Nutter Lane, E11

Nutter Lane was previously called George Lane because of the George pub (George Inn, George & Dragon Inn and George Hotel) located at the end of Wanstead High Street.

In addition to being George Lane, the road has been referred to as George Street and Wanstead Lane. In its Wanstead Lane form, it was already in use during the 16th century. Most of Wanstead’s houses then, were in the present High Street and in Wanstead (Nutter) Lane.

The name change occurred in 1934 as a result of the construction of the Eastern Avenue. The part of George Lane which lay off the High Street became absorbed into Eastern Avenue when the latter was built in the 1920s. Nutter Lane used to be accessible by car from the Eastern Avenue until later in the twentieth century. Nutter Lane became the name of the remainder of the road. Grove Cottage, on the corner of Nutter Lane and Leicester Road, was Wanstead’s oldest building – demolished in 1957.

The name Nutter Lane was after three sisters: Mary, Jesse and Gertrude Nutter. They were daughters of a wealthy cheese merchant in the City who donated the five acre Nutter Field in 1921 to the people of Wanstead for their recreation and leisure. The sisters lived until 1926 in Nutter Lane at Applegarth, which is said by a plaque on the front to have been built c. 1710.

Apart from Snaresbrook Football Club based there, Nutter Field is also used by Wanstead Cricket Club, Wanstead Central Bowls Club and the Drummond Lawn Tennis Club.





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