View source for Walthamstow

{{Short description|Town in East London, England}}
{{About|the town|the parliamentary constituency|Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)|the football club|Walthamstow F.C.|the album by East 17|Walthamstow (album)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015|cs1-dates=ss}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2015}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.584|-0.021|type:city_region:GB-WFT|display=it|format=dms}}
| os_grid_reference        = TQ372891
| official_name            = Walthamstow
| civil_parish             =
| london_borough           = Waltham Forest
| region                   = London
| constituency_westminster = [[Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)|Walthamstow]]
| post_town                = LONDON
| postcode_area            = E
| postcode_district        = E17
| dial_code                = 020
| population               = 109,424
| population_ref           = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]])<ref>Walthamstow approximates to 7 of the wards in the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chapel End, Higham Hill, High Street, Hoe Street, Markhouse, William Morris, and Wood Street. {{cite web|url=http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |title=2011 Census Ward Population Estimates &#124; London DataStore |access-date=9 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014}}</ref>
| area_total_sq_mi         = 
| static_image_name        = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = Waltham Forest Town Hall (1) - 2022-10-01.jpg
| photo2a = William Morris gallery reopened, August 2012 Walthamstow E17.jpg
| photo2b = Walthamstow Central Library, High Street, E17.jpg
| border = 0
| size = 266
| foot_montage = Clockwise from top: [[Waltham Forest Town Hall]], Walthamstow Library, and the [[William Morris Gallery]]}}
| charingX_distance_mi     = 7.5
| charingX_direction       = SW 
}}
'''Walthamstow''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɔː|l|θ|əm|s|t|oʊ}} {{respell|WAWL|thəm|stoh}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|ɒ|l|θ|əm|s|t|oʊ}} {{respell|WOL|thəm|stoh}}) is a town within the [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]] in [[east London]]. The town borders [[Chingford]] to the north, [[Snaresbrook]] and [[South Woodford]] to the east, [[Leyton]] and [[Leytonstone]] to the south, and [[Tottenham]] to the west. At the 2011 census, Walthamstow had a population of approximately 109,424 and is around {{convert|7.5|mi|km|0}}
north-east of [[Central London]].{{efn|Measured as tradition from [[Charing Cross]]}} 

Occupying most of the town's east-to-west High Street, [[Walthamstow Market]] is the longest outdoor market in Europe.<ref>{{cite news|date=26 March 2021|title=Why Walthamstow, London, is one of the best places to live in 2021|language=en|work=The Sunday Times|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/why-walthamstow-london-best-place-to-live-uk-g5g59hqcn|access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> East of the town centre is [[Walthamstow Village]], the oldest part of Walthamstow, and the location of [[St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow|St Mary's Church]], the town's parish church. To the north of the town is the former [[Walthamstow Stadium]], which was considered an [[Cockney|East End]] landmark.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Dogs Don't Pop Wheelies|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/why-dogs-dont-pop-wheelies|access-date=2021-09-25|website=www.science.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-07-30|title=New Hope For Walthamstow Stadium|url=https://londonist.com/2008/07/new_hope_for_walthamstow_stadium|access-date=2021-09-25|website=Londonist|language=en}}</ref> The [[William Morris Gallery]] in Forest Road, a museum that was once the family home of [[William Morris]], is a [[Grade II*]] listed building. The town is served by five railway stations, including [[Walthamstow Central station|Walthamstow Central]] and [[Blackhorse Road station|Blackhorse Road]]—interchange stations on the [[Victoria line]] of the [[London Underground]].

[[Municipal Borough of Walthamstow|Walthamstow]] was a [[civil parish]], originally part of the [[Becontree Hundred]] of Essex. As part of the suburban growth of London,  the town expanded rapidly in the 19th century, becoming part of the [[Greater London Built-up Area|urban area]] of the city. It has formed part of the [[Metropolitan Police District]] since 1840, and the [[London postal district]] since its inception in 1856. The parish became a [[Local board of health|local board district]] in 1873, an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] in 1894 and a [[municipal borough]] in 1929. Following [[London Government Act 1963|reform of local government in London in 1965]], it merged with the municipal boroughs of [[Municipal Borough of Chingford|Chingford]] and [[Municipal Borough of Leyton|Leyton]] to form the new Waltham Forest local authority district, becoming part of [[Greater London]]. The [[Waltham Forest London Borough Council|borough council]] is based at [[Waltham Forest Town Hall]] on Forest Road.

==History==
===Toponymy===
Walthamstow is recorded {{circa|1075}} as ''Wilcumestowe'' ("the Place of Welcome") and in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086 as ''Wilcumestou''.<ref>Mills, A., ''Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names'', [[Oxford University Press]], {{ISBN|978-0-19-956678-5}}, (2001)</ref>

===Early history===
[[File:St. Mary's Church Walthamstow.jpg|thumb|St Mary's Church, the oldest building in Walthamstow, dating as far back as the 13th century]]
The Domesday Book describes '''Wilcumestou''' as a manor owned by the Anglo-Saxon nobleman [[Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria|Earl Waltheof of Huntingdon and Northumbria]] before the Norman conquest of 1066. After the execution of Earl Waltheof, the property of the land passed to his wife, [[Judith of Lens|Countess Judith, also known as Judith of Lens]], a niece of William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book records 36 [[Serfdom#Villeins|villeins]], 25 [[Serfdom#Bordars and cottagers|bordars]] and 4 [[Serfdom#Slaves|slaves]] living in the manor in 1086.  Alice, daughter of Earl Waltheof and Countess Judith, inherited Walthamstow. She married the Norman nobleman [[Raoul IV de Conches|Ralph de Tosny or Toeni (also known as Raoul IV de Conches)]] in 1103. When her husband died, {{circa|1126}}, Alice gave the church of Walthamstow to the [[Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate|Priors of the Holy Trinity]] based in Aldgate, London.

[[John, King of England|King John]] stayed in Walthamstow for two nights in February 1208.

In the 1660s Sir [[William Batten]], Surveyor of the Navy, and his wife Elizabeth Woodcocke had a house in Wood Street where, according to [[Samuel Pepys]], Batten lived "like a prince"<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1660-1690/member/batten-sir-william-1601-67|title=BATTEN, Sir William (c.1601–67), of the Navy Office, Seething Lane, London and Black House, Walthamstow, Essex. &#124; History of Parliament Online|website=www.histparl.ac.uk}}</ref> and cultivated a [[vineyard]]. The Vestry House, now the [[Vestry House Museum]], was used as the first [[town hall]].

