Walk down St Mary Road opposite the station. Church Path and reach Vestry House Museum.
Old Walthamstow has a rich history that began on a hill before gradually shifting downhill towards the railway. It was formed by the combination of five small villages, with Vestry House acting as the original town hall where local affairs were discussed. In 1795, Squire’s almshouses were constructed, followed by Orford House and The Chestnuts in the early 19th century.
The village saw significant development within two decades after the enclosure of Church Common in 1850, including the establishment of a new Nag’s Head on Orford Road. By 1870, it had grown into a small suburb, prompting the construction of a town hall in Orford Road, a National School, traditional shops, and cafes to manage the village’s affairs.
The arrival of the railway station encouraged further development southwards, preserving the village’s heritage for future generations.
Vestry House, originally built in 1730 as the Walthamstow workhouse and later used for vestry meetings, became a police station, then the headquarters of the Walthamstow Literary and Scientific Institute, and finally a museum of local history in 1931. It now houses the borough’s archives and local studies library.
Church End to the Ancient House, a timber-framed hall believed to have been constructed in 1435, has served various domestic and commercial purposes over the centuries. Extensive restoration and reconstruction of the oak frame were undertaken due to chronic decay in 2000.
Along the walk, you can also see the old parish church of St Mary the Virgin, parts of which date back to the 13th century, Vinegar Alley, named for sanitizing the soil after a plague pit was dug, and the Almshouses founded by George Monoux in 1527, which later became the school relocated to Chapel End.
George Monoux, a notable figure from Walthamstow, was a member of the Drapers Company, Lord Mayor of London in 1514, and a local benefactor. He purchased land for the almshouses and a school that bears his name.
Navigate to God’s Own Junkyard.
Back to Church Hill and east along it is Walthamstow Market, which began in 1885 and remains the longest daily outdoor market in Europe, spanning approximately one kilometer.
Far end of the High Street and you’re on Blackhorse Road. Walk right a long way to the station.