardian'' (formerly ''
Waltham Forest Guardian ''Waltham Forest Guardian'' is a weekly local newspaper sold every Thursday in the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Redbridge. The paper is published by Newsquest, as part of its East London and West Essex Guardian Series (also branded ...
''). The
BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Him & Her ''Him & Her'' is a British television sitcom about a lazy twenty-something couple: Steve and Becky, who live in Walthamstow, London. It was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Three on 6 September 2010. It is written by Stefan Golaszew ...
'' was filmed in Walthamstow.


Notable residents

One of its most famous residents was the writer, poet, designer and socialist
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
, who was born there on 24 March 1834, and lived there for several years. His former house in Walthamstow is a museum dedicated to his life and works, while the grounds of the house are a public park (Lloyd Park in Forest Road). *
Naomi Ackie Naomi Sarah Ackie (born 2 November 1992) is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in '' The End of the F***ing World'' (2019), for which she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress, and ''Master of None'' (2021) ...
, actress, attended
Walthamstow School for Girls Walthamstow School for Girls is a single sex girls' secondary school situated in Walthamstow, London. It currently educates 900 girls between the ages of 11–16.. Locally, the school is known as 'Green School'. It is close to Walthamstow Cen ...
. * Keith Albarn, manager of
Soft Machine Soft Machine are an English Rock music, rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became o ...
and father of
Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...
, taught art at Walthamstow Art College in the 1960s * Sonita Alleyne, Master of
Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...
*
Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. At ...
, Member of Parliament for Walthamstow while he was Prime Minister. *
Edward Middleton Barry Edward Middleton Barry RA (7 June 1830 – 27 January 1880) was an English architect of the 19th century. Biography Edward Barry was the third son of Sir Charles Barry, born in his father's house, 27 Foley Place, London. In infancy he was ...
, architect, educated at a private school in Walthamstow. * Sir
William Batten Sir William Batten (c. 1601 – 5 October 1667) was an English naval officer and administrator from Somerset, who began his career as a merchant seaman, served as second-in-command of the Parliamentarian navy during the First English Civil War ...
(died 1667), Surveyor of the Navy, had a "palatial" country house at Walthamstow; his son, who was heavily in debt, sold it off a few years after his death. *
Stephen Bear Stephen Henry Bear (born 15 January 1990) is an English former television personality and convicted sex offender. After appearing as a contestant on the E4 reality series '' Shipwrecked'' in 2011, he went on to appear on the MTV reality show ' ...
, reality TV star *
Steve Bell (cartoonist) Steven William Maclean Bell (born 1951) is an English political cartoonist, whose work has appeared in a number of publications, notably ''The Guardian'' from 1981 to 2023. He is known for his left-wing views. Early life Born in Walthamstow and ...
, cartoonist, was born in Walthamstow *
Alonza Bevan Alonza George Bevan (born 24 October 1970) is an English musician who is the bassist for the English rock band Kula Shaker. In between Kula Shaker splitting in 1999 and reforming in 2004, Bevan played in a number of groups including Johnny Marr' ...
, bass guitarist of
Kula Shaker Kula Shaker are an English psychedelic rock band. Led by frontman Crispian Mills, the band came to prominence during the Post-Britpop era of the late 1990s. The band enjoyed commercial success in the UK between 1996 and 1999, notching up a numb ...
. *
Lethal Bizzle Maxwell Owusu Ansah (born 14 September 1984), known by his stage name Lethal Bizzle, is a British rapper from Walthamstow, London, of Ghanaian origin. He emerged in 2002 as a grime MC as part of More Fire Crew, with their grime single "Oi!" c ...
, Rap/Grime artist and associated rap collective Fire Camp, Attended Holy Family Catholic School. * Peter Blake, artist, painted sleeve cover of the Beatles '' Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band''. *
Leonard Borwick Leonard Borwick (26 February 1868 – 15 September 1925) was an English concert pianist especially associated with the music of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. Early training and debuts Born in Walthamstow, Essex, of a Staffordshire fam ...
