Jump to content

Chingford

Coordinates:51°37′23″N0°00′32″E/ 51.623°N 0.009°E/51.623; 0.009
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the former House of Commons constituency, seeChingford (UK Parliament constituency).

Chingford
Clockwise from top: Old Church Road inChingford Mount,Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge,Kings Head Hill and War Memorial, Station Road, and the former Bull & Crown public house
Chingford is located in Greater London
Chingford
Chingford
Location withinGreater London
Population70,583 (2021 Census)[1]
OS grid referenceTQ379935
•Charing Cross9.2 mi (14.8 km)SW
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtE4
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°37′23″N0°00′32″E/ 51.623°N 0.009°E/51.623; 0.009

Chingfordis a suburban town ineastLondon,England,within theLondon Borough of Waltham Forest.The centre of Chingford is 9.2 miles (14.8 km) north-east ofCharing Cross,withWaltham Abbeyto the north,Woodford GreenandBuckhurst Hillto the east,Walthamstowto the south, andEdmontonandEnfieldto the west. It had a population of 70,583 at the 2021 census.

Historically anancient parishin theWaltham hundredof Essex, the town expanded significantly from the late 19th century, forming part of theconurbationofLondon.It was included in theMetropolitan Police Districtin 1840 and became part ofLondon's postal districtupon its inception in 1856, with the NE postcode area replaced withEin 1866.The parishwas grantedurban districtstatus in 1894, andmunicipal boroughstatus in 1938. Its administrative headquarters were atChingford Town Halluntil 1965 when Chingford merged with Walthamstow andLeytonto form a new borough, Waltham Forest withinGreater London.

Toponymy

[edit]

TheRiver Chingruns through the area, and the town of Chingford is close to a number offordsof that river. However, old maps and descriptions give a name for the settlement long before the river has a name and it is likely that the name of the river as "Ching" arose long after the settlement was named. The alternative view is that the ford crossed the Lea, and a location near Cook's Ferry has been suggested.[2]

The area of Chingford is referenced in the Domesday book as "Cingefort" from 1066AD.[3]It is thought that, similarly to howKingston upon Thamesappears in Domesday Book of 1086AD as Chingestone and Chingetun(e), withchingbeing old English for the king, that Chingford could refer to the King's river, and Kings Ford. This idea is compounded by links to royalty using the area for hunting in centuries gone by, withQueen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge[4]still standing in North Chingford.[5]Furthermore, there is evidence of KingHarold Harefoothaving lived in Chingford and the environs in the 11th century, a date which ties in with the Old English use of "Ching" for King.

Another suggested explanation by place name genealogists is that the settlement's name has its origin as "Shingly Ford" —that is, a ford over a waterway containing shingles.[6]However, the genealogists' assertion is likely to be incorrect, as the usage of the placename name "Cingefort" in the Doomsday book predates the coining of the word "Shingle." The earliest known usage of the Middle English word shingle is 1200AD and the word was not used to describe loose stones on a waterway until three centuries later in the 1500s.[7]

A further possibility derives from the formChagingefordrecorded in 1204, which may meanthe ford of the dwellers by the stumps.The ford over the Lea may have been at Cook's Ferry. The remains of pile dwellings, covering a considerable area, were found near the mouth of the Ching between 1869 and 1901, when the reservoirs were being built.[8]

Geography

[edit]

The area covered by the former ancient parish and subsequent Municipal Borough of Chingford includes Chingford Green,Chingford Hatch,Chingford Mount,Friday Hill,North Chingford andSouth Chingford.

History

[edit]

Chingford Stationopened in 1873 and brought with it a huge increase in visitors to the area, many of whom used the town as a gateway to Epping Forest.

The forest was given to the people by Queen Victoria in 1878 under the Epping Forest Act, which ensured it was kept free and unenclosed for the public to use.

The Royal Forest Hotel opened in 1880, and its location in Ranger's Road meant it soon became popular among day-trippers visiting Epping Forest.

