| Waltham Abbey Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Waltham Abbey Town Hall | |
  Waltham Abbey Town Hall Location within Essex | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Nouveau style |
| Location | Waltham Abbey |
| Address | Highbridge Street |
| Coordinates | 51°41′14″N0°00′16″W / 51.6873°N 0.0045°W |
| Inaugurated | 1904 |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | John Bentley & Sons |
Waltham Abbey Town Hall is a municipal facility on Highbridge Street in Waltham Abbey, Essex. It is a locally listed building. [1]
Local civic officials found it necessary to establish some proper accommodation following the formation of the Waltham Holy Cross Urban District in 1894. [2] The site selected was occupied by an old slum called Camps Court which was accordingly demolished. [3] The foundation stone for the "Waltham Holy Cross Council Buildings" was laid by Mrs A. J. Chapman, wife of the then chairman of the council, in January 1904. [4] The building, which was designed in the Art Nouveau style with a tower in the style of a french chateau, was built by the local contractor, John Bentley & Sons. [4] [5] It was officially opened by Mrs A. J. Chapman in late 1904. [4]
There were originally two arched doorways to the west of the front door for use by a horse-drawn fire engine. [6] The fire engine was mechanised in 1923 and the fire station moved to Romeland after the Second World War. [6]
In late 1914, during the First World War, the building was converted for use as a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital. [7] [8] The hospital initially deployed 40 beds but later in the war this increased to 50 beds, and after a hutted ward had been built it increased to 64 beds. [9]
The building continued to be the meeting place of Waltham Holy Cross Urban District Council but ceased to be the local seat of government when Epping Forest District was formed by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974. [10]
In 2003 a plaque was erected on the town hall by the Richard III Society to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Margaret of York, who had local connections and had been sister of both King Edward IV and King Richard III. [11] [lower-alpha 1]
The local singer, Luciee-Marie Closier, who performed in series 3 of the talent show, The Voice, performed from the balcony of the town hall in November 2014. [13] The town hall still remains the meeting place of Waltham Abbey Town Council. [2]
Chingford is a suburban town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The centre of Chingford is 9.2 miles (14.8 km) north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow to the south, and Edmonton and Enfield to the west. It had a population of 70,583 at the 2021 census.
Walthamstow is a town in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, around 7.5 miles (12 km) north-east of Central 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, the town had a population of approximately 109,424.
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is an outer London borough formed in 1965 from the merger of the municipal boroughs of Leyton, Walthamstow and Chingford.
The Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence, also known as Waltham Abbey or Waltham Abbey Church, is the parish church of the town of Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. It has been a place of worship since the 7th century. The present building dates mainly from the early 12th century and is an example of Norman architecture. To the east of the existing church are traces of an enormous eastward enlargement of the building, begun following the re-foundation of the abbey in 1177. In the Late Middle Ages, Waltham was one of the largest church buildings in England and a major site of pilgrimage; in 1540 it was the last religious community to be closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is still an active parish church for the town, and is a grade I listed building.
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 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Charing Cross.
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the metropolitan and urban area of London, England. Situated 12 miles (19 km) north-east of Charing Cross, the town borders Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell, Chingford, and Buckhurst Hill.
Epping Forest District is a local government district in Essex, England. It is named after the ancient woodland of Epping Forest, a large part of which lies within the district. The district covers northeastern parts of the urban area of London, including the suburban towns of Epping, Loughton, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell, and Buckhurst Hill, as well as rural areas beyond it. The district is situated in the west of the county, bordering north-eastern Greater London.
Buckhurst Hill is a suburban town in Epping Forest, Essex, within the Greater London Urban Area and adjacent to the northern boundary of the London Borough of Redbridge. The area developed following the opening of a railway line in 1856, originally part of the Eastern Counties Railway and now on the Central line of the London Underground.
Sewardstone is a hamlet in the parish of Waltham Abbey, in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. It is located south of the main built-up area of Waltham Abbey, lying between Epping Forest, Chingford and Enfield. It is 11.6 miles north-northeast of Central London and is in the London commuter belt.
Waltham Holy Cross was a local government district in the county of Essex, England. It was created as a local board of health district in 1850 when the parish of Waltham Holy Cross adopted the Public Health Act 1848 and was governed by Waltham Holy Cross Local Board of Health. In 1894 it became an urban district and the board became Waltham Holy Cross Urban District Council.
Waltham Abbey is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the metropolitan and urban area of London, England, 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east, with large sections forming part of the Metropolitan Green Belt.
Epping Forest is a constituency in Essex, created for the February 1974 general election from parts of the abolished Epping and Chigwell constituencies. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Neil Hudson of the Conservative Party.
Chingford was a local government district in south west Essex, England from 1894 to 1965, around the town of Chingford. It was within the London suburbs, forming part of the London postal district and Metropolitan Police District. Its former area now corresponds to the northern part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in Greater London.
Whipps Cross University Hospital is a large university hospital in the locality of Whipps Cross in Leytonstone and is within Epping Forest in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, London, England. It is managed by Barts Health NHS Trust.
The district of Epping Forest is in the county of Essex in England. It was created on 1 April 1974, following the merger of Epping Urban District, Chigwell Urban District, Waltham Holy Cross Urban District, and part of Epping and Ongar Rural District.
Whipps Cross is an area of the districts of Leytonstone and Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest in London, England. It is most famous for Whipps Cross University Hospital.
Debden is a suburb in the civil parish of Loughton, in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. It takes its name from the ancient manor of Debden, which lay at its northern end. The area is predominantly residential, but is also the location of Epping Forest College, East 15 Acting School and the De La Rue printing works. It is one of a limited number of places outside Greater London to be served by the London Underground.
Epping is a market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, England. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, it is 17 miles (30 km) north-east of Charing Cross. It is surrounded by the northern end of Epping Forest, and on a ridge of land between the River Roding and River Lea valleys.
High Beach is a village inside Epping Forest in south-west Essex, England. Part of the civil parish of Waltham Abbey, the village is within the Epping Forest District and the ward of Waltham Abbey High Beach, and lies approximately 11 miles (18 km) north-east of Charing Cross.
The Old Town Hall is a former municipal building in Orford Road, Walthamstow, London. The building served in a municipal capacity from 1866 to 1942 and then served as the main entrance block to the Connaught Hospital from 1959 to 1977. It is a Grade II listed building.