, concert pianist, born in 1868. *
Matthew Bourne Sir Matthew Christopher Bourne (born 13 January 1960) is a British choreographer. His productions contain many classic cinema and popular culture references and draw thematic inspiration from musicals, film noir and popular culture. Popular ...
, choreographer and dancer, was born in Walthamstow. *
Mick Box Michael Frederick Box (born 9 June 1947) is an English musician who is the lead guitarist of rock group Uriah Heep, having previously been a member of The Stalkers and Spice, both with original Uriah Heep vocalist David Byron.Larkin, Colin (20 ...
, guitarist for Uriah Heep, born in Walthamstow. *
Theodore Ronald Brailey The musicians of the ''Titanic'' were an octet orchestra who performed chamber music in the first class section aboard the ship. The group is notable for playing music, intending to calm the passengers for as long as they possibly could, dur ...
, pianist on the *
Frederick Bremer Frederick William Bremer (12 July 1872 in Stepney, London – 1941 in Walthamstow, England) was a British gasfitter, plumber, engineer and inventor recognised as the man who built the first petrol-fuelled car in Great Britain in 1892. Bremer ...
, engineer and inventor, built the first petrol-driven car in Great Britain between 1892 and 1894 (now on display in 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 ...
) * David Cairns, guitarist with
Secret Affair Secret Affair are a mod revival band, formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982 during which period their work is predominantly best-known. They reformed in 2002 and have since then produced an album in 2012. Career Formed after the demise of th ...
, was born in Walthamstow in 1958. * Alexander Champion, founder of British whaling, died 1795 in Walthamstow *
Anjem Choudary Anjem Choudary (, aka Abu Luqman; born 18 January 1967) is a British Islamist who has been described as "the face" of militant Islamism or the "best known" Islamic extremist in Britain. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 after being ...
, Islamic extremist and criminal *
Phil Collen Philip Kenneth Collen (born 8 December 1957) is an English musician who is best known as the co-lead guitarist for the rock band Def Leppard. Collen joined the band in 1982 during the recording of the ''Pyromania'' album. Before joining Def Le ...
, lead guitarist of
Def Leppard Def Leppard are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drummer), Rick Allen (drums), Phil Collen (guitar, ...
*
Stella Creasy Stella Judith Creasy (born 5 April 1977) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Walthamstow since 2010. She served in the frontbench teams of Ed Miliband and Harriet Harman from 2011 to 2015. ...
, Labour MP *
Iain Dale Iain Dale (born 15 July 1962) is a British broadcaster, author, political commentator, and a former publisher and book retailer. He has been a blogger since 2002. He was the publisher of the ''Total Politics'' magazine between 2008 and 2012, a ...
, broadcaster * Sir
John Dankworth Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE (20 September 1927 – 6 February 2010), also known as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist, clarinettist and writer of film scores. With his wife, jazz singer Dame Cleo Laine, he ...
, jazz musician, who attended
Sir George Monoux Grammar School ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as part o ...
. * Christopher Martin Davis, Bulgarian ice dancer, lives in Walthamstow. *
Paul Di'Anno Paul Andrews (17 May 1958 – 21 October 2024), better known by his stage name Paul Di'Anno, was an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal singer who was the lead vocalist for Iron Maiden from 1978 to 1981. In his post-Maiden career, Di'Anno ...
, lead singer of
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
1978–81. *
Adam Devlin Adam Devlin (born Adam Tadek Gorecki; 17 September 1969) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and songwriter for The Bluetones. Following the Bluetones split in 2011, Devlin formed Thee Cee Cees with singer-songwriter Chris T ...
, guitarist for
the Bluetones The Bluetones are an English indie rock band, formed in Hounslow, Greater London, in 1993. The band's members are Mark Morriss on vocals, Adam Devlin on guitar, Mark's brother Scott Morriss on bass guitar, and Eds Chesters on drums. A fift ...
