Walthamstow is the place to visit if you are fond of a flatter and love dogs as this is the home of Greyhound Racing, at the Walthamstow Stadium. Walthamstow has more to offer a discerning visitor, its Art Deco buildings, its markets and much more.
Walthamstow is a town within the Borough of Waltham Forest and was for a long time quite rural, with a central village called Walthamstow Village which is still there today forming a central part of the town. Today the area of Walthamstow Village is classified as a conservation area with the houses and the main church being from the 17th century.
Walthamstow was part of the county of Essex, but that all changed in 1965 and Walthamstow with Leyton, Chingford, Ilford and Romford became part of the Borough of Waltham Forest.
Two famous residence of Walthamstow were the poet, writer, designer and socialist William Morris who lived in the locality and whose house today is a museum and the gardens a public park, the other resident was less known but was thought to be the builder of the first petrol build car in Britain in 1892-94 "Fredrick Bremer".
Within the conservation area of Walthamstow Village there is the 12th century church of St Mary's, while across from it is the 15th century "timber house", there are also almshouses (properties for the poor and elderly) and a museum that was once a workhouse called "The Vestry House".
Art Deco buildings can be seen in different parts of Walthamstow such as the Walthamstow Assembly Hall, which is probable, the most interesting one, the now unused Walthamstow cinema which is also a grade II building, as well as the Walthamstow Stadium.
Walthamstow Market is probably the longest daily street market in Europe and has a real community feel to it (not seen in other markets which seem to cater to mainly tourists). The market offers everything a family may need, at bargain prices; it also offers a lot more from vintage clothes to music to fruit and vegetables to all the things your pet may need.
Shopping does not have to be restricted to the market as there is also the shopping mall where many of the high street names can be found.
The boy band East 17 came from Walthamstow, as well as Phil Collen, bass guitarist of Def Leppard and Paul Di'Anno, lead singer of Iron Maiden 1978-1981. David Beckham was born in Chingford near Walthamstow.
Hotels in Walthamstow are mostly the budget variety such as the Express by Holiday Inn Newbury Park. Locations near Walthamstow that maybe of interest are The Lea Bridge conservation area, Walthamstow marshes, while the sights of central London such as
Oxford Street,
Piccadilly Circus and
Trafalgar Square are only 20 minutes away from Walthamstow Central.