It is situated next to the historic Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, which the royal family used while hunting deer in the forest during the 1600s.

At the other end of Station Road, the King's Head Hotel dates back to at least the 1730s and it received a boost in trade as more people visited the area. It is still a popular hotel and has recently been refurbished inside, although the exterior of the building still preserves the character of its early days.

Landmarks

[edit]
Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge

One notable local landmark isQueen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge.[4]Originally called the Great Standing, it was built forKing Henry VIIIin 1543, and was used as a grandstand to watch the hunting of deer, although it has been heavily altered over time. The building is located on Chingford Plain withinEpping Forestand isopen to the public.The lodge is preserved under the Epping Forest Preservation Act.[9]

Originally a barn built in the mid-19th century,Butler's Retreat,aGrade II listed building,is one of the few remainingVictorianretreats within the forest. The building is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and takes its name from the 1891 occupier John Butler. Retreats originally served non-alcoholic refreshments as part of theTemperance movement.After closing in 2009 the building was refurbished by theCity of London Corporationand re-opened as a cafe in 2012.[10]

Friday Hill House

Friday Hill House,Simmons Lane, offFriday Hill,dating from 1839, was a manor house built and owned byRobert Boothby Heathcote,who was both the lord of the manor and rector of the local church. It was he who paid for the building of the church ofSt Peter and St Paulin Chingford. He is buried in the Boothby family vault in All Saints' Churchyard (Chingford Old Church), Old Church Road. The vault was purchased by Robert Boothby (died 1733), who lived in the previous manor house. The present building has been used as a further education centre but was put up for sale in 2012.[11][12]

Pimp Hall Dovecote is situated in a green area at the bottom of Friday Hill and can be viewed by entering the Pimp Hall Nature Reserve. Thedovecote,which had nesting space for 250 birds, belonged to Pimp Hall (originally Pympe's Hall), one of three manor houses around Chingford. In 1838 the estate was taken over and became part of the Chingford Earls estate. The farmhouse associated with it survived until just before World War II. This dovecote is depicted in theMillennium Heritage Mosaicon the front of Chingford Assembly Hall. It is the fourth item down on the left-hand side of the mosaic, also see theKey.There is a local legend telling how on one occasionCharles IIwas out hunting inEpping Forestand was caught in a snowstorm. He took shelter in Pimp Hall and was so delighted with the food offered him that he jocularly drew his sword and knighted the joint of beef declaring that it was nowSir Loin.Either this story caused the nearby pub on Friday Hill to be called "The Sirloin" or vice versa.[citation needed]

Pole Hill Obelisk

A granite obelisk atPole Hillwas erected in 1824 under the direction of theAstronomer Royal,the Rev. John Pond M.A., to mark true north for the telescopes of the Royal Observatory atGreenwich,south of the Thames. It was placed on high ground along the line of the Greenwich Meridian, but when this was recalibrated later in the 19th century, the obelisk was deemed to have been erected 19 feet (5.8 m) west of the revised meridian line. Today, an adjoiningtriangulation pillarmarks the modern line.[citation needed]

Chingford Old Town Hall building, The Ridgeway
Chingford Town Hall,The Ridgeway

Chingford Town Hall,dating from 1929, is on The Ridgeway in Chingford. It has more recently been known as the Chingford Municipal Offices. The site was sold to property developers who built blocks of flats on the land and the town hall building was subsequently converted to apartments.[13][14]

Churches

[edit]
All Saints, Chingford, viewed from the south.

All Saints' ChurchinChingford Mount(known locally as the Old Church) is aGrade II* listedChurch of Englandchurch at Old Church Road.[15]Parts of the church date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, but it now forms part of the parish ofSt Peter and St Paul, Chingford,which took over its role as theparish churchin 1844. The church stands on the summit ofChingford Mountand has views westwards towards the reservoirs of theLea Valley.[16]Directly opposite the church isChingford Mount Cemetery.