, lives in Walthamstow. *
Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...
, former British Prime Minister, attended Higham Hill School in Walthamstow, as did William Shore, later father of
Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...
*
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was an English singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s, during the punk rock, punk and new wave music, new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Kilburn ...
, singer and songwriter, studied at Walthamstow Art College. *
Fleur East Fleur East (born 29 October 1987) is an English singer, songwriter, rapper and presenter. East competed on the second series of ''The X Factor'' in 2005 as part of the girl group Addictiv Ladies but was unsuccessful. In 2012, she signed with ...
, singer and ''The X Factor'' finalist (runners-up), attended Holy Family Catholic school *
East 17 East 17 are an English pop boy band started by Tony Mortimer, Brian Harvey, John Hendy, and Terry Coldwell in 1991. They are best known for their 1994 hit single " Stay Another Day", which was the UK Christmas number one that year. The g ...
, British pop boy band, including singer/songwriter
Brian Harvey Brian Lee Harvey (born 8 August 1974) is an English singer from London. He was the lead singer of pop group East 17. The later incarnation of the band, E-17, had two top 20 singles on the UK Singles Chart between 1998 and 1999, with the album ...
. * Sir George Edwards, designer of
Concorde Concorde () is a retired Anglo-French supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC). Studies started in 1954, and France and the United Kingdom signed a treaty establishin ...
*
Mabel Elliott Mabel Beatrice Elliott (9 August 1885 – 9 January 1944), who used the pseudonym Maud Phillips, was a British censor who uncovered a German spy during the First World War. Born in Walthamstow, Essex (now London), she was educated in London ...
a British censor who uncovered a German spy during the First World War. * Joe Ellis-Grewal, cricketer *
Lucian Ercolani Lucian Randolph Ercolani (born Luciano Randolfo Ercolani; 8 May 1888 – 9 June 1976), was an Italians, Italian furniture designer born in St Angelo in Vado Marche Italy later emigrating to London, England with his family. He began his care ...
, founder of furniture company
Ercol Ercol is a British furniture manufacturer. It was established by Lucian Ercolani and his sons in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and is now based in Princes Risborough. History Origins The company was founded in 1920 as Furniture Industries by ...
, was living at 27 Claremont Road, Walthamstow in the 1911 census *
Jody Fleisch Jerome Fleisch (born 2 April 1980) is an England, English retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jody Fleisch. He is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, One Pro Wrestling an ...
, English professional wrestler, debuted in 1996, and is still wrestling around the world *
Nick Gentry Nicholas James Gentry (born 29 May 1980) is a British artist from London. Much of his artistic output has been generated with the use of contributed artefacts and materials. He states that through this process "contributor, artist and viewer co ...
, portrait artist, lives and works in Walthamstow * Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Charles Michael Giddings, born in Walthamstow in 1920 * Thomas Field Gibson, manufacturer who aided the welfare of the
Spitalfields Spitalfields () is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End of London, East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Stre ...
silk weavers, lived at Elm House *
Maurice Glasman Maurice Glasman, Baron Glasman (born 8 March 1961) is an English political theorist, academic, social commentator, and Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He is a senior lecturer in Political Theory at London Metropolitan University, Directo ...
, social theorist and Labour life peer *
Eleanor Graham Eleanor Graham (9 January 1896, in Walthamstow, England – 8 March 1984, in London) was a book editor and children's book author. She worked for Lady Muriel Paget's aid mission in Czechoslovakia before becoming an editor for publishers Heine ...
, book editor and children's book author, born in Walthamstow *
Peter Greenaway Peter Greenaway, (born 5 April 1942) is a British film director, screenwriter and artist. His films are noted for the distinct influence of Renaissance and Baroque painting, and Mannerist painting in particular. Common traits in his films a ...