The influential textile designer and craftsman [[William Morris]] was born in Walthamstow in 1834. The Georgian mansion where he lived as a teenager houses the [[William Morris Gallery]]. By 1870 Walthamstow had grown to the size of a small suburb and a new town hall was built in Orford Road from which affairs of the village were run. A new town hall designed by architect [[Philip Dalton Hepworth]] in the [[Nordic Classical style]] was built between 1938 and 1942.{{clear left}}

===Urban development===
{{Chart|definition=Walthamstow (parish abolished 1965) population per decade.chart|data=Walthamstow (parish abolished 1965) population per decade.tab|width=500px|caption=Walthamstow (parish abolished 1965) population<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10248322/cube/TOT_POP |title=Walthamstow CP/AP through time &#124; Population Statistics &#124; Total Population |publisher=Visionofbritain.org.uk |access-date=2021-01-14}}</ref>|thumb}}
Until the late 19th century Walthamstow was largely rural, with a small village centre (now [[Walthamstow Village]]) and a number of large estates. The main route through the district was Hoe Street. There were various smaller lanes crossing the town. The road now known as Forest Road was originally called Clay Street. Further south, the High Street was named Marsh Street, and led from the original settlement out to the [[Walthamstow Marshes|marshes]]. Shernhall Street is an ancient route, as is Wood Street, to the east.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42775&strquery=clay%20street%20walthamstow|title=Walthamstow – Introduction and domestic buildings|publisher=University of London & History of Parliament Trust|access-date=2013-06-30}}</ref>

With the advent of the [[railway]]s and the ensuing [[suburbia|suburbanisation]] in the late 19th century, Walthamstow experienced a large growth in population and speculative building.<ref>''[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=42775 Walthamstow: Introduction and domestic buildings]'', A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6 (1973), pp.&nbsp;240–50. Date accessed: 1 April 2007.</ref>

The Lighthouse Methodist Church which dates from 1893 is situated on Markhouse Road, on the corner of Downsfield Road. There is a lantern at the top of the tower, which also contains a spiral staircase. The church was erected because of the generosity of Captain David King of the shipbuilding firm of Bullard King & Co which also ran the Natal Direct Shipping Line, which ran ships direct from London to [[Durban]] without stopping at [[Cape of Good Hope|the Cape]].

===Transport breakthroughs===
[[File:The Tramworks, Hatherley Mews, E17 (2).jpg|thumb|right|Former tramworks on Hatherley Mews dating to the 1880s; these converted stables were used for London's [[Trams in London|electric trams]] until 1952]]
In 1885, [[John Kemp Starley]], originally from Church Hill in Walthamstow, designed the first modern bicycle,<ref>{{cite book
 |page=38
 |quote=There is also general agreement that J.K. Starley's Rover was the first true safety bicycle.
 |author=Berto, Frank J.
 |author2=Ron Shepherd
 |display-authors=etal
 |title=The Dancing Chain: History and Development of the Derailleur Bicycle
 |edition=3rd
 |year=2008
 |orig-year=2000
 |isbn=978-1-892495-59-4
 |url=http://www.thedancingchain.com/
 |publisher=Cycle Publishing/Van der Plas Publications
 |location=[[San Francisco, CA]], USA
 |access-date=30 May 2017
 |archive-date=6 June 2017
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606172525/http://www.thedancingchain.com/
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref> and in 1892, [[Frederick Bremer]] built the first British motorcar in a workshop in his garden, at Connaught Road. The vehicle is on display at the [[Vestry House Museum]] in Walthamstow.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britainbycar.co.uk/walthamstow/171-bremer |title=Bremer |publisher=Britainbycar.co.uk |date=2015-04-14 |access-date=2020-05-11}}</ref>

The [[LGOC X-type]] and [[LGOC B-type|B-type]] buses were built at Blackhorse Lane from October 1908 onwards. The B-type is considered one of the first mass-production buses. The manufacturing operation later became [[Associated Equipment Company|AEC]], famous as the manufacturer of many of London's buses. On 13 June 1909, A. V. Roe's aircraft took to the air from Walthamstow Marshes. It was the first all-British aircraft<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4471811.walthamstow-historic-celebration-av-roe-flight-next-sunday/|title=WALTHAMSTOW: Historic celebration of AV Roe flight next Sunday|website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series|date=2 July 2009 }}</ref> and was given the ominous nickname of the "Yellow Terror" but officially carried the name Avro1. Roe later founded the [[Avro]] aircraft company, which later built the acclaimed [[Avro Lancaster]].{{clear|left}}

===Walthamstow Power Station===
{{main | Walthamstow Power Station}}
''Walthamstow Borough Corporation'' had been authorised in 1904 to supply electricity to the Borough. The power station in Exeter Street had three brick chimneys and an array of wooden cooling towers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/walthamstowinpictures/photos/exeter-road-power-station-walthamstow-1950s/1087131977997752/|title=Exeter Road power station|date=1950s|website=Facebook|access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref> In 1923 the revenue to the Borough from sales of electricity was £109,909.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=London statistics 1924-5 vol. 30|last=London County Council|publisher=London County Council|year=1926|location=London|pages=298–305}}</ref> Upon [[Nationalization|nationalisation]] of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the [[British Electricity Authority]] and later to the [[Central Electricity Generating Board]]. The CEGB closed the station in 1967 when the [[thermal efficiency]] was 9.30 per cent.<ref name=":3">''CEGB Statistical Yearbook (1964–67)''. CEGB, London.</ref><ref>''CEGB Statistical Yearbook 1964–67''. CEGB, London.</ref> It was subsequently demolished.

===Local government===
From 1894 the [[Municipal Borough of Walthamstow]] was an [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] and from 1929 a [[municipal borough]] in [[Essex]]. In 1931 the population of the borough, covering an area of {{convert|4342|acre|ha|abbr=off}}, peaked at 132,972.<ref name=vision>{{cite web|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/722|title=History of Walthamstow, Essex|publisher=University of Portsmouth|access-date=2013-06-21}}</ref> In 1965 the borough was abolished and its former area merged with that of the [[Municipal Borough of Chingford]] and the [[Municipal Borough of Leyton]] to form the [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]] in [[Greater London]].<ref name=vision/> Other places in east London formerly of the county of Essex, such as [[Ilford]] and [[Romford]] were placed into London Boroughs along with Walthamstow. None of the postal district names or codes was changed at this time (e.g. [[Ilford]] remained Ilford, Essex [[IG postcode area|IG1-IG6]] and Walthamstow remained {{nowrap|[[London E17]]).}}

===Post-war history===
[[File:Central Parade, Walthamstow.jpg|thumb|right|Central Parade on the corner of Hoe Street and Church Hill – this was designed by [[F. G. Southgate]] and built in 1957 on the site of a 1944 war-era bomb attack that killed 22 people]]
Since the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], the town has become increasingly popular mostly as a result of [[gentrification]]. Local property prices increased at a high rate of 22.3% from 2013 to 2014, compared to London's average of 17.8%.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-02-06 |title=London's Walthamstow: transformation from transient to trendy |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/230e6062-a70b-11e4-8a71-00144feab7de |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/230e6062-a70b-11e4-8a71-00144feab7de |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=2022-10-10}}</ref> It has turned Walthamstow into a 'trendy' town similar to [[Shoreditch]]. The leafy [[Walthamstow Village]] in particular has become sought after by buyers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/17/gentrification-fears-east-london-property-millionaires|title=Gentrification fears loom over rise in east London 'property millionaires'|first=Rupert|last=Jones|date=16 December 2015|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref>

On 29 May 2015, a regular local [[unicycle|unicyclist]] was hit and dragged under by a double decker route 212 bus in Hoe Street. Locals numbering up to 100 people helped to pull the bus off the unicyclist.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/29/unicyclist-in-hospital-after-collision-with-bus-in-london|title=Londoners drag doubledecker bus off injured unicyclist|first1=Jessica|last1=Elgot|last2=agencies|date=29 May 2015|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32993891|title=When 100 people lift a bus|first=Tom|last=Heyden|work=BBC News |date=4 June 2015}}</ref> The MP for Walthamstow, [[Stella Creasy]], later said she was "proud" of the community for saving the unicyclist's life.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/stella-creasy-i-m-proud-of-how-my-community-lifted-a-bus-to-save-that-cyclist-10304905.html|title=Stella Creasy: 'I'm proud of how my community lifted a bus to save|date=8 June 2015}}</ref>

==Governance==
Walthamstow elects councillors to [[Waltham Forest London Borough Council]]. It is within the [[Walthamstow (UK Parliament constituency)|Walthamstow parliamentary constituency]].

