Brand-new public artwork ‘Read Between the Limes’ will now illuminate Lime Tree Walk in Walthamstow Town Square.
The switch-on of the artwork took place on Tuesday 16 December 2025 and will be a permanent feature in Walthamstow.
The Read Between the Limes public artwork is one part of the council’s Walthamstow Culture for All Local Regeneration Fund (formerly Levelling Up Fund) programme, which includes a range of upgrades and improvements to make the town centre more vibrant and secure day and night.
The new illuminations, created by artists Jude Greenaway and Jessica Hudsley, is inspired by the rich ecology and splendour of the lime trees that have lined this route since the Victorian era and aims to enhance journeys after dark by making them brighter, friendlier and safer. The project builds on an extensive programme of engagement with residents and businesses as well as community safety recommendations from The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime/TfL Women’s Safety Audit in 2024.
The project involved many areas of the council. From left to to right: Cllr Kevin Limbajee, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Cllr Grace Williams, Leader of Waltham Forest Council, Cllr Rosalind Dore, Cabinet Member for Libraries, Culture and Sports and Leisure, and Cllr Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration view the new projections.
Participants from six local groups, including The Together Space, Waltham Forest Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica Twinning Association, NBAM, Cleveland Park Residents Association, Some Kind of Hack Space and Waltham Forest Creatives, took part in the creative workshop to celebrate Lime Tree Walk and inform the lighting design.
The artwork’s narrative unfolds as a vertical journey, from Ground to Sky, mirroring the experience of visitors to Walthamstow emerging from the London Underground and being ‘Welcomed to the Forest’. This layered storytelling reflects Waltham Forest’s identity as one of London’s greenest boroughs, and links Lime Tree Walk to a wider network of nature trails, from woodlands to wetlands.
Close-up of one of the new installations.
Through creative workshops, led by Artillery CIC, and biodiversity specialists and artist-educators Poppy Flint, and Michael Holland, participants of all ages and backgrounds engaged with the micro-worlds hidden in bark, leaves, and soil. From caterpillars and fungi to mycelium and lime hawk moths, the workshops sparked curiosity and storytelling, resulting in artworks that celebrate the beauty and intricacy of natural forms.
Cllr Khan walks along Lime Tree Walk to view the new installations.
Councillor Ahsan Khan, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, said: “Today marks another huge milestone in the programme of improvements in Walthamstow that we have delivered to make Waltham Forest a cultural destination for the whole of London, creating a welcoming and safer walking route for residents and visitors arriving to and from Walthamstow Station. I’m proud of the work we’ve achieved through the involvement of residents, artists, community safety teams and the Metropolitan Police – it’s a great example of how we can all come together to make Waltham Forest a great place to live.”
Image of the Create Mural on Hoe Street opposite Soho Theatre Walthamstow.
The Walthamstow ‘Culture for All’ Local Regeneration Fund Programme has also helped to develop an emerging Nighttime Framework and targeted community safety programme. The new artwork compliments other lighting, artworks and improvements across the town centre, including at the top of Cairo Road, Hatherley Mews and Central Parade to improve the link between Walthamstow Station and the recently refurbished Former Granada Building, run by our operators, Soho Theatre.
Right next to the new light installations, Revel Puck Circus’ Winter Festival has taken over the Town Square, which has brought the space alive at night and more visitors to Walthamstow, as well as bringing more job opportunities for locals. You can catch Revel Pucks Circus shows until Sunday 4 January 2026.
