| Waltham Abbey | |
|---|---|
.jpg)  .jpg)   Clockwise from top:Waltham Abbey Church and ruins, theRoyal Gunpowder Mills, pedestrianised Sun Street, the Welsh Harp public house, andWaltham Abbey Town Hall | |
 Coat of arms of Waltham Abbey | |
 Interactive map of Waltham Abbey | |
| Area | 16.3746 sq mi (42.410 km2) |
| Population | 22,858 (Parish, 2021)[1] 18,645 (Built up area, 2021)[2] |
| • Density | 1,396/sq mi (539/km2) |
| OS grid reference | TL385005 |
| • Charing Cross | 14 mi (23 km) SW |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WALTHAM ABBEY |
| Postcode district | EN9 |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E4 |
| Post town | LOUGHTON |
| Postcode district | IG10 |
| Dialling code | 01992 020 |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | https://www.walthamabbey-tc.gov.uk/ |
| 51°41′05″N0°00′01″E / 51.6846°N 0.0004°E /51.6846; 0.0004 | |
Waltham Abbey (/ˈwɔːlθəmˈæbi/WAWL-thəm-AB-ee) is a town andcivil parish in theEpping Forest District ofEssex, England. It lies just outside the administrative boundary ofGreater London and is 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north-east ofCharing Cross in centralLondon. It lies on theGreenwich Meridian, between theRiver Lea in the west andEpping Forest in the east, with large sections of the parish forming part of theMetropolitan Green Belt.
As well as the main built up area of Waltham Abbey itself, the parish also covers surrounding rural areas including a number of smaller settlements, notablyHigh Beach,Sewardstone, andUpshire. At the2021 census the parish had a population of 22,858 and the Waltham Abbey built up area had a population of 18,645.
The town is named and renowned for its formerabbey, the last in England to bedissolved, now theAbbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence—ascheduled ancient monument and the town'sparish church. A place of worship since the 7th century, it became a place ofpilgrimage following theLegend of the Holy Cross in the 11th century, and was rebuilt and re-founded byKing Harold Godwinson, the lastAnglo-Saxon king of England, in 1060. It is believed to be Harold's final resting place after his death at theBattle of Hastings in 1066. Open to the public as Waltham Abbey Gardens, the grounds of the abbey andCornmill Meadows are maintained by theLee Valley Regional Park Authority.[3] Along the town's eastern edge is much ofEpping Forest, maintained by theCity of London Corporation; entirely within it is the village ofHigh Beach. In the south isGilwell Park, which since 1919 has formed an important site for the worldwideScout movement.[4] Following the course of the River Lea along the town's western boundary withHertfordshire andhistoricMiddlesex is theLee Valley Regional Park, where theLee Valley White Water Centre hosted thecanoe slalom events of theLondon 2012 Olympic Games. For over 300 years, theRoyal Gunpowder Mills on theMillhead Stream were in operation, where many of the processes used in theexplosives industry were invented and developed;[5] it today forms a scheduled ancient monument site with manylisted buildings, and is asite of special scientific interest.[6]
Historically anancient parish namedWaltham Holy Cross in theWaltham hundred of Essex, it became alocal government district in 1850, and was grantedurban district status in 1894. The town was granted a charter to host a regular market byRichard I in 1189, and it remains amarket town. Whilst the use of the nameWaltham Abbey for the town dates back to the 16th century at the earliest, it never officially had that name until 1974, when thesuccessor parish covering the formerWaltham Holy Cross Urban District was named Waltham Abbey. It was included in theMetropolitan Police District in 1840, and theLondon postal district upon its inception in 1856. It formed part of the review area for theRoyal Commission on Local Government in Greater London, but did not become part of theGreater London administrative area in 1965. Its administrative headquarters have been atWaltham Abbey Town Hall since 1904. The town most likely gives its name to the American city ofWaltham inMiddlesex County,Massachusetts,[7] and istwinned with the German town ofHörstel.
The name Waltham derives fromweald orwald "forest" andham "homestead" or "enclosure". The name of theancient parish was usually given as "Waltham Holy Cross" in civil matters and "Waltham Abbey" in ecclesiastical matters.[8] The use of the name Waltham Abbey for the main settlement in the parish seems to have originated in the 16th century, although there has often been inconsistency in the use of the two names.[9] Despite the similar name, the parish never includedWaltham Cross on the opposite side of theRiver Lea, which formed part of the parish ofCheshunt inHertfordshire.[10] The civil parish of Waltham Holy Cross was formally renamed Waltham Abbey in 1974.[11]
There are traces of prehistoric andRoman settlement in the town.Ermine Street lies only 5 km west and the causeway across the River Lea fromWaltham Cross inHertfordshire may be a Roman construction. A local legend claims thatBoudica's rebellion against theRomans ended in the neighbourhood, when she poisoned herself withhemlock gathered on the banks ofCobbins Brook.
