Chingford, Waltham Forest, England, United Kingdom

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Chingford is a town in east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London and the ancient county of Essex. Adjoining the edge of Epping Forest, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow to the south, and the River Lea to the west, the town is situated 8.6 miles (13.8 km) north-east of Charing Cross. It contains the areas of Chingford Hatch, Chingford Mount, Friday Hill, Hale End, Highams Park, North Chingford and South Chingford.

The town is part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local government district of Greater London. It was previously a civil parish, urban district and municipal borough, and historically formed an ancient parish in the Waltham hundred of Essex. Similar to much of south-west Essex, the town expanded significantly in the late 19th century, forming part of the conurbation of London. It was included in the Metropolitan Police District in 1840 and became part of London's postal district upon its inception in 1856, with the NE postcode area replaced with E in 1866. The parish was granted urban district status in 1894, and municipal borough status in 1938. Its council was based at Chingford Town Hall until 1965, when the borough of Waltham Forest was created, following reform of local government in London.

History Chingford Station opened 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.

Nearly 250 years later it is still a popular watering hole and has recently been refurbished inside, although the exterior of the building still preserves the character of its early days.

Local districts • Highams Park • Friday Hill • Hale End • Chingford Hatch • Chingford Mount.

Nearest places • Woodford, London • Walthamstow • Edmonton, London • Leyton • Tottenham, London • Buckhurst Hill • Loughton • Sewardstone.

Transport Chingford is served by Chingford railway station - which is in zone 5 - which is the terminus of the London Overground Lea Valley lines from Liverpool Street station in the City of London. Chingford is the only station in Waltham Forest to be within zone 5. There is also a station at Highams Park, in zone 4. Chingford lost its rail link to Stratford with the removal of the 500 m length of track known as the Hall Farm Curve in 1970, and there have been campaigns for its reinstatement.

London Buses routes serving Chingford include 97 to Stratford City, 158 to Stratford, 179 to Ilford, 212 to Walthamstow, 215 to Walthamstow, 313 to Potters Bar, 357 to Whipps Cross, 379 to Yardley Lane Estate, 397 to Debden and the 385, note that both the 397 and 395 terminate at Crooked Billet Sainsbury's, 444 to Turnpike Lane, 505 to Harlow (note that the bus only run on Saturdays). W11 to Walthamstow, W16 to Leytonstone and night route N26 from Trafalgar Square.

Notable people Steve Hillage, guitarist, is from Chingford.