== Geography and locale ==
[[File:Walthamstow Marshes.JPG|thumb|Walthamstow Marshes]]
[[File:Walthamstow Forest (geograph.org.uk 5438870).jpg|thumb|Trees in Walthamstow Forest, part of the greater Epping Forest]]
[[File:Jones's Butchers Shop - 78 Wood St London E17 3HX.jpg|thumb|The [[Grade II listed building]] of the former Jones's Butchers Shop in Wood Street. The trunk of the Wood Street Horse Chestnut, a [[Great Trees of London|Great Tree of London]] is to the left of the shop doorway]]

Walthamstow is bordered to the north by [[Chingford]] and to the south by [[Leyton]] and [[Leytonstone]]. [[Woodford, London|Woodford]] lies to the east with a boundary running through [[Epping Forest]], [[Hackney, London|Hackney]] lies to the south-west beyond the [[Walthamstow Marshes]] and the Lea, while [[Tottenham]] is situated westward on the far side of the [[River Lea]] and the [[Lee Valley Reservoir Chain]]. The A112 (Leyton High Road, Hoe Street, Chingford Road, Chingford Mount Rd) passes south–north through Walthamstow and its neighbouring towns forming part of an ancient route from [[London]] to [[Waltham Abbey (town)|Waltham Abbey]]. Walthamstow is situated south of the [[North Circular Road, London|North Circular Road]]. 
Walthamstow Central is the main transport hub.

[[Walthamstow Village]] conservation area is a district to the east of what has become the commercial centre of Walthamstow. The area is roughly defined as being south of Church Hill, west of Shernhall Street, north of Grove Road, and east of Hoe Street. Orford Road is the main route through the district, though even this is a quiet thoroughfare by the standards of London. The village has a small selection of specialist shops, [[pub]]s and restaurants, and house prices tend to be higher in the streets of this neighbourhood. It was voted best urban village in London by ''Time Out'' magazine in 2004.

''Upper Walthamstow'' is to the east of [[Walthamstow Village]]. The area's main thoroughfare is Wood Street, which has several shops and local businesses, and is served by the [[London Overground]] at [[Wood Street railway station|Wood Street station]] on the [[Liverpool Street station|Liverpool Street]] to [[Chingford railway station|Chingford]] line.

One of the [[Great Trees of London]], the Wood Street [[Horse Chestnut]], is located next to the former Jones's Butchers Shop, a grade II listed, late 18th century weatherboarded building. The tree is thought to be upwards of 175 years old.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=The Great Trees of London |publisher=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] Guides Ltd |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-84670-154-2 |pages=98}}</ref>

Wood Street is home to Wood Street Indoor Market.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://woodstreetmarket.com |title=Wood Street Indoor Market &#124; Wood Street Indoor Market, Walthamstow, E17 Website |publisher=Woodstreetmarket.com |access-date=2015-08-01}}</ref> The market was the site of a cinema from 1912 to 1955, operated by the Penny Picture Theatre Co. It re-opened under new independent management in 1953 as the Rio Cinema, but this was short lived and it closed in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|title=Crown Cinema|url=https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/22762|access-date=2013-06-30}}</ref> Now the market is filled with quirky market traders, and was documented in a short documentary made by Mark Windows.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bTzubV_Ny8 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911015757/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bTzubV_Ny8| archive-date=2013-09-11 | url-status=dead|title=the collectors of wood street |publisher=YouTube |date=2006-07-19 |access-date=2015-08-01}}</ref>

Walthamstow has a wide variety of housing stock, but the vast majority of residential property was built in the early 20th century. From Coppermill Lane in the west (next to the marshes), to Wood Street in the east, there are thousands of terraced streets dating to the [[Edwardian era]] and the 1920s. The area along Markhouse Road and St James Street has many examples of Warner properties. These were developed as affordable housing for the working classes in the early part of the 20th century. [[Bomb Crater Pond (Walthamstow)|Bomb]]ing raids in the [[Second World War]] and urban redevelopment projects in the 1960s and 1970s have left areas with more modern housing, mostly in the shape of low-rise concrete blocks.

The northern continuation of Markhouse Road is St James's Street to which Blackhorse Road follows, served by underground and railway stations, which in turn becomes Blackhorse Lane. This is bound on its western side by industrial units and warehouses. The London Borough of Waltham Forest has proposed developing the area around Blackhorse Road railway station to become a gateway to the town.

Although bounded by the marshes to the west and parts of Epping Forest to the east, there is little open space in the actual town. There used to be two [[Common land|commons]] in the town, Church Common, adjacent to St. Mary's Church in [[Walthamstow Village]] and Markhouse Common, located off Markhouse Lane (now Markhouse Road) and what is now the western end of Queens Road. Both open spaces were lost in the 19th century, when the land was sold to property developers. Lloyd Park has been open to the public since 1900 and is located on Forest Road behind the [[William Morris Gallery]]. It has a formal garden with a pond, and the adjacent Aveling Field has facilities for bowling, tennis, basketball, an outdoor gym, a skate park and a children's play area.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/lloyd-park |title=Lloyd Park |website=Walthamforest.gov.uk |publisher=London Borough of Waltham Forest |access-date=6 February 2015 |archive-date=6 Feb 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206201414/http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/lloyd-park |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Demography==
Walthamstow roughly approximates to seven of the [[electoral ward]]s within the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chapel End (northeastern part), Higham Hill (northwestern part), High Street (western), Hoe Street (inner-eastern and [[Walthamstow Village]]), Markhouse (southwestern), William Morris (northern), and Wood Street (eastern and ''Upper Walthamstow''). The 2011 census counted a total population of 109,424 of all these wards combined.<ref name="data.london.gov.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas|title=Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore}}</ref>

As of the 2011 census, White British is the largest ethnicity in all wards. Other White is the second largest in all wards except Markhouse. The other double-digit ethnicities are Pakistani and Black African. The [[Black, Asian and minority ethnic|minority ethnic]] proportion ranges from 48.5% in Chapel End to 58.2% in Markhouse.<ref name="data.london.gov.uk"/>

The male life expectancy ranged from 77.2 years in Hoe Street to 82.1 years in Chapel End; the female life expectancy ranged from 82.1 years in both Higham Hill and Hoe Street to 84.8 years in High Street. This data covers 2009–2013.<ref name="data.london.gov.uk"/>

