The main thoroughfare, Leytonstone High Road, is part of an ancient highway from Epping to London, on the borders of Epping Forest. A small hamlet at Leytonstone has existed since the early 14th century, when it formed part of the parish of Leyton in the county of Essex. The name Leytonstone was originally ‘Leyton-atte-Stone' and comes from a distance marker called the "High Stone". The High Stone, which stands at the junction of Hollybush Hill (the A1199 road from Woodford) and New Wanstead (the A113 road from Woodford Bridge), near the eastern boundary of the parish, is a restored 18th-century obelisk set up on an earlier stump, which has been traditionally described as a Roman milestone, possibly marking an extension of the Roman road from Dunmow to Chigwell into London.[2] 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"
Other Roman archaeological features have been found in the Leyton area. "There was a Roman cemetery south of Blind Lane, and massive foundations of some Roman building, with quantities of Roman brick, were discovered in the grounds of Leyton Grange."[3]
In 1722, author Daniel Defoe travelled through "Layton-stone, a place by some known, now as much, by the sign of the Green-Man". Leytonstone was one of the villages, along with Stratford, Leyton and Woodford which Defoe described as being desirable country retreats for wealthy merchants and financiers, within an easy ride of the City.[4]
19th Century
Leytonstone remained largely rural until the opening of the railway at Leytonstone station in 1856, which gave quick and easy access to Stratford and central London. This, combined with the increased availability of office and industrial work had transformed the area into a suburban dormitory town by the end of the 19th century.
However, the forest land in the north and east of Leytonstone escaped development following a prolonged public campaign, when the Epping Forest Act 1878 preserved more than 200 acres (80 hectares) of open space for public use.[2]
In 1898 the department store, Bearmans was opened by Frank Bearman. Selling furniture and clothing it was the first store outside central London to have an escalator.
20th Century
In the 1960s there was a problem of congestion around the shopping streets in Leytonstone,[2] so a one way system was introduced. 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 policy, Roads for Prosperity, being abandoned.[5]
Leytonstone tube station is in Zone 3 on the Central line of the London Underground, and serves as the last stop before the line splits into two, dividing into the Fairlop Loop and the branch out to Epping (Zone 6). Since 2016, night tube trains run on Friday and Saturdays on the Central line, approximately every 10 minutes between White City and Leytonstone.[7] A series of tiled mosaics commemorating local director, Alfred Hitchcock, line the entrance passages to the tube station.[8]
Leytonstone High Road is a separate London Overground railway station, some 10 mins walk from the tube station, serving the line known colloquially as The GoBlin (Gospel Oak to Barking). This line was recently prepared for electrification ready for the introduction, by the end of 2018, of new longer trains offering an additional 30 per cent capacity.
At the southern end of Leytonstone lies Maryland station – soon to be a Crossrail station, with works to prepare the station for Elizabeth Line services set to complete in summer 2018. This section of the Elizabeth Line between Shenfield in Essex and Liverpool Street is due to begin operating in late 2019
Leytonstone is located close to the foot of the M11 motorway to Cambridge but within the ring formed by the North Circular and South Circular Roads. The Mayor of London has announced that the capital’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will be expanded up to the North and South Circular boundary in 2021.[9]
Davies Lane Primary School. First opened in 1901 as a boarding school. In 1948 it became a junior and infants school, merging into a single primary in 2004. One of its most famous old boys is the TV chat show host, Jonathon Ross. In 2014 it was rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
George Tomlinson Primary School
Gwyn Jones Primary School
Mayville Primary School
Buxton School, an all-through school for ages 3–16 and Specialist Science College
St John the Baptist's Church, Leytonstone – Grade II listed. Built in 1832 and consecrated in 1833, landmark church at junction of High Road Leytonstone and Church Lane.[10] The churchyard is host to the regular vintage Stones Throw Market and Hitchcock's Home screenings [11]of Alfred Hitchcock Films on 30ft outdoor screen as part of the annual Leytonstone Festival.The Temple, Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park lies to the eastern border. The former grounds of Wanstead House, it includes ornamental lakes, a Temple style folly and grotto.
Leytonstone House, 18th century former home of Sir Edward Buxton, a former MP and conservationist who, with his brother, played amajor part in protecting Epping, Hainault and Hatfield forests. Grade II Listed building. From 1868–1936 Bethnal Green School for the juvenile poor
Leytonstone Library – Grade II* listed art deco building, built in 1934 to the design of James Ambrose Dartnall. Listed in 2014. Underwent £1.5M refurbishment which completed in 2015.[12]
Overseen by City of London Corporation, 60 football pitches – including 8 full size – are located on Wanstead Flats and amateur football teams from Leytonstone play every Sunday.
Leytonstone Leisure Centre in Cathall Road, consists of a state-of-the-art gym on 2 floors, 25m main pool, teaching pool, 2 badminton court sports halls, fitness class studios, an indoor soft play area for under 6's.[13]
Damon Albarn Blue Plaque, Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone
Damon Albarn, singer-songwriter and musician, born in Fillebrook Road, Leytonstone. A blue plaque was erected in 2014. In the same year he performed an impromtu performance of Parklife at the Red Lion pub in Leytonstone High Road.[14]
Cornelius Cardew, composer.Blue Plaque to Fanny Cradock (which misspells her name), Fairlop Road, LeytonstoneCarly Cole, model, fitness trainer and wife of footballer Joe Cole.
Fanny Cradock, TV chef and cookery writer, born in Fairlop Road, Leytonstone.[15]
Graham Gooch OBE, cricketer, former captain of the England cricket team.
Steve Harris, founder and bassist of the band Iron Maiden.Hitchcock The Director mosaicSite of 517 High Road Leytonstone London (Birthplace of Alfred Hitchcock)
Sir Alfred Hitchcock, film director, born and raised in the area; the entrance to Leytonstone tube station has a number of mosaics depicting scenes from his films. Adjacent to the site of his birth at 517 Leytonstone High Road, the building has been painted with a large mural of birds which are repeated in the pavement outside as a nod to Hitchcock's famous film, The Birds. The pub at 692 Leytonstone High Road was similarly renamed "The Birds" in his honour.
In The Bed-Sitting Room (1969), Spike Milligan created the (fictional) closest heir to the British throne after the outbreak of nuclear war as "Mrs. Ethel Shroake" of 393A High Street, Leytonstone. She appears in the final scene of the play.
Deep End, a 1970 horror film, was partly shot at the old Cathall Road Baths in Leytonstone.[17]
Telephone subscribers of Upper Leytonstone whose lines were originally connected to Walthamstow manual telephone exchange objected to being given numbers on the LEYtonstone automatic exchange, as Leytonstone was a place they considered distinctly unfashionable. The Post Office therefore gave them KEYstone telephone numbers, but these were hypothetical – both LEY and KEY were (are) 539 in numeric terms.[19]