, film director, studied at
Walthamstow College of Art Walthamstow College of Art was an art school based in Walthamstow, north-east London. In the 1970s, it was merged into North East London Polytechnic and is now part of the University of East London (UEL). UEL's School of Architecture and the Vi ...
*
Geordie Greep Geordie Wade Greep ( ; born 20 August 1999) is an English musician. From 2017 to 2024, he was the Lead vocalist, frontman and lead guitarist of the rock band Black Midi, often considered part of the emerging wave of British rock music#Early 202 ...
, musician and frontman of former rock band
Black Midi Black Midi (stylised as black midi) were an English Band (rock and pop), rock band from London, formed in 2017. Their most recent line-up consisted of lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Geordie Greep and Cameron Picton, along with drumme ...
*
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick (''née'' Maynard; 10 December 1861 – 26 July 1938) was a British socialite and philanthropist. Although embedded in late-Victorian British high society, she was also a campaigning socialis ...
, heir to the Maynard estate and Shern Hall in particular at which she lived briefly after her father's death *
Fitz Hall Fitz Benjamin Hall (born 20 December 1980) is an English former professional footballer and current football agent. He played as a defender during his professional career and as a striker in amateur football. Club career Early career Hall bega ...
, retired English footballer, was born in Walthamstow *
Darren Hayman Darren Hayman (born 1 December 1970) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the writer, lead singer, and guitarist in Hefner. Since Hefner disbanded in 2002, Hayman has embarked on a prolific solo career releasing ...
, singer and songwriter, former resident * Lord
Peter Hennessy Peter John Hennessy, Baron Hennessy of Nympsfield, (born 28 March 1947) is an English historian and academic specialising in the history of government. Since 1992, he has been Attlee Professor of Contemporary British History at Queen Mary Univ ...
of
Nympsfield Nympsfield is a village and civil parish in the English county of Gloucestershire. It is located around four miles south-west of the town of Stroud. As well as Nympsfield village, the parish contains the hamlet of Cockadilly. The population take ...
, former journalist with
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
; historian, academic and author * James Hilton, author, attended George Monoux Grammar School *
Helen Hollick Helen Hollick (born 1953) is a British author of historical fiction. She is the author of the Arthurian trilogy '' Pendragon's Banner'', and the novels ''Harold the King'' and ''A Hollow Crown''. Life and career Born in Walthamstow, Hollick worke ...
, writer, born in Walthamstow 1953 *
Mick Hume Mick Hume (born 1959) is a British journalist and author whose writing focuses on issues of free speech and freedom of the press. Hume was a columnist for ''The Times'' for ten years from 1999, and was described as "Britain's only libertaria ...
, journalist *
Countess Judith Judith of Lens (born Normandy, between 1054 and 1055 - died Fotheringhay, c. 1090) was a niece of William the Conqueror. She was a daughter of Lambert II, Count of Lens and Adelaide of Normandy (Countess of Aumale), the sister of William ...
, wife of Earl Waltheof, prominent post-Conquest woman *
Harry Kane Harry Edward Kane (born 28 July 1993) is an English professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Bundesliga club FC Bayern Munich, Bayern Munich and Captain (association football), c ...
, footballer, attended
Chingford Foundation School Chingford Foundation School is a coeducational state secondary school and sixth form located in Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a specialist Humanities College and has been an academy since October 2012. History Chin ...
*
Colin Kazim-Richards Colin Kazim-Richards (born 26 August 1986), also known as Colin Kâzım, Kâzım or Kâzım Kâzım, is a British-born former professional Association football, footballer who played as a forward. Internationally, he represented the Turkey natio ...
, footballer, was born in
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 ...
but schooled in Walthamstow *
Jane Lomax-Smith Jane Diane Lomax-Smith, Order of Australia, AM (born 19 June 1950) is an Australian politician and Histopathology, histopathologist serving as List of mayors and lord mayors of Adelaide, Lord Mayor of Adelaide since 14 November 2022. Lomax-Smith ...