The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Grace & Saint Teresa of Avila is on the corner of Kings Road and Station Road, next to St Mary's Catholic Primary School. The current half-timbered building dates from 1931, on the site of an earlier 1919 church.[17]

Governance

[edit]

Parliament

[edit]

Chingford is within theChingford and Woodford GreenUK Parliament constituency, which consists of the six Chingford wards in the Borough of Waltham Forest and two wards in the Borough of Redbridge.Iain Duncan Smithhas been the sitting MP since 1992.[18]

Former MPs includeNorman Tebbit,Leah Manning,Stan Newens,andWinston Churchill(when Chingford was in theEpping constituency).[citation needed]

London

[edit]

Chingford is part of theLondon Borough of Waltham Forest,which also includesWalthamstow,Leyton,andLeytonstone.Chingford consists of six councilwards,namely:

Each ward is represented by threecouncillors,except Endlebury and Highams Park & Hale End South, which each have two. Currently all of the councillors represent theConservative Partyexcept for one Labour councillor in Valley and two in Hale End and Highams Park South. The London Borough of Waltham Forest is presently controlled by theLabour party.[citation needed]

Chingford and Waltham Forest fall within theNorth East constituencyof theLondon Assembly,[19]represented since 2004 byJennette Arnoldof the Labour party.[20]

Until 1965, the town formed the core of theMunicipal Borough of Chingford.Historically a rural parish, it gainedurban districtstatus in 1894, and between 1938 and 1965 heldmunicipal boroughstatus.[21][22]

WhenChingford was a municipal borough,before 1965, its politics were dominated by the Chingford Ratepayers' Association, which was nominally independent, but against whom the Conservative Party did not field candidates.[citation needed]

Demography

[edit]

As of the2021 census,the population of Chingford was 70,583, an increase from 66,211 in 2011. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the town significantly increased in the decade between the two censuses, with less than half the town's population (49.1%) now identifying asWhite British,a fall from 62.7% in 2011, and 80.5% in 2001.

Population figures for Chingford are based on the six wards that comprise the town (Chingford Green,Endlebury, Hale End,Hatch Lane,Larkswood and Valley) combined.

Ethnic Group 1991 2001 2011 2021
Number % Number % Number % Number %
White:Total 55,746 92.9% 52,801 86.8% 48,155 72.7% 44,583 63.2%
White:English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British – – 49,017 80.5% 41,511 62.7% 34,650 49.1%
White:Irish – – 1,165 1.9% 1,111 1.7% 1,178 1.7%
White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – 69 0.1% 24 0%
White:Romani – – – – – – 120 0.2%
White:Other – – 2,619 4.3% 5,464 8.3% 8,611 12.2%
Asian:Total 1,777 3% 2,724 4.5% 5,956 9% 8,622 12.2%
Asian or Asian British:Indian 685 1.1% 844 1.4% 1,184 1.8% 1,671 2.4%
Asian or Asian British:Pakistani 595 1% 989 1.6% 2,370 3.6% 3,607 5.1%
Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi 113 0.2% 189 0.3% 522 0.8% 906 1.3%
Asian or Asian British:Chinese 134 0.2% 206 0.3% 328 0.5% 502 0.7%
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 250 0.4% 496 0.8% 1,552 2.3% 1,936 2.7%
Black:Total 2,063 3.4% 3,722 6.1% 7,166 10.8% 8,721 12.4%
Black or Black British:African 571 1% 1,421 2.3% 2,724 4.1% 3,721 5.3%
Black or Black British:Caribbean 1,139 1.9% 1,916 3.1% 3,281 5% 3,838 5.4%
Black or Black British:Other Black 353 0.6% 385 0.6% 1,161 1.8% 1,162 1.6%
Mixed:Total – – 1,359 2.2% 3,238 4.9% 4,641 6.6%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – 530 0.9% 1,291 1.9% 1,577 2.2%
Mixed: White and Black African – – 155 0.3% 390 0.6% 606 0.9%
Mixed: White and Asian – – 306 0.5% 634 1% 990 1.4%
Mixed: Other Mixed – – 368 0.6% 923 1.4% 1,468 2.1%
Other: Total 402 0.7% 253 0.4% 1,696 2.6% 4,016 5.7%
Other: Arab – – – – 381 0.6% 382 0.5%
Other: Any other ethnic group 402 0.7% 253 0.4% 1,315 2% 3,634 5.1%
Total 59,988 100.0% 60,859 100.0% 66,211 100.0% 70,583 100.0%

