Hidden histories: your house in Waltham Forest

If you live in the borough and have ever been interested in learning more about the history of your house or street, Waltham Forest Archives can help you discover this history and learn more about past residents.

Waltham Forest Archives and Local Studies Library moved into their new home in Chingford Assembly Hall in December 2024. We were interested to learn more about the history of the site and were able to use archival sources and publications from the library to do so. 

Read on to discover what we found out and we hope it inspires you to learn more about the history of your own home.

Chingford Assembly Hall was constructed in 1960 and includes a contribution from a local resident, the front elevation features the Borough Arms sculpted in Portland Stone by Mr. E. L. Winters of No. 8, Forest Avenue, E.4. The building is only 64 years old, however our journey didn’t stop there. We were able to learn more about what used to be on the site and at the same time, more about the history of Chingford. 

We were taken as far back as 1678 when the area was being used as farmland, as was much of Chingford. The site where the Chingford Assembly Hall now stands was once a large farm residence and series of outbuildings, including a kitchen garden, barn, stables, waggon-lodge, meadows and pastures. It was called Green Farm and had various tenants and owners over the years. The photo at the top of this page is of the previous farm residence. 

Bordering Epping Forest as it does, the lush green area has appealed to many over the years. It may surprise you to learn that these include the British scholar, writer and soldier T. E. Lawrence (also known as Lawrence of Arabia). He bought several acres of land including some of Green Farm in September 1919.

Here he dreamed of setting up a press to print fine-edition books including his classic Seven Pillars of Wisdom with his friend Vyvyan Richards, inspired by William Morris, another previous resident of Waltham Forest, and his Kelmscott Press. 

There’s much more to learn about the lives of the previous tenants, who their neighbours were and what their occupations used to be, along with how the area has inspired various personalities and artists over the years. Follow us on Bluesky and on Instagram at @walthamforestarchives for highlights from the Archives.