The median house price as of 2014 was highest in Wood Street ward (£387,500) and lowest in Markhouse ward (£324,000).<ref name="data.london.gov.uk"/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ 2011 Census homes %
!Ward !!Detached  !!Semi-detached!!Terraced!!Flats and apartments<ref name=ons>{{cite web|url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas|title= Neighbourhood statistics|publisher=[[Office for National Statistics]]}}</ref>{{London ward populations|reference}} 
|-
|Chapel End||4.9%||11.9%||55.0%||28.3%
|-
|High Street||3.0%||6.9%||32.1%||58.0%
|-
|Higham Hill||	5.4%||	15.9%||	44.3%||	34.3%
|-
|Hoe Street||3.2%||9.7%||25.1%||61.9%
|-
|Markhouse||6.4%||10.7%||46.3%||36.6%
|-
|William Morris||5.0%||9.3%||43.0%||42.6%
|-
|Wood Street||3.0%||12.9%||30.0%||54.1%
|-
|}

==Economy==
[[File:Walthamstow High Street (geograph 6413556).jpg|thumb|High Street, where the long [[Walthamstow Market]] runs five days a week]]
The High Street is dominated by [[Walthamstow Market]], which began in 1885, and occupies all but the last 100 yards of the street. It is reputed to be a mile long{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}, but in fact measures approximately {{cvt|2/3|mi}}. It is the longest street market in Europe. The market is open five days a week (not Sunday or Monday), and there is a Sunday [[farmers' market]]. The street is lined with shops: a selection of high street chains, but also many independent small shops specialising in food, fabrics, and household goods, as well as cafés. There are two patches of more recent development:  Sainsbury's supermarket and the covered shopping centre [[17&Central]] (originally Selborne Walk, then The Mall Walthamstow, badly damaged by a fire in 2019 and fully restored)<ref>{{cite web |title=17 & Central |url=https://www.17andcentral.co.uk/ |website=17 & Central |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref> both of which have large multi-storey car parks. 

The historic central library on the High Street was one of many built with money donated by the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist [[Andrew Carnegie]], whose portrait bust can be seen on the exterior of the building. The library was damaged by a fire in 1982<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/4486372.walthamstow-library-celebrates-100-years/|title=WALTHAMSTOW: Library celebrates 100 years|website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series}}</ref> but modernised and expanded in 2006–07. At the same time, a large plot at the corner of High Street and Hoe Street was set for substantial redevelopment as a retail space. This site was previously the location of the town's central [[post office]] and a shopping arcade built in the 1960s. Plans for the redevelopment of this site initially fell through in 2005, but work on a new cinema, flats and restaurants started in April 2013 and was completed in December 2014.<ref name=arcade-site>{{cite web|title=Walthamstow arcade site|url=http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/pages/servicechild/walthamstow-arcade-site.aspx|publisher=London Borough of Waltham Forest|access-date=2013-06-30|archive-date=1 Jun 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601143635/http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Pages/ServiceChild/Walthamstow-arcade-site.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2024, there is current refurbishment of the town square and new homes adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre which is being extended.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/new-tube-station-entrance-planned-at-the-mall/|title=New tube station entrance planned at The Mall|first=Waltham Forest|last=Echo|date=25 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=17 and Central (The Mall redevelopment), Walthamstow {{!}} London Borough of Waltham Forest |url=https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/regeneration-and-growth/regeneration-projects-and-developments/regeneration-walthamstow/17-and-central-mall-redevelopment-walthamstow |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=www.walthamforest.gov.uk |language=en}}</ref>

The ''Walthamstow Beer Mile'', also known as the ''Blackhorse Beer Mile'',<ref>Website describing the W'stow Beer Mile https://www.signaturebrew.co.uk/pages/the-blackhorse-beer-mile-tour-east-london-best-breweries-in-walthamstow-e17#:~:text=The%20Blackhorse%20Beer%20Mile%20is%20located%20in%20Walthamstow,new%20centre%20for%20some%20of%20London%27s%20best%20breweries.</ref> is an attraction consisting of a growing number of micro-breweries, and their associated tap-rooms, in and around Blackhorse Road and Blackhorse Lane.

==Transport==
[[File:Walthamstow Central.jpg|thumb|left|Walthamstow Central bus and railway stations]]

=== Railway ===
Walthamstow is served by trains on the [[London Underground]], [[London Overground]] and [[National Rail]] networks.

{{Stnlnk|Walthamstow Central||Walthamstow Central}} is the area's busiest interchange.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/multi-year-station-entry-and-exit-figures.xlsx|title=Multi-year station entry-and exit figures|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424233414/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/multi-year-station-entry-and-exit-figures.xlsx|archive-date=April 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates|title=Estimates of station usage|website=[[Office of Rail & Road]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507164919/https://orr.gov.uk/statistics/published-stats/station-usage-estimates|archive-date=May 7, 2019}}</ref> It is the northern terminus of the London Underground [[Victoria line]], which provides the area with a direct connection to [[Tottenham]], the [[West End of London|West End]] and [[Brixton]]. The station is also served by London Overground services between [[Liverpool Street station|London Liverpool Street]] and [[Chingford railway station|Chingford]], via [[Hackney Downs]].

There is an out-of-station interchange with {{Stnlnk|Walthamstow Queen's Road||Walthamstow Queen's Road}}, which is on the London Overground between [[Gospel Oak railway station|Gospel Oak]] and [[Barking station|Barking]].

{{Stnlnk|Blackhorse Road||Blackhorse Road}} is located to the west of Walthamstow; it is also served by Victoria line trains and London Overground trains between [[Gospel Oak to Barking line|Gospel Oak and Barking]].

Other stations include {{Stnlnk|St James Street||St James Street}} and {{Stnlnk|Wood Street||Wood Street}}, on the London Overground between Liverpool Street and Chingford.

{{Stnlnk|Lea Bridge||Lea Bridge}} is also nearby, served by [[Greater Anglia (train operating company)|Greater Anglia]] trains between [[Stratford station|Stratford]] and [[Bishop's Stortford railway station|Bishop's Stortford]], via [[Tottenham Hale station|Tottenham Hale]] and [[Harlow Town railway station|Harlow]], with onward connections to [[Stansted Airport railway station|Stansted Airport]].

All railway stations in the area are in [[London fare zone 3]], except for Wood Street which is in [[London fare zone 4|zone 4]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|title=London's Rail & Tube services|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190429115841/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-rail-and-tube-services-map.pdf|archive-date=April 29, 2019}}</ref>

=== Buses ===
The following [[London Buses]] routes serve the area:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-a4-050322.pdf|title=Buses from Walthamstow Central|date=March 5, 2022|website=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=May 5, 2023|archive-date=December 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213151618/https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-a4-050322.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-night-a4-290423.pdf|title=Night buses from Walthamstow Central|date=April 29, 2023|website=[[Transport for London]]|access-date=May 5, 2023|archive-date=April 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230430202358/https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/walthamstow-central-night-a4-290423.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[London Buses route 20|20]]
* [[London Buses route 34|34]]
* [[London Buses route 55|55]]
* [[London Buses route 58|58]]
* [[London Buses route 69|69]]
* [[London Buses route 97|97]]
* [[London Buses route 123|123]]
* [[London Buses route 158|158]]
* [[London Buses route 212|212]]
* [[London Buses route 215|215]]
* [[London Buses route 230|230]]
* [[London Buses route 257|257]]
* [[London Buses route 275|275]]
* [[London Buses route 357|357]]
* [[London Buses route 675|675]]
* [[London Buses route SL1|SL1]]
* [[London Buses route SL2|SL2]]
* [[London Buses route W11|W11]]
* [[London Buses route W12|W12]]
* [[London Buses route W15|W15]]
* [[London Buses route W16|W16]]
* [[London Buses route W19|W19]]
* [[London Buses route N26|N26]] ([[Night buses in London|night route]])
* [[London Buses route N38|N38]] (night route)
* [[London Buses route N73|N73]] (night route)

[[Walthamstow bus station]] is next to Walthamstow Central station, along Selborne Road.