Housing

[edit]

Chingford was the location of one of the interwarLondon County Council cottage estates.

LCC Cottage estates 1918–1939
Estate name Area No of dwellings Population 1938 Population density
Pre-1914
Norbury 11 218 867 19.8 per acre (49/ha)
Old Oak 32 736 3519 23 per acre (57/ha)
Totterdown Fields 39 1262 — 32.4 per acre (80/ha)
Tower Gardens
White Hart Lane		 98 783 5936 8 per acre (20/ha)
1919–1923
Becontree 2770 25769[a] 115652 9.3 per acre (23/ha)
Bellingham 252 2673 12004 10.6 per acre (26/ha)
Castelnau 51 644 2851 12.6 per acre (31/ha)
Dover House Estate
Roehampton Estate		 147 1212 5383 8.2 per acre (20/ha)
1924–1933
Downham 600 7096 30032 11.8 per acre (29/ha)
Mottingham 202 2337 9009 11.6 per acre (29/ha)
St Helier 825 9068 39877 11 per acre (27/ha)
Watling 386 4034 19110 10.5 per acre (26/ha)
Wormholt 68 783 4078 11.5 per acre (28/ha)
1934–1939
Chingford[b] 217 1540 — 7.1 per acre (18/ha)
Hanwell(Ealing) 140 1587 6732 11.3 per acre (28/ha)
Headstone Lane 142 n.a 5000
Kenmore Park 58 654 2078 11.3 per acre (28/ha)
Thornhill
(Royal Borough of Greenwich)		 21 380 1598 18.1 per acre (45/ha)
Whitefoot Lane(Downham) 49 n.a n.a.
  1. ^Source says 2589 – transcription error
  2. ^Part of a larger PRC estate around Huntsman Road

Source:

  • Yelling, J. A. (1995)."Banishing London's slums: The interwar cottage estates"(PDF).Transactions.46.London and Middlesex Archeological Society: 167–173.Retrieved19 December2016.Quotes: Rubinstein, 1991,Just like the country.

Local sport teams

[edit]
  • Chingford's oldest football club is Egbertian FC,[23]formerly Old Egbertian FC, which was started by former pupils of St Egbert's College, Chingford. The club was formed in 1928 and is affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA). The club plays in theAmateur Football Combination.[citation needed]
  • Ridgeway Rovers Youth Football Club is a local club in Chingford East London. Notable former players includeDavid Beckham,Andros Townsend,andHarry Kane.[24]
  • Chingford Rugby Club was also founded in 1928, and its ground is at Waltham Way, Chingford.[25]
  • Chingford Cricket Club is located on Forest Side, but the entrance to the ground is on Kimberley Way. It is believed to have been founded in 1884.[26]The club plays in The Shepherd Neame Essex League[27]and the first team were promoted to the Premier League for the 2013 season.
  • Chingford Town Football Club was re-established in 2018 by local schoolboys and competes with the local non-league teams of Essex.
King George's Reservoir, home to the Sailing Club
  • King George Sailing Club was founded in the 1970s to providedinghy sailingandwindsurfingon the largest and best sailing water in the north and east of London. The club enjoys facilities both on and off the water and has an active membership engaged in racing, learning to sail, casual sailing, and windsurfing. In recognition of its good facilities and encouragement of youth sailing, theRoyal Yachting Associationhas awarded the club Volvo Champion Club status.[28]

