Walthamstow Mural installed outside 17&Central
The Walthamstow Mural is a new artwork installed in Walthamstow Town Square, featuring a collage of the area's best-loved people and places. Can you spot them all?
Walthamstow Library
The first public library in Walthamstow was built on the current library site in 1894. To cope with high demand it was soon rebuilt in 1907-9 with money donated by businessman and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The redbrick library is renowned for its fine stonework and doric columns.
Swimming
A huge surge in public enthusiasm for outdoor swimming led Waltham Forest Council to announce plans for a new lido in the borough, a hundred years after the last lido was built in Larkswood, Chingford. The Council’s current suggestion is for a site about a mile from Walthamstow Town Square, at Low Hall Sports Ground.
Cycling
No area of London is more closely connected with cycling than Walthamstow and the borough of Waltham Forest. Cycling has been easier, safer and quicker in the borough since the introduction of ‘Mini-Holland’ schemes in 2013, which added over 41km of cycle paths to the borough. In 2022 the Council announced it would build 500 new bike hangars on top of the 700 already on its streets. Bike use increase 71% between 2019 and 2021 in the borough.
Children cycling
The Enjoy Waltham Forest scheme loans out bikes for free and trains all ages on cycling. Since 2014, it has trained over 12,000 school children in free cycle training, either in a group or a one-to-one session. The Tour de Waltham Forest is an annual family cycling event which attracts thousands of enthusiasts of all ages.
Cricket
With more than half a dozen cricket pitches across the borough, Waltham Forest and cricket go hand-in-glove. The Walthamstow Cricket Club, based near Wood Street, was founded in 1862 and celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2022. Former England cricket captain Graham Gooch was born in Walthamstow and grew up in Leyton. Another ex-captain, Nasser Hussain, went to secondary school in Walthamstow’s Forest School.
Walthamstow Library, interior
The Grade-II listed library contains around 50,000 books and loans hundreds of thousands of items each year. It’s visited more than a million times each year.
Trees
Waltham Forest was named after an ancient forest which spread across east London into Essex, and which now survives as Epping Forest, and the council’s emblem is a tree to represent the close link. There are more than 100,000 trees in the borough, which means it has the fourth-highest canopy cover in London, and thousands of new trees are planted every year. Waltham Forest is home to several tree species, including Cherry, Maple, Ash, Plane, Lime, Apple, Hornbeam and more, and is unique for its high numbers of the rare Service Tree.
Abi Khan, Grace and Albert
Grace and Albert is a gift shop in Highams Park, just north of Upper Walthamstow. Run by Abi Khan, the shop was one of the first to feature in the Council’s award-winning Choose Local campaign, which encouraged people to support local businesses.
Gina Lely, Hanoi Cà Phê
Gina Lely is founder of one of Waltham Forest's best-loved restaurants, Hanoi Cà Phê. Originally operating from a stall at CRATE St James Street, the plant-based Vietnamese restaurant is now based in a dedicated site on the Argall Avenue Industrial Estate on the border of Walthamstow and Leyton.
Dogan Yildiz, Gratka Polish Deli
Gratka Polish Deli on Walthamstow High Street, run by Dogan Yildiz, sells traditional Polish produce – including 300 different types of sausage. The shop, which opened in 2015, is one of dozens of international grocery stores and delis on the High Street, including Lithuanian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Sri Lankan, Turkish, Afro-Caribbean, South-East Asian, and many more.
Delroy, Rhythm Kitchen
Locally known as the ‘Jerkfather’, Delroy Dixon runs Rhythm Kitchen on Hoe Street, Walthamstow, having lived in the borough his entire life and studying to become a chef at Waltham Forest College. In 2021, his restaurant was awarded a Travellers’ Choice award from TripAdvisor.
Walthamstow Sunday Social
Since 2018 the Walthamstow Sunday Social market has been the perfect platform for independent local vendors. You can find everything from art, candles and jewellery to incredible street foods and baked goods.