There has been a church on the site of Waltham Abbey since the 7th century.[12] Traces of the flint rubble foundations of a 7th-century wooden church have been found under thechoir of the present building; an associated burial has beenradiocarbon dated to between 590 and 690. A proposed date ofcirca 610 would place its construction in the reign ofSæberht of Essex, who was noted for his church-building activities.[13][incomplete short citation] Other finds included a 7th-centuryKentish jewellery book-clasp depicting eagles grasping a fish.[14][incomplete short citation]
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The recorded history of the town began during the reign ofCanute in the early 11th century when his standard-bearerTovi or Tofig the Proud, founded (or rebuilt) achurch here to house the miraculous cross discovered atMontacute inSomerset. It is this cross that gave Waltham the earliest suffix to its name. After Tovi's death around 1045, Waltham reverted to the King (Edward the Confessor), who gave it to theEarlHarold Godwinson (later king). Harold rebuilt Tovi's church in stone around 1060, in gratitude it is said for his cure from a paralysis, through praying before the miraculous cross. Waltham's people used the abbey as their parish church, and paid theirtithes, worked theglebe as well any of their lord's land, and paid other dues to the canons.[15]
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Legend has it that after his death at theBattle of Hastings in 1066, Harold's body was brought to Waltham for burial near to the High Altar. Today, the spot is marked by a stone slab in the churchyard (originally the site of the high altar before the Reformation).
In 1177, as part of his penance for his part in the murder ofThomas Becket,Archbishop of Canterbury,Henry II refounded Harold's church as a priory ofAugustinian Canons Regular of sixteencanons and aprior ordean. In 1184, this was enlarged so that Waltham became anabbey with anabbot and twenty-four canons, which grew to be the richest monastery in Essex. The town grew to the west and south of the abbey.[15][16]
In 1189,[17] the town waschartered byRichard the Lionheart to host regular markets and fairs.[18] The market continues to run today, and is held at the town's market square on Tuesdays and Saturdays.[19]
In the medieval and earlyTudor periods, there were twoguilds in the parish, each with an endowment for a priest: the Brotherhood of Our Lady, and the Charnel Guild, whose priest was also the parish curate. The former, which existed from at least 1375, occupied the Lady Chapel in the parochial part of the church. The Charnel Guild, which occurs as 'the Sepulchre' in 1366, probably used its crypt.[15]
Henry VIII was a frequent visitor and is said to have had a house or lodge at Romeland, adjacent to the abbey.[20] During their summer progress of 1532, Henry and QueenAnne Boleyn stayed at Waltham Abbey for five days.[21]
The town's dependence on the Abbey is signalled by its decline after the Abbey was dissolved and partially demolished in 1540, the last working abbey or monastery to be dissolved. Waltham Abbey vicarage is a 17th-centurytimber framed and plastered building. It was given byEdward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich to create the first curacy, but was much altered in the 18th century and later, and was more recently architecturallyGrade II*listed.[22] In the early 19th century the church held three Sunday services, including one in the evening for the local factory workers. In 1862, Holy Communion was celebrated monthly and attended by about 100.[15]
In the 17th century there were fourchurchwardens (who fulfilled some roles of local government, collected and distributing poor relief): one each for the town, Holyfield, Upshire, and Sewardstone.Joseph Hall, curate from 1608, was later Bishop successively of Exeter and Norwich. A complete diocesan list of curates was printed to 1888 andThomas Fuller, author ofThe Worthies of England and of the firstHistory of Waltham Abbey, was curate 1649–58.[15]
In the 17th century, agunpowder factory was opened in the town, no doubt due to good river communications and empty marshland by the River Lea and this now forms the museum below.[23]
The factory was sold to the government in 1787 and was greatly expanded during the next century, becoming theWaltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills. In the 19th century, searches began for more powerful and reliant propellantexplosives, andguncotton was developed here byFrederick Abel, starting in 1863.Cordite production began in 1891 and the site was enlarged several times. The site was an obvious target during World War II, and aGermanV-2 rocket landed near the factory in Highbridge Street on 7 March 1945, causing considerable damage to property and large loss of life. The factory eventually closed in 1943, and the site was developed into an explosives research establishment. There was also afulling mill at Sewardstone around 1777 and a pin factory by 1805.Silk andcalico printing were also important industries. TheRiver Lee Navigation was also improved, a new canal cut across the marshes was opened in 1769, bringing more trade to the town. Outside the town, the parish is largely rural and agriculture has been an important occupation.[15]
In the first half of the 20th century, the area was extensively covered inglass-houses andmarket gardens.Gravel extraction has also long been a major industry in theLea Valley, leaving a legacy of pits now used for recreation and an important wildlife habitat. In 1959–60 all of the church's houses and land were converted to stock or bank investments.[15] Norectory has existed – thebenefice before becoming the present vicarage serving four churches in the wider area was a perpetualcuracy — a relevant fact for the purposes ofchancel repair liability that therefore cannot exist.[15] In the 1960s and 1970s, the population of the town increased, partly by an extensive programme of clearances and redevelopment in the town centre, and partly by the development of housing estates on the outskirts, such as Roundhills and Ninefields.