, Australian politician and doctor; was born and raised here *
Agnes Marshall Agnes Bertha Marshall (born Agnes Beere Smith; 24 August 1852Jenkins, Terry: "The Truth about Mrs Marshall", ''Petits Propos Culinaires 112'', November 2018, pp. 100-112. – 29 July 1905) was an English culinary entrepreneur, inventor, and cel ...
, English culinary entrepreneur, born in Walthamstow in 1855 * Sir George Monoux,
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 ...
in 1514 and local benefactor; founded the
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
and
almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) is charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the Middle Ages. They were often built for the poor of a locality, for those who had held ce ...
s *
William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was an English textile designer, poet, artist, writer, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditiona ...
, designer, socialist and artist *
Fabrice Muamba Fabrice Ndala Muamba (born 6 April 1988) is a Congolese-born English former professional footballer who played for Arsenal, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers as a central midfielder. Born in Zaire, Muamba moved to England at the age of 11 a ...
, footballer, attended Kelmscott School *
Lutalo Muhammad Lutalo Muhammad (born 3 June 1991) is a British retired taekwondo athlete who represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal, and the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal. He won the gold medal in the −87 ...
, British
taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...
athlete, won a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics, attended Holy Family Catholic School *
Denis Payton The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...
, saxophonist for
the Dave Clark Five The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark was the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, ...
, was born in Walthamstow 1943 *
Grayson Perry Sir Grayson Perry (born 24 March 1960) is an English artist. He is known for his ceramic vases, tapestries, and cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene, and for dissecting British "prejudices, fashions and foib ...
, ceramicist and 2003
Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award). ...
winner, had his studio in Walthamstow until 2014. He referred to Walthamstow in his 2013 Reith lectures, naming it 'Awesomestow' * Pascale Petit, poet, nominated twice for the TS Eliot poetry prize * Ernie Phypers (1910–1960), professional footballer *
Fred Pontin Sir Frederick William Pontin (24 October 1906 – 30 September 2000) was the founder of Pontins holiday camps and one of the two main entrepreneurs in the British holiday camp business in the 30 years after World War II, alongside Billy Butlin. ...
, holiday camp owner *
Jimmy Ray James "Jimmy" Ray (born 3 October 1970) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Career In press interviews and promotional materials, Ray cited his influence by the music of Elvis Presley and other rock and roll stars such as Buddy Holl ...
, recording artist, born Walthamstow 1970 * Danny Robins, comedy writer and performer, broadcaster and journalist *
Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films were mainly liberal adaptations of ...
, film director, studied at Walthamstow Technical College *
Nick Saloman The Bevis Frond is an English rock band formed in 1986 in Walthamstow, London, England. The band is fronted by Nick Saloman and has recorded many singles and albums on various independent labels. Information Saloman was originally in a band kn ...
, progressive rock musician *
June Sarpong June Konadu Sarpong (born 31 May 1977) is a British television presenter and executive. She was a panellist on ITV's '' Loose Women'' and is a panelist on the Sky News programme '' The Pledge''. In November 2019, Sarpong was appointed as the BB ...
, television presenter, born Walthamstow 1977 *
Baroness Scotland Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, (born 19 August 1955), is a Dominican-British barrister and politician who served as the sixth secretary-general of the Commonwealth of Nations from 2016 to 2025. She was the first woman to ...
, Attorney General, grew up in Walthamstow and attended Walthamstow School for Girls *
Vivian Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British uppe ...
, musician, painter, singer, broadcaster, songwriter, poet and writer, best known for his work with the
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as the Bonzo Dog Band or the Bonzos) was created by a group of British Art school, art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic music, psychedelia with sur ...