=== Road ===
Several [[Arterial road|arterial routes]] pass through Walthamstow which link the district to other areas in London and the [[East of England]].

To the north, the [[A406, North Circular Road|A406 (North Circular)]] runs east–west around Walthamstow. The road links the district to [[Ilford]], the [[M11 motorway|M11]] (for [[London Stansted Airport|Stansted Airport]]) and [[London City Airport]] to the east. To the west, the North Circular passes through [[Edmonton, London|Edmonton]], [[Finchley]] and [[Brent Cross]] ''en route'' to [[Chiswick]]. The route meets the [[M1 motorway|M1]] and [[M4 motorway|M4]] motorways (for [[Luton Airport|Luton]] and [[Heathrow Airport|Heathrow]] airports).

To the southeast of nearby [[Leytonstone]], the [[A12 road (England)|A12]] ([[Eastern Avenue, London|Eastern Avenue]]) carries traffic northeast towards the [[M25 motorway|M25]], [[Romford]], and destinations in [[Essex]] and [[Suffolk]]. Southwest, the A12 passes around [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] and [[Hackney Wick]] before terminating in [[Poplar, London|Poplar]].

Other routes include:

*[[A104 road (England)|A104]] ([[Lea Bridge Road]]) – southwest to Lea Bridge and [[Clapton, London|Clapton]], northeast to the A406 (North Circular), [[Buckhurst Hill]] and [[Epping Forest]].
*[[A112 road|A112]] (Hoe Street/Chingford Road) – southbound to [[Leyton]], Stratford and London City Airport, northbound to the A406 (North Circular), [[Chingford]] and [[Waltham Abbey]].
*[[A1006 road|A1006]] – north–south through Walthamstow carried by Church Road, Markhouse Road, St James's Street and Blackhorse Road.
*[[A503 road|A503]] (Forest Road) – runs east–west through Walthamstow from the A406 (North Circular) in the east to [[Tottenham]], [[Holloway, London|Holloway]] and [[Camden Town]] to the west.

==== Air pollution ====
The [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]] monitors kerbside and roadside [[Nitrogen dioxide|Nitrogen Dioxide]] (NO<sub>2</sub>) levels in Walthamstow.

To the north of Walthamstow, at the Crooked Billet Roundabout (North Circular), there is an automatic monitoring site which recorded an average NO<sub>2</sub> concentration of 61.1μg/m3 ([[microgram]]s per [[cubic metre]]) in 2017. This fails to meet the UK National Air Quality Objective set by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs]] (DEFRA) at 40μg/m3.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Waltham%20Forest%20Detailed%20Modelling%20F1.pdf|title=Detailed Modelling of Nitrogen Dioxide in the London Borough of Waltham Forest|website=[[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510225058/https://walthamforest.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Waltham%20Forest%20Detailed%20Modelling%20F1.pdf|archive-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref>

Alternative roadside monitoring sites along Hoe Street and Selborne Road also failed to meet the UK National Air Quality Objective, with one [[diffusion tube]] on Selborne Road recording an annual average NO<sub>2</sub> concentration of 61.0μg/m3.<ref name=":0" />

=== Cycling ===
[[Transport for London]] (TfL) and the London Borough of Waltham Forest provide [[cycling infrastructure]] in Walthamstow. In 2014, cyclists made up approximately 8.41% of general traffic across the Borough, and in the same year, the Borough was awarded a "Mini Holland" grant by the [[Mayor of London]] to improve infrastructure and [[cycle route]]s across Walthamstow.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/018978-Mini-Holland-Cycling-Strategy-v2-FINAL.pdf|title=2020 Vision: Cycling in the London Borough of Waltham Forest 2015–2020|website=[[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517020259/http://www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/018978-Mini-Holland-Cycling-Strategy-v2-FINAL.pdf|archive-date=17 May 2017}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Final-Walking-Cycling-Account-201718.pdf|title=Enjoy Waltham Forest: Walking and Cycling Account 2017/18|website=[[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510231043/https://www.enjoywalthamforest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Final-Walking-Cycling-Account-201718.pdf|archive-date=May 10, 2019}}</ref>

Cycling routes include:

*Quietway 2 – begins at Walthamstow Central and runs along low-traffic streets to [[Bloomsbury]], via [[Walthamstow Marshes]], [[Clapton, London|Clapton]], [[Hackney Central]], [[Angel, London|Angel]] and [[Clerkenwell]]. The route is unbroken and signposted, but indirect.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://content.tfl.gov.uk/q2-bloomsbury-walthamstow-east.pdf|title=Quietway 2 (East): Bloomsbury to Walthamstow|website=[[Transport for London]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407114313/http://content.tfl.gov.uk/q2-bloomsbury-walthamstow-east.pdf|archive-date=April 7, 2019}}</ref>
*Lea Bridge Road Cycle Route – from [[Leytonstone]] to Clapton via Lea Bridge. The route runs on segregated [[cycle track]] parallel to the A104.<ref name=":1" />
*Forest Road Cycle Route – from Walthamstow to [[Tottenham]] on cycle lanes and tracks adjacent to the A503.<ref name=":1" />

The [[River Lea]] [[towpath]] is also nearby, which provides a direct, traffic-free cycle link from Walthamstow Marshes to [[Hackney Wick]] and [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] to the south, and [[Tottenham Hale]], [[Enfield Lock]], [[Hertford]] and [[Harlow]] to the north. The towpath also carries [[National Cycle Route 1]] (NCR 1), an unbroken, signposted cycle route from [[Dover]] to the [[Shetland Islands]], which in North London carries cyclists from [[Canary Wharf]] to Enfield Lock via [[Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets|Victoria Park]] and Walthamstow Marshes. The route is a [[Shared use path|shared-use path]] maintained by the [[Canal & River Trust|Canal and River Trust]] and [[Sustrans]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/route/route-1|title=Route 1|website=Sustrans|language=en|access-date=2019-05-10|archive-date=7 Apr 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407213037/https://www.sustrans.org.uk/route/route-1|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/cycling|title=Cycling|website=[[Canal & River Trust]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407001538/https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/cycling|archive-date=April 7, 2019}}</ref>

