Leytonstone Explained

Official Name:Leytonstone
Static Image Name:Leytonstone High Road Christmas lights, London, England 03.jpg
Static Image Caption:Leytonstone High Road
Coordinates:51.569°N 0.01°W
Map Type:Greater London
Population:54,696
Population Ref:(wards, 2011)[1]
Os Grid Reference:TQ3987
London Borough:Waltham Forest
Region:London
Country:England
Post Town:LONDON
Postcode Area:E
Postcode District:E11
Dial Code:020
Constituency Westminster:Leyton and Wanstead

Leytonstone is an area in East London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, Stratford to the south-west, Leyton to the west, and Walthamstow to the north-west, and is 70NaN0 north-east of Charing Cross.

Historically, it was part of the ancient parish of Leyton in the Becontree hundred of Essex. The first documented evidence of settlement is from the 14th century, describing a hamlet at 'Leyton-atte-stone'; a reference to the Roman milestone located within the area,[2] that formed a northern boundary of the parish.[3] It remained largely rural until the 19th century, becoming part of the London postal district in 1856, the same year its railway station was opened (now on the Central line). When Greater London was created in 1965, the Municipal Borough of Leyton merged with Chingford and Walthamstow to form the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

At the northern end of Leytonstone High Road is The Green Man; a public house and a nearby road junction under which the A12 runs.[4] Leytonstone is noted for being the birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock, with a number of references to the filmmaker around the area, including painted murals, mosaics, a pub and a hotel.[5] [6]

History

Origins and Roman milestone

The main thoroughfare, Leytonstone High Road, is part of an ancient highway from Epping to London, on the borders of Epping Forest. A small hamlet at Leytonstone had existed since the early 14th century, when it formed part of the parish of Leyton St Mary. The name Leytonstone, originally "Leyton-atte-Stone", comes from nearby Leyton ("settlement (tun) on the River Lea") and the Roman milestone called the High Stone.

The milestone still stands at the junction of Hollybush Hill (the A1199 road with Woodford) and New Wanstead (the A113 road with Woodford Bridge), near the eastern bounds of the parish. It is a restored 18th-century obelisk set up on an earlier stump, traditionally described as a Roman milestone, possibly marking an extension of the Roman road from Dunmow to Chigwell into London.[7] Two of the obelisk inscriptions are still just legible, others not:

"To Epping XI Miles through Woodford, Loughton"

"To Ongar XV Miles through Woodford Bridge, Chigwell, Abridge"

Other Roman archaeological features have been found in nearby Leyton, including "a Roman cemetery south of Blind Lane, and massive foundations of some Roman building, with quantities of Roman brick... discovered in the grounds of Leyton Grange."[8]

18th and 19th century

In 1722, author Daniel Defoe travelled through "Layton-stone, a place by some known, now as much, by the sign of the Green-Man". Leytonstone, along with Stratford, Leyton and Woodford, was one of the villages Defoe called desirable country retreats for wealthy merchants and financiers within an easy ride of the City.[9]

Leytonstone remained largely rural until the opening of the railway at Leytonstone station in 1856, which gave quick and easy access to Stratford and central London. This, with increased availability of office and industrial work, had transformed the area into a suburban dormitory town by the end of the 19th century.However, the forest land in the north and east of Leytonstone escaped development following a prolonged public campaign, when the Epping Forest Act 1878 preserved more than 200 acres (80 hectares) of open space for public use.[7]

In 1898 the department store Bearmans, opened by Frank Bearman to sell furniture and clothing, was the first store outside central London with an escalator.[10]

20th century

In the mid-1990s, the M11 link road (A12) was built through the area, despite a long-running protest by locals and road protestors. This and other protests led to the policy, Roads for Prosperity, being abandoned.[11] From 2001 to 2013, artists ran the 491 Gallery, a squatted social space in a building next the A12, that hosted events from exhibitions to gigs.[12]

Areas of Leytonstone

Historic Areas

Notable events

Notable buildings and landmarks

Governance

Leytonstone belonged originally to the ancient parish of Leyton in the Becontree Hundred of Essex. It became a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1845.[40] The parish of Leyton formed part of the West Ham Poor law union. In 1894 it became part of Leyton Urban District, which was incorporated in 1926 as the Municipal Borough of Leyton.