, grew up in Grove Road, Walthamstow. *
John Kemp Starley John Kemp Starley (24 December 1855 – 29 October 1901) was an English inventor and industrialist who is widely considered the inventor of the modern safety bicycle, and also originator of the tradename Rover. Early life Born on 24 De ...
, inventor, born Walthamstow 1854 *
Colin Stinton Colin Stinton (born March 10, 1947) is a Canadian-American actor. He is widely known for his collaborations with playwright and filmmaker David Mamet, and has worked extensively in the United Kingdom since 1985. He is a Joseph Jefferson Award win ...
, Canadian-born actor *
Beryl Swain Beryl Swain (née Beryl J Tolman, 22 January 1936 – 15 May 2007) was a female road racing, road racer of solo motorcycles from the London area. In 1962, she was the first woman to compete in a TT race for solo motorcycles on the Isle of Man T ...
(1936–2007), motorcycle racer, first woman to compete in the
Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May and June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907 Isle of Man TT, 1907. The event begins on the UK Spring Bank Holiday at the e ...
race *
Thomas Griffith Taylor Thomas Griffith "Grif" Taylor (1 December 1880 – 5 November 1963) was an English-born geographer, anthropologist and world explorer. He was a survivor of Captain Robert Scott's Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica (1910–1913). Taylor was a ...
(1890–1963) Antarctic explorer * Ron Todd (1927-2005), trade union leader *
Lawrence Trent Lawrence Trent (born 28 April 1986) is an English International Master chess player and commentator. Trent has host-commentated for major FIDE tournaments, including the World Chess Championship Finals for Anand–Carlsen (2013), World Candidat ...
, international chess master and commentator * Leicester Tunks (1880–1935), operatic baritone and actor, born in Walthamstow *
Nicola Walker Nicola Jane Walker (born 15 May 1970) is an English actress, known for her starring roles in various British television programmes from the 1990s onwards, including that of Ruth Evershed in the spy drama '' Spooks'' (2003–2006 and 2009–201 ...
, actor, attended
Forest School Forest school is an outdoor education delivery model in which students visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as "an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular o ...
* Peter Waterfield Olympic diver *
Dorothy Wedderburn Dorothy Enid Wedderburn (née Barnard, formerly Cole; 18 September 1925 – 20 September 2012)Bedford College and
Royal Holloway and Bedford New College Royal Holloway, University of London (RH), formally incorporated as Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, is a public research university and a member institution of the federal University of London. It has six schools, 21 academic departmen ...
, both
London University The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degr ...
, was born in Walthamstow 1925 *
Geoffrey Wellum Squadron Leader Geoffrey Harris Augustus Wellum DFC (4 August 1921 – 18 July 2018) was a British fighter pilot and author, best known for his participation in the Battle of Britain. Born an only child in Walthamstow, Essex, Wellum was educat ...
, RAF fighter pilot in the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
was born Walthamstow in 1921 *
Danniella Westbrook Danniella Westbrook (born 5 November 1973) is an English actress and television personality. She is best known for playing Sam Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Westbrook has also presented various television shows and was a conte ...
, actress * Sir Robert Wigram, shipbuilder and MP * Timothy Williams, bilingual novelist of crime fiction, lived at
Whipps Cross Whipps Cross is an area of the districts of Leytonstone and Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in East London, England. It is most famous for Whipps Cross University Hospital. Prior to 1965, it was located in the historic count ...
*
Janet Wallis Janet Sophia Wallis born Janet Sophia McCall aka Mrs Ransome Wallis (13 June 1858 – 14 February 1928) was a British philanthropist and the founder of the Mission of Hope in Croydon. Children of unmarried mothers were offered for adoption both in ...
, philanthropist and the founder of the Mission of Hope *
Peter Winch Peter Guy Winch (14 January 1926 – 27 April 1997) was a British philosopher known for his contributions to the philosophy of social science, Wittgenstein scholarship, ethics, and the philosophy of religion. His early book ''The Idea of a S ...