Mohammed Nadeem
Mohammed's family have run a stall in Walthamstow Market along with a shop on the High Street since the early 2000s. He is one of the many local businesses to feature in our Choose Local campaign and believes shopping locally is essential to benefiting the community
Broadwest Studios
Film pioneers the Gobbett brothers built the first-of-its-kind Precision Film Studio on Wood Street in 1910, three years before the first Hollywood studio was built. Three more studios (including Broadwest, pictured) were quickly built in Walthamstow, which established itself as a film-making capital of Britain in the early days of cinema.
Film Studio background
Around 400 silent films were produced in the borough between 1910 and 1926. Walthamstow was chosen as a destination for early cinema because it was far enough from the smog of London to keep the lenses clear, and close enough for actors to get back to the West End for their evening shows.
Record
Walthamstow is known for its radical music heritage, and nowhere represents the tradition better than Small Wonder Records on Hoe Street, a British independent record shop and label run by Pete and Mari Stennett. They specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands like Bauhaus, Crass, The Cure, The Cravats, Patrik Fitzgerald and many more.
Speakers
Waltham Forest’s rich musical history extends to hosting legends such as The Beatles and Johnny Cash at the Granada Theatre (now Soho Theatre Walthamstow), or Suzi Quatro at the Standard in the 1980s. It has also produced home-grown household names including East17, Fleur East and Lethal Bizzle.
Beryl Swain
Best known for being the first woman to ride solo in the Isle of Man TT, one of the world’s most famous motorcycling races, Beryl Swain was born on Marlowe Road, Walthamstow in 1936. After facing backlash and sexism for competing at the time, today Beryl is regarded as a trailblazer for women in racing, and is a symbol of character, grit and determination.
Motorbike racing at Walthamstow Stadium
Among its other uses, Walthamstow Stadium was once a motorcycle speedway track. The first race held here drew a crowd of over 3000 people! Between 1949 and 1951 the ‘Walthamstow Wolves’ raced in the National League Second Division with some success.
Walthamstow Stadium
First opening its doors in 1933, Walthamstow Dog Stadium was once described as ‘the most charismatic greyhound track in Britain’, and for some decades it was regarded by many as Britain’s leading racing stadium. Winston Churchill addressed 20,000 people at a re-election rally in the 1940s, as the war ended. Well-known local nightclub Charlie Chan’s opened in the stadium in 1984. The stadium closed permanently in 2007, with housing and local amenities now on the site.
Birds and Alfred Hitchcock
Born above his parents’ grocer’s shop in nearby Leytonstone, Alfred Hitchcock is one of Waltham Forest’s most famous names. He was known to visit the Granada Theatre as a young man and is said to have developed his love for cinema at the venue. Hitchcock is memorialised in murals and mosaics around Leytonstone and the Sir Alfred Hitchcock hotel near Hollow Ponds.
Walthamstow Wetlands
The Walthamstow reservoirs were built on marshlands joining the River Lea between 1853 and 1904 by the East London Waterworks Company. They opened to the public in 2017 as Walthamstow Wetlands, the largest urban wetland reserve in Europe, as a 211-hectare site of ten reservoirs. As well as providing water for over 3.5 million people, the Wetlands are internationally recognised for their importance for migrating birds, particularly wildfowl. It’s also home to peregrine falcons, bats and several other rare species.
Engine House at the Wetlands
Constructed in 1894, the Marine Engine House originally housed the steam engine which pumped water through the reservoirs. It is now a visitor centre with a café, shop, exhibition space and wedding venue.
Wetlands Birds
The Wetlands is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its high numbers of internationally important bird species. It’s a breeding ground for species including the great crested grebe, pochard, tufted duck, coot, yellow wagtail, sedge warbler and reed warbler. A study identified 54 bird species at the Wetlands, with 37 considered ‘rare’ – including the garganey, kingfisher and green sandpiper.
