“It has been most truly said that these old buildings do not belong to us only; that they have belonged to our forefathers, and they will belong to our descendants unless we play them false. They are not in any sense our property, to do as we like with. We are only trustees for those that come after us.”
William Morris 1889
Despite being the birthplace and one-time home of William Morris, Waltham Forest is not notably well endowed with historic buildings. Those few that survive to the present day are therefore of special value, and give us an insight into the Waltham Forest area of the past.
Buildings considered to be of special architectural or historic interest are ‘Listed’ by the Department of National Heritage in one of three categories in recognition of their importance: Grades I, II and II*.
The Borough has no Grade I buildings, which are those of outstanding national significance. There are however, nearly one hundred Grade II Listed buildings or structures, of which eleven are classified Grade II* and are of particular local importance.
Once a building has been ‘Listed’ it is an offence to demolish it or to alter or extend it in any way which would affect its character, without first obtaining Listed Building Consent from the Council.
All Listed buildings are eligible for Historic Building Grants towards the cost of their repair and restoration, as the Council recognises that they require special care, and that traditional methods and materials are nearly always more expensive than their modern equivalents.
Contact us
Sustainable Communities
Environment and Regeneration
Waltham
Forest Council
Sycamore House
Forest Road
London E17 4JF
tel
020 8496 3000
email wfdirect@walthamforest.gov.uk
More detailed information on local history is available at:
Vestry House Museum
Vestry Road, Walthamstow Village, E17
Telephone: 020 8509 1917