Local districts

[edit]

Nearest places

[edit]

Transport

[edit]
Chingford Station

Chingford is served byChingford railway station- which is inzone 5- which is the terminus of theLondon OvergroundLea Valley linesfromLiverpool Street stationin theCity of London.Chingford is the only station in Waltham Forest to be within zone 5. There is also a station atHighams Park,inzone 4. Chingford lost its rail link toStratfordwith the removal of the 500 m length of track known as theHall Farm Curvein 1970, and there have been campaigns for its reinstatement.

The followingLondon Busesroutes serve Chingford:97Chingford Station toStratford City,158Chingford Mount to Stratford,179Chingford Station toIlford,212Chingford Station toWalthamstowSt James St,215Lee Valley Camp Site to Walthamstow Central,313Chingford Station toPotters Bar,357Chingford Hatch toWhipps Cross,379Chingford Station to Yardley Lane Estate,385Chingford Station to Crooked Billet Sainsbury's,397Crooked Billet Sainsbury's to Debden,444Chingford Station to Turnpike Lane,W11Chingford Hall Estate toWalthamstowCentral,W16Chingford Mount toLeytonstoneand night routeN26Victoriato Chingford Station.

Education

[edit]
Further information:List of schools in Waltham Forest

Chingford secondary schools include:

Notable people

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^Chingford is made up of 6 wards in the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chingford Green, Endlebury, Hale End and Highams Park, Hatch Lane, Larkswood, and Valley.
  2. ^The Place Names of Essex, by PH Reaney, English Place-Name Society, Volume 12 p19
  3. ^"Chingford Doomsday Book entry".Government National Archives.Retrieved8 September2017.
  4. ^ab"Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge".Cityoflondon.gov.uk. 16 December 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 12 June 2011.Retrieved14 December2011.
  5. ^"cityoflondon.gov.uk".Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2013.Retrieved6 August2013.
  6. ^"Chingford's Free Art and History".exploringeastlondon.co.uk.Retrieved16 January2012.
  7. ^"Etymology of the word Shingle".Etymology Online.Retrieved7 September2017.
  8. ^The Place Names of Essex, by P.H. Reaney, The English Place name Society, Volume 12, 1935, Reissued 1969
  9. ^Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Chingford".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 233.
  10. ^City of London- Butler's RetreatRetrieved 25 February 2013
  11. ^"Waltham Forest Council, Friday Hill House Disposal".Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2012.Retrieved19 November2016.
  12. ^"Waltham Forest Council, Friday Hill House Sale Particulars"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 9 July 2012.Retrieved19 November2016.
  13. ^"Waltham Forest Council, Chingford Municipal Offices disposal".Archived fromthe originalon 15 June 2012.Retrieved19 November2016.
  14. ^"Gilmartin Ley, The Old Town Hall, Chingford, London, E4".Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2020.Retrieved14 September2017.
  15. ^Historic England,"All Saints, Chingford (1065596)",National Heritage List for England,retrieved6 September2014
  16. ^Pevsner, Nikolaus(1951).The Buildings of England: Essex.Middlesex: Penguin Books Limited. p. 123.
  17. ^Powell, W R."'The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5 ".British History Online.Retrieved7 August2021.
  18. ^"Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP".UK Parliament.
  19. ^"Census 2011: London Assembly Constituency Profiles".London Datastore.GLA Intelligence Unit. 2013. p. 47.
  20. ^"Assembly Members".Mayor of London and London Assembly.Retrieved4 February2021.
  21. ^"History of Chingford, in Waltham Forest and Essex".University Of Portsmouth and others. 2009.Retrieved23 June2012.
  22. ^"The parish and borough of Chingford".University of London & History of Parliament Trust. 2012.Retrieved23 June2012.