Walthamstow Market
Walthamstow Market is said to be the longest market in Europe, measuring approximately a kilometre and stretching from St James Street in the west to Walthamstow Town Square in the east. Here you'll find some of the capital’s most vibrant street food stands, fashion and textiles stalls and our famous pound-a-bowl fruit and veg vendors.
Ancient House
Built around 1435 during the reign of King Henry VI, when fewer than 100 people lived in Walthamstow, the Ancient House is hailed as one of the oldest houses in London. The building, restored in 1936 and 2002, has had many uses, including as a police station, armoury, builders’ yard, private house and a local museum. Most recently it was converted into private apartments available to rent.
Record and Speaker
Waltham Forest has a rich history of hosting legendary musical acts and being home to notable musical talents.Today you can find live music in pubs and breweries all over the borough!
William Morris
Perhaps the most famous former resident of Walthamstow, socialist writer William Morris was born at Elm House, opposite what is now Walthamstow Fire Station on 24 March 1834. From 1848 to 1856, Morris and his family lived in The Water House, which is now home to William Morris Gallery and Deeney's cafe. Morris' famous motto "Fellowship is life, and lack of fellowship is death" insipred the name for Fellowship Square at the Town Hall campus on Forest Road
Pillar
This pillar is an remnant of the General Post Office building at St Martin Le Grand in the City of London, built between 1826 and 1829. It was demolished in 1912 by vandals and now stands in Vestry House Museum
Fun and Thrills sign
God's Own Junkyward is home to new and salvaged signs from everywhere from fairgrounds and circuses to film sets, making it one of Walthamstow's most iconic tourist attractions - and for good reason!
Woman in circle
Born January 19 1882, Madge Gill was a nurse and self-taught artist from Walthamstow. While recognised for her work at Whipps Cross hospital, she is best known for her art, which skilfuly incorporated different techniques such as textiles, paints and inks in her depictions of mysticism and spirituality.
Granada Theatre
Built in 1930, the Granada Theatre first opened as a 2,697-seat theatre, but has also served as a live music venue. Most famously, the Beatles first performed here on 24 May 1963. Other famous acts include John Coltrane, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, Alex Paterson and Buddy Holly.
Soho Theatre
After two decades since its closure and years of fundraising, Soho Theatre Walthamstow is set to open its doors in 2024. The venue promises to provide world class comedy, theatre, panto and more.
Beer taps
Waltham Forest has a long history of beer brewing. Currently there are more than 10 breweries in the borough.
Collier Brothers poster
Essex Brewery was one of Waltham Forest's many breweries, situated on Marsh Lane, now known as St James' Street.
Big Penny Social
What could be described as a pub, arts centre and town square all rolled into one, Big Penny Social opened in 2020 and is already an iconic Walthamstow spot for food, drink, entertainment and community events.
Signature Brew Taproom
Located on the Blackhorse Beer Mile, the Brewers and Yard Pub is where you can find the freshest served Signature Brew beers, along with the sights, sounds and cheery smells of the brewery. Signature Brew now have an additonal 3 locations around the borough, and their beer is served far and wide.
Ace of Spades (Wild Card)
Wild Card Brewery began as a kitchen table dream in 2012 by friends William and Andrew, and joined later by Jaega Wise (Brewer of the Year, BBC Food Programme Presenter). The brewery has since evolved to produce a range of beers and run two taprooms in East London.
Bird
Parakeets first spread into Richmond and Kew and have since migrated north into Highgate and Hampstead Heath, west into Holland Park and Notting Hill, and east along the Regent’s Canal into Hackney and Walthamstow Marshes
17 and Central
Formerly known as Selborne Walk Shopping Centre and The Mall Walthamstow; 17&Central is a shopping centre in Walthamstow, owned by Capital and Regional and well-used by a huge number of residents.
And so much more!
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