, philosopher *
Eric Wolf Eric Robert Wolf (February 1, 1923 – March 6, 1999) was an anthropologist, best known for his studies of peasants, Latin America, and his advocacy of Marxist perspectives within anthropology. Early life Life in Vienna Wolf was born in Vi ...
, Marxist anthropologist, studied at
Forest School Forest school is an outdoor education delivery model in which students visit natural spaces to learn personal, social and technical skills. It has been defined as "an inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular o ...
*
Adam Woodyatt Adam Brinley Woodyatt (born 28 June 1968) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Ian Beale in the BBC One, BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', a role he has portrayed since the show's inception in 1985, making him one of the shows longest ...
, English actor who plays
Ian Beale Ian Beale is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Adam Woodyatt. He is one of four remaining original characters, the others being his mother, Kathy Beale ( Gillian Taylforth), his long standing best friend an ...
in
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
, born in Walthamstow 1968 *
Mina Zdravkova Mina Zdravkova () (born 9 February 1999) is a competitive ice dancer for Bulgaria. With partner Christopher Martin Davis, she is the 2020 Bulgarian National Champion, Bronze Medallist at the 2019 NRW Trophy, Silver Medallist at the 2020 Jégv ...
, Bulgarian ice dancer, lives in Walthamstow.


Gallery

File:Walthamstow Old Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1463183.jpg,
Old Town Hall, Walthamstow The Old Town Hall is a former municipal building in Orford Road, Walthamstow, London. The building served in a municipal capacity from 1866 to 1942 and then served as the main entrance block to the Connaught Hospital from 1959 to 1977. It is a G ...
, now
Yiguandao Yiguandao / I-Kuan Tao (), meaning the Consistent Way or Persistent Way, is a Chinese salvationist religions, Chinese salvationist religious sect that emerged in the late 19th century, in Shandong, to become China's most important redemptive ...
UK headquarters File:Tudor house, Church Lane-Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 - geograph.org.uk - 1730824.jpg, 15th century "Ancient House" in Walthamstow village File:Entrance doorway, Montoux Almshouses, Vinegar Lane, Walthamstow, London E17 - geograph.org.uk - 1730799.jpg, Monoux Almshouses in the village File:Vestry House Museum - geograph.org.uk - 900038.jpg, Vestry House Museum File:Longitude Zero in Walthamstow - Close-Up - geograph.org.uk - 91456.jpg, Longitude zero marker in Upper Walthamstow Road File:Selborne Walk Shopping Centre, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 1767825.jpg, The 17&Central Shopping Centre before construction work in 2010 File:New homes under construction.jpg, New homes under construction adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre in 2024 File:St Peters-in-the-Forest, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 91430.jpg,
St Peter-in-the-Forest St Peter-in-the-Forest is a 19th-century Church of England parish church in Walthamstow, East London, sited adjacent to a small portion of Epping Forest. History The building was founded in 1840 as a chapel of ease to St Mary's Church, Waltha ...
church, near Woodford New Road in the southern edge of Epping Forest File:Walthamstow-Reservoir-758.JPG, Walthamstow Reservoir File:Filter Beds, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 93320.jpg, The filter beds at Coppermills Treatment Works


Notes


References


External links


British History Online
– A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6

– A brief history of Walthamstow
Walthamstow Memories
– Recollections of past and present Walthamstow residents.
Archival Material relating to Walthamstow
listed at the UK
National Register of Archives The National Archives (TNA; ) is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its parent department is the Department for Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the ...
*
Images of Walthamstow
at the
English Heritage Archive The Historic England Archive is the public archive of Historic England, located in The Engine House on Fire Fly Avenue in Swindon, formerly part of the Swindon Works of the Great Western Railway. It is a public archive of architectural and arc ...

Nostalgic photos of Walthamstow
at History-in-Pictures.co.uk {{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Waltham Forest Major centres of London District centres of London