Leytonstone became part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1965 when Greater London was created.[41] Within the borough, it divides into four council wards, each with three councillors: Forest ward (Whipps Cross area, parts of Upper Leytonstone as far as Grove Green), Leytonstone ward (the rest of Upper Leytonstone, the town centre, Bushwood and Ferndale areas), Cathall ward and Cann Hall ward (South Leytonstone areas).[42] [43]

The area forms part of the Leyton and Wanstead parliamentary constituency., Calvin Bailey has held the seat for the Labour Party. For elections to the London Assembly it is part of the North East constituency and the AM is Sem Moema of the Labour Party, who succeeded Jenette Arnold in 2021 .[42]

Population Estimates 2019[44]
Ward Population % Change 2001-19
Cann Hall 14,427 +27%
Cathall 13,112 +24%
Forest 13,196 +27%
Leytonstone 13,961 +31%
Total 54,696 +27%

Transport

Leytonstone tube station is in Travelcard Zones 3 and 4 on the Central line of the London Underground, and serves as the last stop before the line splits into the Fairlop Loop and the branch to Epping (Zone 6). Since 2016, night tube trains run on Friday and Saturdays on the Central line every 10 minutes between White City and Loughton (in Essex) or Hainault via Leytonstone.[45] A series of tiled mosaics commemorating the local film director Alfred Hitchcock line the entrance passages to the station.[46]

Leytonstone Bus Station stands either side of exits for Leytonstone tube station; key routes include the 257 to Stratford, the W15 to Hackney, and the night bus N8 to Tottenham Court Road.

Leytonstone High Road railway station is a London Overground railway station, located in the south of Leytonstone, serving the Gospel Oak to Barking line. In 2018, the line was electrified to allow for longer trains, with an additional capacity; after engineering and supply delays, these were introduced in June 2019.

Close to the southern end of Leytonstone (NaNmiles south of the Cann Hall Road boundary) is Maryland railway station in Stratford; which is on the Elizabeth line.[47]

From 25 October 2021, Leytonstone will be in London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ); which is to be expanding from central London up to the North Circular and South Circular roads.[48]

Education

Leytonstone schools include:

Sports and fitness

Leytonstone Leisure Centre on Cathall Road provides a gym and 25-metre main pool, sports hall, fitness studios, and a children's soft-play area.[49]

Wanstead Flats has 60 football pitches, including eight full size pitches. This facility is overseen by City of London Corporation and amateur football teams play every Sunday.[50] and 5K Parkruns take place in Wanstead Flats every week.[51]

The North Star on Browning Road is home to the North Star Velo cycling club.[52]

Leytonstone was home to the former association football team Leytonstone F.C. before it merged with Redbridge Forest F.C. and then Dagenham & Redbridge football club.