  23. ^Egbertian FCArchived8 February 2011 at theWayback MachineRetrieved 27 February 2013
  24. ^"Team London - Ridgeway Rovers Football Club".volunteerteam.london.gov.uk.
  25. ^"Home | Chingford Rugby Club".Chingfordrugby.co.uk. 10 December 2011.Retrieved14 December2011.
  26. ^"Chingford Cricket Club: history".www.chingfordcricketclub.co.uk. Archived fromthe originalon 14 July 2014.Retrieved24 March2013.
  27. ^"The Shepherd Neame Essex League".Essex Cricket.
  28. ^King George Sailing ClubRetrieved 27 February 2013
  29. ^"England Football Online".
  30. ^"Blake, Dame Louisa Brandreth Aldrich- (1865–1925), surgeon".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press. 23 September 2004.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/30367.Retrieved16 February2019.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
  31. ^"BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, David Beckham".Desert Island Discs.3 February 2017.Retrieved16 March2019.
  32. ^Culpepper, Chuck (9 July 2007)."Beckham - Working-class boy to Man U".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved9 September2008.
  33. ^"Becks opens up about Chingford on Desert Island Discs".East London and West Essex Guardian Series.31 January 2017.Retrieved8 December2020.
  34. ^"American Idols".W magazine.1 August 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 14 February 2009.Retrieved24 February2009.
  35. ^Beckham at Ridgeway RoversRetrieved 27 February 2013
  36. ^The FA - Becks' Brimsdown boost, article from Friday, 24 September 2004Archived11 October 2004 atarchive.today,accessed 7 July 2007
  37. ^"List of MPs".Archived from the original on 29 November 2017.Retrieved10 May2009.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  38. ^Pearce, Garth (11 July 2008)."On the move: Alan Davies".The Sunday Times.London. Archived fromthe originalon 15 June 2011.Retrieved10 May2009.
  39. ^"Metal-archives.com".Metal-archives.com. Archived fromthe originalon 18 August 2010.Retrieved14 December2011.
  40. ^"Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green".www.iainduncansmith.org.uk.Retrieved26 December2019.
  41. ^"Gayle signs permanent deal with Stoke City".Newcastle United Football Club.22 July 2022.Retrieved22 July2022.
  42. ^"Zero to 100 | By Harry Kane".The Players' Tribune.5 February 2018.Retrieved8 December2020.
  43. ^"Hall of Fame".CHINGFORD FOUNDATION SCHOOL PE Department.18 February 2015.Retrieved8 December2020.
  44. ^"One day I'll play for England: London schoolboy's dream is about to".Evening Standard.27 March 2015.Retrieved8 December2020.
  45. ^Molyneaux, Ian (15 November 2020)."The London school where David Beckham and an Eastenders star were pupils".MyLondon.Retrieved8 December2020.
  46. ^"Jony Ive | Biography, Apple, & Facts".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved28 January2021.
  47. ^"Kray funeral date set".BBC News.3 October 2000.Retrieved10 May2009.
  48. ^Siôn, Pwyll ap (10 June 2017).The Music of Michael Nyman: Texts, Contexts and Intertexts.Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.ISBN9781859282106– via Google Books.
  49. ^Moyes, Johnathon (27 June 2007)."Ex-pupil Phillips opens old school".Waltham Forest Guardian.Retrieved10 May2009.
  50. ^"Peter Sceats".petersceats.net.Archivedfrom the original on 20 March 2024.
  51. ^Berrill, Lewis (26 November 2019)."Candidates clash at Chingford and Woodford Green election hustings".East London and West Essex Guardian Series.Archivedfrom the original on 26 February 2024.Retrieved26 February2024.
  52. ^"John Sitton - Biography".IMDb.Archivedfrom the original on 21 March 2024.Retrieved26 December2019.
  53. ^"Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji | British composer".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved26 December2019.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toChingford.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chingford&oldid=1249211695"