==Modern culture==
{{more citations|date=April 2024}}
{{Div col}}
*Walthamstow was home to the popular 1990s boy band [[East 17]], who named themselves after the area's postal code E17, and titled their debut album ''[[Walthamstow (album)|Walthamstow]]''.
*The artwork for [[Blur (band)|Blur's]] ''[[Parklife]]'' album featured photos of the band at [[Walthamstow Stadium]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/blur-319-1323933|title=Dog track that inspired Blur's 'Parklife' album art to close|website=[[NME]]|date=20 May 2008}}</ref>
*Singer [[Jimmy Ray]] grew up in the Lloyd Park area and attended Winns primary, and Sidney Chaplin and McEntee secondary schools. In the early 1990s he performed at various E17 venues, including the Royal Standard, as part of local pop group 'The Cutting Room'. Ray later had solo hits in the UK and US. 
*Major centre in London's [[Grime (music)|grime music]] scene, with many bedroom studios and underground music enterprises. Artists include [[Lethal Bizzle]] and his band Fire Camp.
*The [[Bromheads Jacket]] song "Poppy Bird" references Walthamstow in the chorus.
*Small Wonder Records was located on Hoe Street in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It produced the first records by The Cure, Crass, Cockney Rejects, The Cravats and Bauhaus. The proprietor Pete Stenett closed the shop and label in 1982, but it was 'rebuilt' further down Hoe Street for the 40th anniversary of E17 punk in 2016.
*Mentioned in the [[Wings (band)|Paul McCartney and Wings]] song "[[Old Siam, Sir]]" from the 1979 album ''[[Back to the Egg]]''.
*"Long ago, outside a chip shop in Walthamstow" is the first line of a song named "Ann and Joe", recorded by [[The Barron Knights]] in the late 1970s. This was a spoof of "Long ago, high on a mountain in Mexico", the opening words of [[Angelo (Brotherhood of Man song)|Angelo]], which was a [[United Kingdom|UK]] number one hit in 1977 for [[Brotherhood of Man]].
*"Waiting in Walthamstow" is a song by [[The Cranberries]] from the album ''[[Roses (The Cranberries album)|Roses]]''.
*The track the "Battle of Epping Forest" by [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] on the album ''[[Selling England by the Pound]]'' has lyrics based in the area such as "Along the Forest Road, there's hundreds of cars – luxury cars."
*The indie rock band [[The Rifles (band)|The Rifles]] and the rock band [[The Bevis Frond]].
*[[Educating the East End]] was filmed at [[Frederick Bremer School]] as its third series of the Educating TV show; its series was filmed in the 2013-2014 academic year, with its series broadcasting in late 2014. 
{{Div col end}}

===Street art===
Walthamstow's links with William Morris and art have led to an increasing number of [[street art]] and murals painted on public buildings. Some examples of street art in Walthamstow are shown below:
<gallery mode="packed" heights="112px">
View of "Back the Bid" street art in Hawthorne Road (geograph.org.uk 5856771).jpg|Hawthorne Road
View of street art above the Locus of Walthamstow from Chingford Road.jpg|Chingford Road
View of street art on the railway bridge on West Avenue.jpg|West Avenue
View of street art on the side of The Victoria pub on Hoe Street 2.jpg|Hoe Street
View of street art on the side of The Flower Pot pub from Wood Street 2.jpg|Wood Street
View of street art on the side of Nicholas, Razek and Mallary Chartered Accountants on Wood Street 2.jpg|Wood Street
View of plumbing-themed street art on the side of Bathroom Gallery on Wood Street 2.jpg|Wood Street
</gallery>

[[File:Thae Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum Building.jpg|thumb|The [[Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum]], a Grade II listed building]]
[[File:2016 Walthamstow Stadium from Walthamstow Ave London England.jpg|thumb|The newly restored historic neon sign of the [[Walthamstow Stadium]] in 2016]]

===Cinema===
An early British film studio the [[Walthamstow Studios]] operated in the area between 1914 and 1930.

The [[EMD (Granada) Walthamstow]] (formerly the Granada) is a [[Listed building|Grade II listed]] cinema building<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1031486|title=Granada Cinema, Walthamstow, in 1989|access-date=2013-06-21}}</ref> in [[Hoe Street (ward)|Hoe Street]]. The cinema also operated as a live music venue, with concerts by [[The Beatles]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[John Coltrane]], [[Little Richard]], [[Gene Vincent]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], [[Alex Paterson]], [[Johnny Cash]], [[James Brown]], [[The Who]], [[Roy Orbison]] and [[Buddy Holly]].<ref name="wfculture19">{{cite web |title=Restoration begins at EMD/Granada Cinema |url=https://wfculture19.co.uk/blog/EMD-Granada-refurbishment |website=wfculture19.co.uk |access-date=19 October 2020 |archive-date=20 Oct 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020194502/https://wfculture19.co.uk/blog/EMD-Granada-refurbishment |url-status=dead }}</ref> It closed in 2003 when it was sold to the [[Universal Church of the Kingdom of God]] (UCKG), which sought permission for a change of use to a place of worship.

Many members of the local community opposed and successfully campaigned against the UCKG plans. Comedian and presenter [[Griff Rhys Jones]], actor [[Paul McGann]] and writer [[Alain de Botton]] were among the famous names who backed local residents in asking the local authority to stop plans to convert the building into a church.

The Waltham Forest Film Society and Campaign to Save Our Cinema <ref name="Internet Archive">{{cite web |title=Waltham Forest Film Society and Campaign to Save Our Cinema |url=http://www.mcguffin.org.uk/ |date=2 Oct 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002115452/http://www.mcguffin.org.uk/ |archive-date=2 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> was the focal point for local campaigners.

UCKG failed to gain [[planning permission]] to convert the building from [[Waltham Forest Council]] and later from the then [[Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government]], [[Eric Pickles]]. In 2014 the building was sold to a pub company<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://londonist.com/2015/12/hitchcock-s-cinema-comes-back-from-the-dead|title=Hitchcock's Cinema Is Back From The Dead As A Pub|date=2015-12-14|work=Londonist|access-date=2017-10-10|language=en-GB}}</ref> who set up a bar in the grand foyer and began bringing it back into use as a [[Venues of the 2002 Winter Olympics|venue]]. In 2019 Waltham Forest Council purchased the former auditorium with the intention of opening it as an entertainment venue in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/news/this-abandoned-walthamstow-cinema-is-being-brought-back-to-spectacular-life-052119|title=This abandoned Walthamstow cinema is being brought back to spectacular life|first=Greg|last=Cochrane|website=Time Out London|date=21 May 2019 }}</ref>

The Empire cinema,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/nowshowing/empire_walthamstow/t42 |title=EMPIRE CINEMAS Listings for Walthamstow |publisher=Empirecinemas.co.uk |access-date=2015-08-01}}</ref> a separate new multiplex, opened in December 2014 on [[Walthamstow Market|Walthamstow market]]. It closed on 7 July 2023 when the chain went into administration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-10 |title=East London cinema closes after chain struggles with low footfall |url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/23644892.empire-cinema-walthamstow-closes-due-low-footfall/ |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series |language=en}}</ref> The cinema was subsequently badly damaged, and all the screens ripped, during an illegal rave in September 2023.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Marcelline |first1=Marco |title=Walthamstow Empire squatters 'intend to stay' in trashed new home |url=https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/2023/09/11/walthamstow-empire-squatters-intend-to-stay-in-trashed-new-home/ |access-date=13 September 2023 |work=Waltham Forest Echo |date=11 September 2023}}</ref>