In drama, film and television

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Waltham Forest Ward population 2011 . Neighbourhood Statistics . Office for National Statistics . 19 October 2016.
  2. Web site: London Borough of Waltham Forest: Archaeological Priority Areas Appraisal, October 2020. 2 August 2021.
  3. Web site: Leyton: Introduction British History Online. 2021-09-12. www.british-history.ac.uk.
  4. Web site: 14 July 2021. Leytonstone - Green Man Mural.
  5. Web site: 14 July 2021. Hitchcock Mosaics.
  6. Web site: 14 July 2021. The Birds, Leytonstone.
  7. Web site: A History of the County of Essex . Powell . W. R. . 1973 . pp 174–184, Leyton: Introduction . 6 . British History Online . 26 March 2018.
  8. J. Kennedy A History of the Parish of Leyton, Essex Phelp Brothers, Leyton (1894), digital copy at [archive.org].
  9. Defoe, Daniel (1722), A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain, divided into circuits or journies (Volume I, Letter I)
  10. Web site: Bearmans Department Store in Leytonstone Remembered - Guardian p.17 Dec 2012. 17 December 2012 . 27 Nov 2014.
  11. News: Tories ditch the 'car economy' . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/tories-ditch-the-car-economy-1324939.html . 14 June 2022 . subscription . live . Lean . Geoffrey . 21 January 1996 . The Independent. 7 May 2010 . London.
  12. Web site: Hey Galleries -- 491 Gallery. 2021-08-10. heygalleries.co.uk. en-GB.
  13. Web site: Leytonstone Festival. 9 August 2021.
  14. Web site: Waltham Forest Events - Leytonstone Festival. 9 August 2021.
  15. Web site: Alfred Hitchcock mosaics, Leytonstone, London. www.thejoyofshards.co.uk. 2020-04-28.
  16. Web site: About Us – Leytonstone Arts Trail. 2021-09-14. en-US.
  17. Web site: Leytonstone Loves Film -- The Barbican. 2021-09-01. www.barbican.org.uk. en.
  18. Web site: Leytonstone Loves Film Home. 2021-09-01. leytonstonelovesfilm.com.
  19. Web site: Modernism in Metroland. 9 August 2021.
  20. Web site: Cimema Treasures. 9 August 2021.
  21. Web site: Welcome to St Johns . www.stjohns-leytonstone.org.uk . 29 April 2017.
  22. Web site: Hitchcock's Home – Leytonstoner.
  23. Web site: London Open House. 28 August 2019 . 9 August 2021.
  24. Web site: Leytonstone Mosque -- Our History. 25 July 2021.
  25. Web site: Ediths Streets -- Phillibrook Stream Leytonstone. 25 July 2021.
  26. Web site: History of Leytonstone House. 13 June 2017 . 24 July 2021.
  27. Web site: Leytonstone - Hidden London. 2021-09-14. en-GB.
  28. News: East London Guardian – History: The Leytonstone Library that became 'a symbol of freedom and democracy' in war propaganda . East London Guardian.
  29. Web site: History of Harrow Green Library. 21 January 2010 . 9 August 2021.
  30. Web site: Harrow Green Library. 9 August 2021.
  31. Web site: Leyton And Leytonstone. 2021-08-29. Imperial War Museums. en.
  32. Web site: Wesleyan Christian Centre – The Twentieth Century Society. 2021-08-29. c20society.org.uk.
  33. Web site: Antic London - Red Lion Leytonstone. 24 July 2021.
  34. Web site: Leytonstone - Red Lion Back To Its 1930s Heyday. 15 January 2016 . 24 July 2021.
  35. Web site: Barts Health NHS . Future Whipps Cross Hospital . June 2023 .
  36. Web site: Losted Lido at Whipps Cross. 7 July 2018 .
  37. Web site: New Leytonstone Fire Station opens in £51.5m investment across capital. 2021-08-21. East London and West Essex Guardian Series. 25 February 2016 . en.
  38. Web site: Watham Forest Echo - Pastures Sports Hall Saved From Housing. 7 April 2021.
  39. Web site: Children's Homes -- Leytonstone. 10 August 2021.
  40. Book: Hibbert, Christopher . London Encyclopaedia . Macmillan London Ltd . 2008 . 482–483 . 978-1-4050-4924-5.
  41. Book: Powell . W. R. . 1973 . A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6 . London . Victoria County History . 205–214 . 978-0197227190.
  42. Web site: Leytonstone Democracy . . leytonstonetoday.net . L D Horton . 22 June 2020.
  43. Web site: Waltham Forest Statistics . 14 July 2021.
  44. Web site: City Population - Leytonstone. 14 July 2021.
  45. Web site: The Night Tube . Transport for London . en . 29 April 2017.
  46. Web site: Alfred Hitchcock Tile Murals in Tube Station.
  47. Web site: TFL Crossrail . TFL Crossrail Maryland Station . 29 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150804000024/http://www.crossrail.co.uk/route/eastern-section/maryland-station. dead. 4 August 2015.
  48. Web site: Mayor Of London Press Release ULEZ (low emission zone) expansion to expand up to North and South Circular.
  49. Web site: Leytonstone Leisure Centre. 24 July 2021.
  50. Web site: League. Essex Sunday Corinthian Football. Wanstead Albion. 2021-09-23. www.escfl.co.uk. en.
  51. Web site: Wanstead Flats parkrun. 24 July 2021.
  52. Web site: North Star Velo. 24 July 2021.
  53. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066122/locations Deep End filming locations
  54. Web site: Hat Trick Featured shows. www.hattrick.co.uk.
  55. News: Alan Booth . 1 March 1993 . . 64580 . 19.
  56. Web site: Blue Plaque – Fanny Craddock.
  57. Web site: Famous people who came from our area . . www.leytonpast.info . Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society . 26 March 2018.
  58. News: ITV News . Star Wars Artist Honoured With Plaque on East London House . ITV News .