Coordinates: 51°34′08″N 0°00′36″E / 51.569°N 0.010°E
| Leytonstone | |
  Leytonstone
Leytonstone shown within Greater London |
|
| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Waltham Forest |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E11, E15 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Leyton & Wanstead |
| London Assembly | North East |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Leytonstone is an area of East London and part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is a high density suburban area, located 11 kilometres (7 mi) north east of Charing Cross in the ceremonial county of Greater London and the historic county of Essex. It borders Walthamstow to the northwest, Wanstead (in the London Borough of Redbridge) to the north, Leyton to the south, and Forest Gate (in the London Borough of Newham) to the east.
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History
The main thoroughfare in Leytonstone, High Road Leytonstone, which runs the length of Leytonstone to Stratford is an ancient pathway dating to pre-Roman times. Roman archaeological features have been found in the area.
The name Leytonstone — in early documents Leyton-Atte-Stone — may derive from the large stone standing at the junction of Hollybush Hill and New Wanstead; in the 18th-century an obelisk was mounted on top of it, and it has been claimed that it is the remains of a Roman milestone.
Two of the obelisk's inscriptions are still just legible: others are not.
- "To Epping XI Miles through Woodford, Loughton"
- "To Ongar XV Miles through Woodford Bridge, Chigwell, Abridge"
It has been claimed that High Road Leytonstone is a prehistoric pathway dating from before the Romans built a road along the same route to London. However Roman roads have since been found during excavations.
The earliest known cartographic reference to Leytonstone is dated from 1545. It was part of Essex until 1965.
To the eastern side of Leytonstone lies the Lake House estate, which until its recent inclusion within the London Borough of Redbridge was also seen as belonging to the area.[1]
Leytonstone was the centre of protests against the construction of the M11 link road, in 1990. The protesters' final stand was staged at Claremont Road, Leytonstone and was ended by the forced eviction of protestors in 1994.
Governance
Originally part of the ancient parish of Leyton, Leytonstone became a civil parish in 1845.[2] In 1894 it became part of the Leyton urban district, later a municipal borough in 1926. As part of the Municipal Borough of Leyton, Leytonstone became part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1965 upon the borough's creation. The area is part of the Leyton and Wanstead constituency.
Harry Cohen has been MP for the constituency since 1997, representing the Labour Party. For elections to the London Assembly it is part of the North East constituency and the AM is Jennette Arnold of the Labour Party. It is part of the London constituency for elections to the European Parliament.
Geography
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Walthamstow | Epping Forest | Wanstead | |
| Leyton |  |
Wanstead Flats | ||
 Leytonstone  |
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| Temple Mills | Stratford | Forest Gate |
Transport
Leytonstone High Road was a Roman track from London to Epping Forest. This route became important for long distant coaches from the 14th century.[2] In the 1960s there was a problem of congestion around the shopping streets in Leytonstone,[3] a problem which continues with the one way system today.[4] In the 1990s the M11 link road was built through the area despite a long running protest by locals and road protestors. This and other protests led to the Conservative policy, Roads for Prosperity, being abandoned.[5]
Leytonstone tube station is on the Central Line of the London Underground.
Leytonstone High Road is a London Overground railway station.
Education
The borough includes:
- Connaught School for Girls, a specialist Language College
- Leytonstone School, which is a specialist Business and Enterprise College
- Tom Hood School, a specialist Science College
- Norlington School for Boys
Notable features
- Epping Forest boundaries reach Leytonstone in wooded areas called Hollow Ponds and Wanstead Flats.
- Whipps Cross University Hospital
- Dagenham & Redbridge football club, currently a professional Coca-Cola League Two team, is an amalgamation of several amateur football clubs, including Leytonstone F.C., who played along Leytonstone High Road. The Wanderers F.C. also originated from Leytonstone but played in several other venues round London.
Public services
Thames Water supplies Leytonstones' water. EDF Energy Networks is the Distribution network operator licensed to distribute electricity from the transmission grid to homes and businesses in Leytonstone. Whipps Cross University Hospital, on Whipps Cross road, is a University Hospital administrated by Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust. London Ambulance Service responds to medical emergencies in Leytonstone. Home Office policing in Leytonstone is provided by the Metropolitan Police Service. Statutory emergency fire service is provided by the London Fire Brigade, which has a station on Leytonstone High Road.
Notable people associated with Leytonstone
- Alfred Hitchcock was born and raised in the area; the entrance to Leytonstone tube station has a number of mosaics depicting scenes from his films.
- One infamous person who reputedly passed through Leytonstone, staying at the Green Man pub (now O'Neill's), was Essex-born highwayman Dick Turpin. Turpin allegedly passed through Leytonstone to Epping Forest en route to Norwich, and eventually to his appointment with the hangman in 1739.
- Damon Albarn, singer-songwriter and musician (keyboard, piano, ...) with Blur, Gorillaz and The Good The Bad And The Queen.
- David Beckham was born in Leytonstone, but grew up in Chingford
- Boy Kill Boy
- Edward North Buxton, conservationist and liberal politician 1840-1924.
- Cartrain Graffiti artist associated with the Street art movement
- Cornelius Cardew
- John Drinkwater, poet and dramatist, born in Leytonstone in 1882
- Eamon Everall
- Fanny Cradock
- Curtis Davies
- Cartrain, graffitti artist
- Ken Farnes
- Joanne Fenn
- Graham Gooch
- Steve Harris, bassist, band leader and primary composer of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden was born in Leytonstone.
- Tom Hood, humourist and playwright, born at Lake House in 1835
- Sydney Horler
- Justin Hoyte
- Derek Jacobi
- Colin Kazim-Richards
- Natasha Little
- Seán Mac Stíofáin, first chief-of-staff of the Provisional IRA
- Morell Mackenzie (Sir), physician
- Dominic McVey Britain's youngest self made millionaire
- Tony Robinson
- Jonathan Ross and his brother Paul Ross
- June Sarpong
- Rita Simons British actress, singer and model
- Talvin Singh
- Harold Spurr, English cricketer
- Meera Syal
- Andros Townsend
- Some members from Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity were associated with Leytonstone
Spike Milligan also based the (fictional) closest heir to the British throne after the outbreak of nuclear war in that setting. She was a "Mrs. Ethel Shroake" of 393A High Street, Leytonstone, who appears in the final scene of the play and film The Bed-Sitting Room, 1969.
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References
- ^ "Wanstead Wildlife". http://www.wansteadwildlife.org.uk/INTRODUCTORY_AND_VARIOUS_FILES/about_Wanstead_Wildlife.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
- ^ a b Hibbert, Christopher (2008). London Encyclopaedia. Macmillan London Ltd. pp. 482-483. ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5.
- ^ Powell, W.R. (1973). "Leyton Introduction". British History Online. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42767. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ Brown, Carl (Tuesday 6th October 2009). "LEYTONSTONE: "Let's discuss improving ALL our town centres" says Robbins". Waltham Forest Guardian. http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/4666287.LEYTONSTONE___Let_s_discuss_improving_ALL_our_town_centres__says_Robbins/. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Tories ditch the 'car economy'". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/tories-ditch-the-car-economy-1324939.html.
External links
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