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There are three tiers of local government covering Waltham Abbey, at parish (town), district and county level: Waltham Abbey Town Council,Epping Forest District Council andEssex County Council. The town council is based atWaltham Abbey Town Hall on Highbridge Street.[24]
Waltham Abbey has formed part of theEpping Forest parliamentaryconstituency since 1974, represented by DrNeil Hudson MP of theConservative Party since2024. Prior to 1974, the town formed part of theEpping constituency, served by SirWinston Churchill as its Member of Parliament between 1924 and 1945.[25] Other previous MPs includeDame Eleanor Laing,Steve Norris,John Biggs-Davison, andNorman Tebbit.
Theancient parish of Waltham Holy Cross was in theWaltham Hundred of Essex.[26] The parish was divided into the township of Waltham Abbey and the hamlets of Upshire, Holyfield, and Sewardstone.[9] The parish was included in theMetropolitan Police District in 1840.
The whole parish was made alocal board of health district in 1850, governed by a local board.[27] Such districts were reconstituted asurban districts in 1894 under theLocal Government Act 1894, so it became theWaltham Holy Cross Urban District.[26] The urban district council built itself the Town Hall in 1904 to serve as its headquarters.[28]
Following the Local Government Act 1929, in 1932 it was proposed that it should be merged withChingford to form a new urban district of 'Chingford and Waltham Abbey'.[29][30] The amalgamation was supported by Chingford Urban District Council but was not supported by the Waltham Holy Cross Urban District Council, who feared increased rates and the potential loss of the annual fair and market. The lack of a direct rail connection between the districts was also highlighted.[31][32] The review resulted in no amalgamation, and only a small transfer of territory from Waltham Holy Cross to Chingford following acounty review order in 1934.[33]
As it formed part of the Registrar General's definition of the Greater London Conurbation, the urban district formed part of the review area for theRoyal Commission on Local Government in Greater London. However, it did not subsequently become part of theGreater London administrative area created in 1965, because it was surrounded by theMetropolitan Green Belt and had limited connection to the London built-up area.[34]
The urban district was abolished in 1974 to become part of the new Epping Forest District.[35] Asuccessor parish was created covering the former Waltham Holy Cross Urban District, but with the new parish being named Waltham Abbey rather than Waltham Holy Cross.[11] The new parish council created in 1974 resolved that the parish should have the status of a town under theLocal Government Act 1972, allowing it to take the name Waltham Abbey Town Council.[36][24]
Followingdevolution in 2000, control of theMetropolitan Police was transferred to the newly-createdGreater London Authority. It was initially proposed that areas outside the Greater London Authority boundary would remain under the Metropolitan Police.[37] However, in theGreater London Authority Act 1999, the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District were redefined to match Greater London. On 1 April 2000, Waltham Abbey, alongside Loughton, Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell, was transferred toEssex Police, bringing an end to 160 years in the London police district.[38][39]
The River Lea, which forms the county boundary withHertfordshire, is the town's western boundary, and the eastern boundary runs through Epping Forest. The land rises gradually from themarshes andmeadows by the river to a smallplateau oflondon clay in the east, 60–90 metresabove sea level, capped in the highest parts by the sand and gravel of Epping Forest. On the river the elevations range from 22m in the northwest[n 1] to 13.5m in the southwest[n 2]. To the southwest, occupying a former course of the River Lea, is theKing George VReservoir, opened in 1913.Cobbins Brook, atributary of the River Lea, crosses theparish from east to west. Waltham Abbey parish includes in its 41 km2 the villages and hamlets ofHigh Beach, Holyfield,Sewardstone andUpshire. TheM25 motorway runs to the south of the town through the middle of the parish and can be accessed east of the town at Junction 26 via Honey Lane or the rural relief road, theA121 directly south of the motorway.[40]
The north-west of the parish contains part of theLee Valley Park. Most of the parish, and the majority of its population, are within the Waltham Abbeypost town of theEN postcode area. However, lightly populated parts to the south are within theLoughton post town of theIG postcode area, and the Sewardstone andGilwell Park areas to the southwest are within theE postcode area of theLondon post town.