===Sports clubs===
* [[Walthamstow F.C.]]
* [[Walthamstow Avenue F.C.]] (defunct club located at [[Green Pond Road Stadium]])
* [[Walthamstow Avenue & Pennant]]
* Waltham Forest Hockey Club<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walthamforesthc.co.uk/|title=Waltham Forest Hockey Club |access-date=15 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/clubs/waltham-forest-hc|title=England Hockey - Waltham Forest Hockey Club |access-date=15 October 2024}}</ref>
* [[Haringey & Waltham Development F.C.]]
* Walthamstow Cricket Club<ref>{{cite web |url=http://walthamstowcc.hitscricket.com/default.aspx |title=Walthamstow Cricket Club : home |publisher=Walthamstowcc.hitscricket.com |date=2015-06-03 |access-date=2015-08-01 |archive-date=7 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080507150335/http://walthamstowcc.hitscricket.com/default.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Education==
[[File:View of Waltham Forest College from the gate.jpg|thumb|Entrance to Waltham Forest College]]
Walthamstow [[secondary school]]s include:

* [[Frederick Bremer School]]
* [[Forest School (Walthamstow)|Forest School]]
* [[Holy Family Catholic School, Walthamstow|Holy Family Catholic School]]
* [[Kelmscott School]]
* [[Walthamstow Academy]]
* [[Walthamstow School for Girls]]
* [[Willowfield School]]

[[Sixth form]] and [[further education]] providers include:

* [[Big Creative Academy]]
* [[Sir George Monoux College]]
* [[Waltham Forest College]]

==Media==
Local news is provided by the ''[[East London & West Essex Guardian]]'' (formerly ''[[Waltham Forest Guardian]]''). The [[BBC Three]] [[sitcom]] ''[[Him & Her]]'' was filmed in Walthamstow.