Following acounty review order in 1934, an area of 58 acres with a population of 23 (in 1931) was transferred toChingford Urban District.[41]
TheEnfield Island Village area was transferred from Waltham Abbey to theLondon Borough of Enfield in 1994.[42]
The main settlement in the parish is the town of Waltham Abbey. Within the parish, there are several villages and hamlets:
High Beach (also speltHigh Beech) is a village within the parish, lying entirely within Epping Forest, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of the town centre. It is the location ofLippitts Hill and theMetropolitan Police Air Support Unit.[43]
Sewardstone is a hamlet located south of the town of Waltham Abbey. It is 11.6 miles north-northeast ofCentral London and is in theLondon commuter belt.
Sewardstonebury is a hamlet located south of the town of Waltham Abbey. It is located approximately 18 km (11 miles) northeast ofCharing Cross.
Upshire is a village in the parish, located to the east of Waltham Abbey. The centre of the village is on Horseshoe Hill (a minor road), on which is The Horseshoepublic house, and the church of St Thomas, a Grade II*listed building inArts and Crafts style dating from 1902.[44]
Claverhambury, located north of Waltham Abbey, consists of approximately 15 homes and farms by two woods, Deerpark Wood and Stockings Grove, to the north-east of the town centre. Its bounds are the eastern slopes of Galley Hill. The western side of this hilltop is wooded. It is directly south of Epping Long Green, a tall ridge topped by theStort Valley Wayfootpath between the towns ofEpping andHarlow.[45][40]
Fishers Green is a locality 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the town of Waltham Abbey on theB194 road on the section known as the Crooked Mile.
Holyfield, which is north of Waltham Abbey, consists of approximately 11 homes and farms and is mostly on the western slopes of Monkham's Hill, near the top of which is situated Monkham's Hall.[46] Seven buildings in the hamlet are architecturallylisted.[47] In the west are plant nurseries above lakes of the River Lea, and anarboretum and tree nursery separate the hamlet from the town to the south. It is located at grid referencegrid referenceTL385035.
Aimes Green is a hamlet near Holyfield, north of Waltham Abbey, and is located at grid referencegrid referenceTL3902.
Copthall Green is a hamlet located near Upshire.[48]
Wood Green is a hamlet located near Upshire.[48]
Over the centuries many channels have been dug to divide theRiver Lea and drain the westernmost land. These channels flow southward acrossCheshunt Marsh and part of Waltham Abbey parish;[49][50]
As of the2021 census, the population of Waltham Abbey was 22,859, an increase from 21,149 in 2011.[51] The majority of the population (82%) resides in the main built-up area, which had a 2021 population of 18,647.[52] The 2021 census showed that 74.6% of the civil parish population identified asWhite British. 63.8% of the civil parish population wasChristian at the 2011 census, with 25.3% declaring themselvesirreligious. Minority religious groups include theMuslim andJewish populations, forming 1.7 and 1.1 percent of the population respectively.[53]
| Waltham Abbey | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnic Group | 1991[54] | 2001[55] | 2011[56] | 2021 | ||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | 18,028 | 98.1% | 19,536 | 95.8% | 19,316 | 91.3% | 19,009 | 83.2% |
| White:English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British | – | – | 18,742 | 91.9% | 18,115 | 85.7% | 17,060 | 74.6% |
| White:Irish | – | – | 266 | 1.3% | 247 | 1.2% | 276 | 1.2% |
| White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | 36 | 0.2% | 21 | 0.1% |
| White:Romani | – | – | – | – | – | – | 34 | 0.1% |
| White:Other | – | – | 528 | 2.6% | 918 | 4.3% | 1,618 | 7.1% |
| Asian: Total | 109 | 0.6% | 249 | 1.2% | 448 | 2.1% | 810 | 3.5% |
| Asian or Asian British:Indian | 64 | 0.3% | 159 | 0.8% | 174 | 0.8% | 315 | 1.4% |
| Asian or Asian British:Pakistani | 6 | 0% | 19 | 0.1% | 70 | 0.3% | 170 | 0.7% |
| Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 23 | 0.1% | 46 | 0.2% |
| Asian or Asian British:Chinese | 18 | 0.1% | 46 | 0.2% | 68 | 0.3% | 56 | 0.2% |
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 20 | 0.1% | 25 | 0.1% | 113 | 0.5% | 223 | 1% |
| Black: Total | 156 | 0.8% | 328 | 1.6% | 732 | 3.5% | 1,327 | 5.8% |
| Black or Black British:African | 9 | 0% | 87 | 0.4% | 295 | 1.4% | 605 | 2.6% |
| Black or Black British:Caribbean | 93 | 0.5% | 213 | 1% | 363 | 1.7% | 522 | 2.3% |
| Black or Black British:Other Black | 54 | 0.3% | 28 | 0.1% | 74 | 0.3% | 200 | 0.9% |
| Mixed: Total | – | – | 236 | 1.2% | 528 | 2.5% | 1,008 | 4.4% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | 113 | 0.6% | 237 | 1.1% | 384 | 1.7% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | 25 | 0.1% | 46 | 0.2% | 138 | 0.6% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | 57 | 0.3% | 129 | 0.6% | 165 | 0.7% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | 41 | 0.2% | 116 | 0.5% | 321 | 1.4% |
| Other: Total | 83 | 0.5% | 39 | 0.2% | 125 | 0.6% | 705 | 3.1% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | 23 | 0.1% | 63 | 0.3% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | 83 | 0.5% | 39 | 0.2% | 102 | 0.5% | 642 | 2.8% |
| Total | 18,376 | 100% | 20,388 | 100% | 21,149 | 100% | 22,859 | 100% |
The medieval Waltham Abbey Church was kept as it was close to a town and is still used as a parish church. In addition there are other remains of the former abbey – the Grade II*listed Midnight Chapel,[57] the gatehouse, a vaulted passage and Harold's Bridge – all in the care ofEnglish Heritage.[58] These grounds are notable for the reputed grave ofHarold II or "Harold Godwinson", the lastAnglo-Saxon King of England.
Housed in a building dating back to 1520 is the Epping Forest DistrictMuseum, which tells the story of the people who have lived and worked in this part of southEssex from the earliest times to the present.[59]
On the site of a former gunpowder factory another museum illustrates the evolution of explosives and the development of the Royal Gunpowder Mills (an Anchor Point of ERIH, TheEuropean Route of Industrial Heritage) through interactive and traditional exhibitions and displays. The site hosts living history and battle re-enactment events most summer weekends and also offers a self-guided nature walk that shows visitors the ecology that has reclaimed much of the remaining 175 acres (0.71 km2).
The former gravel pits in the Lea Valley and parts of the former Abbey Gardens are now in the care of theLee Valley Regional Park Authority for recreational use and nature conservation.
TheEpping Forest Conservation Centre in High Beach provides information, maps, books, cards, displays and advice for visitors to the area.
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The nearest mainline station isWaltham Cross, on theLea Valley lines.
Situated inLondon fare zone 7, it is around 25 minutes fromLondon Liverpool Street and 20 minutes fromStratford.[62][63] The station is planned for inclusion onCrossrail 2.[64]
The station is a mile from Waltham Abbey town centre, in neighbouring Waltham Cross. It opened in 1840 as "Waltham" and was named "Waltham Cross and Abbey" in 1894, but reverted to "Waltham Cross" in 1969.
The nearestLondon Underground station isLoughton (in zone 6), on theCentral line.
Other nearby railway stations includeChingford (in zone 5) andCheshunt (in zone 8), also on the Lea Valley lines.
Local bus services were historically operated byLondon Buses, but are now run by various commercial operators. In 2024, theLondon Assembly agreed a motion calling onTransport for London to restore service between Waltham Abbey and neighbouring Chingford.[65]
Several local routes provide services to Cheshunt, Epping, Harlow, Loughton, and Waltham Cross, with operators includingArriva Herts & Essex and Central Connect.[66]
TheM25 London Orbital motorway runs through the town, with the interchange for Junction 26 at Waltham Abbey. The main roads running through the town are theA112 andA121.
TheAnglican abbey church is dedicated to St Lawrence.[67] The town has long had aCatholic church. For some decades this was in a formerMethodist chapel, an irregularly shaped Edwardian building of stone-dressed red brick with a roof ofWelshslate tiles in free lategothic style with abelfry. In 2008 the congregation moved to a more modern building, and sold the former building to anEvangelicalFree church.[68]
Waltham Abbey has one seniornon-League football club,Waltham Abbey F.C. which plays at Capershotts.
Waltham Abbey is also home to the Essex Arrows Baseball Club, founded in 1981 and later affiliated to the British Baseball Federation.[citation needed]
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