==Notable residents==
{{More citations needed|section|date=February 2023}}
One of its most famous residents was the writer, poet, designer and socialist [[William Morris]], who was born there on 24 March 1834, and lived there for several years. His former house in Walthamstow is a museum dedicated to his life and works, while the grounds of the house are a public park (Lloyd Park in Forest Road).
<!--
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* [[Naomi Ackie]], actress, attended [[Walthamstow School for Girls]].<ref> Quadri, Sami,
12 April 2024 https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/walthamstow-empire-cinema-reopen-pdj-b1151083.html Retrieved 21 March 2025</ref>
* [[Keith Albarn]], manager of [[Soft Machine]] and father of [[Damon Albarn]], taught art at Walthamstow Art College in the 1960s{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* [[Sonita Alleyne]], Master of [[Jesus College, Cambridge]]
* [[Clement Attlee]], Member of Parliament for Walthamstow while he was Prime Minister.
* [[Edward Middleton Barry]], architect, educated at a private school in Walthamstow.
* Sir [[William Batten]] (died 1667), Surveyor of the Navy, had a "palatial" country house at Walthamstow; his son, who was heavily  in debt, sold it off a few years after his death.
* [[Stephen Bear]], reality TV star{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* [[Steve Bell (cartoonist)]], cartoonist, was born in Walthamstow{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}
* [[Alonza Bevan]], bass guitarist of [[Kula Shaker]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* [[Lethal Bizzle]], Rap/Grime artist<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/06/12/do1204.xml/ |title=Comment: editorials, opinion and columns |newspaper=Telegraph |access-date=2015-08-01}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and associated rap collective Fire Camp, Attended Holy Family Catholic School.
* [[Peter Blake (artist)|Peter Blake]], artist, painted sleeve cover of the Beatles ''[[Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band]]''.
* [[Leonard Borwick]], concert pianist, born in 1868.
* [[Matthew Bourne]], choreographer and dancer, was born in Walthamstow.
* [[Mick Box]], guitarist for [[Uriah Heep (band)|Uriah Heep]], born in Walthamstow.
* [[Theodore Ronald Brailey]], pianist on the {{RMS|Titanic}}
* [[Frederick Bremer]], engineer and inventor, built the first petrol-driven car in Great Britain between 1892 and 1894 (now on display in the [[Vestry House Museum]])
* [[David Cairns (musician)|David Cairns]], guitarist with [[Secret Affair]], was born in Walthamstow in 1958.
* [[Alexander Champion (businessman)|Alexander Champion]], founder of British whaling, died 1795 in Walthamstow
* [[Anjem Choudary]], Islamic extremist and criminal
* [[Phil Collen]], lead guitarist of [[Def Leppard]]
* [[Stella Creasy]], Labour MP
* [[Iain Dale]], broadcaster
* Sir [[John Dankworth]], jazz musician, who attended [[Sir George Monoux Grammar School]].
* [[Christopher Martin Davis]], Bulgarian ice dancer, lives in Walthamstow.
* [[Paul Di'Anno]], lead singer of [[Iron Maiden]] 1978–81.
* [[Adam Devlin]], guitarist for [[the Bluetones]], lives in Walthamstow.
* [[Benjamin Disraeli]], former British Prime Minister, attended [[Higham Hill School]] in Walthamstow, as did William Shore, later father of [[Florence Nightingale]]
* [[Ian Dury]], singer and songwriter, studied at Walthamstow Art College.
* [[Fleur East]], singer and ''The X Factor'' finalist (runners-up), attended Holy Family Catholic school<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/x-factor-hopeful-fleur-east-4596597|title=X Factor hopeful Fleur East tells how racist bullies made her life hell|last=Buxton|first=Olivia|date=9 November 2014|work=[[Daily Mirror]]|publisher=[[Trinity Mirror]]|access-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>
* [[East 17]], British pop boy band, including singer/songwriter [[Brian Harvey]].
* Sir [[George Edwards (aviation)|George Edwards]], designer of [[Concorde]]
* [[Mabel Elliott]] a British censor who uncovered a German spy during the First World War.
* [[Joe Ellis-Grewal]], cricketer
* [[Lucian Ercolani]], founder of furniture company [[Ercol]], was living at 27 Claremont Road, Walthamstow in the 1911 census
*[[Paapa Essiedu]], actor, grew up in Walthamstow
* [[Jody Fleisch]], English professional wrestler, debuted in 1996, and is still wrestling around the world
* [[Nick Gentry]], portrait artist, lives and works in Walthamstow <ref name="Artimage">{{cite web |title=Interview: Nick Gentry's Human Connection |url=https://www.artimage.org.uk/news/2018/interview-nick-gentrys-human-connection/ |website=Artimage |access-date=19 October 2020}}</ref>
* Air Marshal Sir [[Michael Giddings|Kenneth Charles Michael Giddings]], born in Walthamstow in 1920
* [[Thomas Field Gibson]], manufacturer who aided the welfare of the [[Spitalfields]] silk weavers, lived at Elm House
* [[Maurice Glasman]], social theorist and Labour life peer
* [[Eleanor Graham]], book editor and children's book author, born in Walthamstow
* [[Peter Greenaway]], film director, studied at [[Walthamstow College of Art]]
* [[Geordie Greep]], musician and frontman of former rock band [[Black Midi]]
* [[Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick]], heir to the Maynard estate and Shern Hall in particular at which she lived briefly after her father's death<ref>{{Cite book|title=Daisy : the life and loves of the Countess of Warwick|last=Sushila|first=Anand|date=2009|publisher=Piatkus Books|isbn=9780749909772|edition=Paperback|oclc=276816379}}</ref>
* [[Fitz Hall]], retired English footballer, was born in Walthamstow{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
* [[Darren Hayman]], singer and songwriter, former resident
* Lord [[Peter Hennessy]] of [[Nympsfield]], former journalist with [[The Times]]; historian, academic and author
* [[James Hilton (novelist)|James Hilton]], author, attended George Monoux Grammar School
* [[Helen Hollick]], writer, born in Walthamstow 1953
* [[Mick Hume]], journalist{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
* [[Countess Judith]], wife of Earl Waltheof, prominent post-Conquest woman
* [[Harry Kane]], footballer, attended [[Chingford Foundation School]]
* [[Colin Kazim-Richards]], footballer, was born in [[Leytonstone]] but schooled in Walthamstow
* [[Jane Lomax-Smith]], Australian politician and doctor; was born and raised here
* [[Agnes Marshall]], English culinary entrepreneur, born in Walthamstow in 1855
* Sir [[George Monoux]], [[Lord Mayor of London]] in 1514 and local benefactor; founded the [[grammar school]] and [[almshouse]]s
* [[William Morris]], designer, socialist and artist
* [[Fabrice Muamba]], footballer, attended Kelmscott School
* [[Lutalo Muhammad]], British [[taekwondo]] athlete, won a silver medal in the 2016 Olympics, attended Holy Family Catholic School
* [[Denis Payton]], saxophonist for [[the Dave Clark Five]], was born in Walthamstow 1943
* [[Grayson Perry]], ceramicist and 2003 [[Turner Prize]] winner, had his studio in Walthamstow until 2014. He referred to Walthamstow in his 2013 Reith lectures, naming it 'Awesomestow'
* [[Pascale Petit (poet)|Pascale Petit]], poet, nominated twice for the [[TS Eliot poetry prize]]
* [[Ernie Phypers]] (1910–1960), professional footballer{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}
* [[Fred Pontin]], holiday camp owner
* [[Jimmy Ray]], recording artist, born Walthamstow 1970
* [[Danny Robins]], comedy writer and performer, broadcaster and journalist<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 October 2022 |title=Finding Hope in Horror and Hauntings with Danny Robins |url=https://www.centertheatregroup.org/news-and-blogs/news/2022/october/finding-hope-in-horror-and-hauntings-with-danny-robins/ |access-date=9 March 2024 |website=Center Theatre Group |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Ken Russell]], film director, studied at Walthamstow Technical College
* [[Nick Saloman]], progressive rock musician
* [[June Sarpong]], television presenter, born Walthamstow 1977
* [[Baroness Scotland]], Attorney General, grew up in Walthamstow and attended Walthamstow School for Girls
* [[Vivian Stanshall]], musician, painter, singer, broadcaster, songwriter, poet and writer, best known for his work with the [[Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band]], grew up in Grove Road, Walthamstow.
* [[John Kemp Starley]], inventor, born Walthamstow 1854
* [[Colin Stinton]], Canadian-born actor
*[[Beryl Swain]] (1936–2007), motorcycle racer, first woman to compete in the [[Isle of Man TT]] race{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
* [[Thomas Griffith Taylor]] (1890–1963) Antarctic explorer
* [[Ron Todd (trade unionist)|Ron Todd]] (1927-2005), trade union leader
* [[Lawrence Trent]], international chess master and commentator
* [[Leicester Tunks]] (1880–1935), operatic baritone and actor, born in Walthamstow
* [[Nicola Walker]], actor, attended [[Forest School, Walthamstow|Forest School]]
* [[Peter Waterfield]] Olympic diver
* [[Dorothy Wedderburn]] Principal of [[Bedford College (London)|Bedford College]] and [[Royal Holloway and Bedford New College]], both [[London University]], was born in Walthamstow 1925
* [[Geoffrey Wellum]], RAF fighter pilot in the [[Battle of Britain]] was born Walthamstow in 1921
* [[Danniella Westbrook]], actress
* [[Sir Robert Wigram, 1st Baronet|Sir Robert Wigram]], shipbuilder and MP
* [[Timothy Williams (author)|Timothy Williams]], bilingual novelist of crime fiction, lived at [[Whipps Cross]]
* [[Janet Wallis]], philanthropist and the founder of the Mission of Hope
* [[Peter Winch]], philosopher
* [[Eric Wolf]], Marxist anthropologist, studied at [[Forest School, Walthamstow|Forest School]]
* [[Adam Woodyatt]], English actor who plays [[Ian Beale]] in [[EastEnders]], born in Walthamstow 1968
* [[Mina Zdravkova]], Bulgarian ice dancer, lives in Walthamstow.
{{Div col end}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="112">
File:Walthamstow Old Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1463183.jpg|[[Old Town Hall, Walthamstow]], now [[Yiguandao]] UK headquarters
File:Tudor house, Church Lane-Orford Road, Walthamstow, London E17 - geograph.org.uk - 1730824.jpg|15th century "Ancient House" in Walthamstow village
File:Entrance doorway, Montoux Almshouses, Vinegar Lane, Walthamstow, London E17 - geograph.org.uk - 1730799.jpg|Monoux Almshouses in the village
File:Vestry House Museum - geograph.org.uk - 900038.jpg|Vestry House Museum
File:Longitude Zero in Walthamstow - Close-Up - geograph.org.uk - 91456.jpg|Longitude zero marker in Upper Walthamstow Road
File:Selborne Walk Shopping Centre, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 1767825.jpg|The 17&Central Shopping Centre before construction work in 2010
File:New homes under construction.jpg|New homes under construction adjacent to the 17&Central shopping centre in 2024
File:St Peters-in-the-Forest, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 91430.jpg|[[St Peter-in-the-Forest]] church, near Woodford New Road in the southern edge of Epping Forest
File:Walthamstow-Reservoir-758.JPG|Walthamstow Reservoir
File:Filter Beds, Walthamstow - geograph.org.uk - 93320.jpg|The filter beds at Coppermills Treatment Works
</gallery>


== Notes ==
{{notelist|30em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Portal|London}}
* [https://www.british-history.ac.uk/source.asp?pubid=283 British History Online] – A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6
* [https://www.walthamstowhistory.com/index2.html Richard Dunn] – A brief history of Walthamstow
* [https://www.walthamstowmemories.net Walthamstow Memories] – Recollections of past and present Walthamstow residents.
* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/searchResults.asp?TownName=Walthamstow&subjectType=PL&CountyName=London&submit.x=0&submit.y=0 Archival Material relating to Walthamstow] listed at the UK [[National Register of Archives]]
* {{npg name|id=81311|name=Valentine La Touche McEntee, 1st Baron McEntee of Walthamstow}}
* [http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=walthamstow&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=&district=&placeName= Images of Walthamstow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730002418/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=walthamstow&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=&district=&placeName= |date=30 Jul 2013 }} at the [[English Heritage Archive]]
* [http://www.history-in-pictures.co.uk/store/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=103 Nostalgic photos of Walthamstow] at History-in-Pictures.co.uk


{{LB Waltham Forest}}
{{London Districts}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Walthamstow| ]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Waltham Forest]]
[[Category:Major centres of London]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]