Wanstead
Encyclopedia
Wanstead is a suburban area in the London Borough of Redbridge
, North-East London. The main road going through Wanstead is the A12. The name is from the Anglo-Saxon words wænn and stede, meaning "settlement on a small hill".
The town has a largely suburban feel, containing open grasslands such as Wanstead Flats
, and the woodland of Wanstead Park
(part of Epping Forest
). The park, with artificial lakes, was originally part of the estate of a large stately home Wanstead House, one of the finest Palladian mansions in Britain, from its size and splendour nicknamed the English Versailles
, and the architectural inspiration for Mansion House, London
. It was demolished after the bankruptcy of the owner, William Wellesley-Long, in 1824. It is also home to Wanstead Golf club, which has hosted many of the major events in the Essex County calendar. A notable landmark towards the northern edge of Wanstead is the former Wanstead Hospital
building, now a housing complex. A small annex of the old Burns Unit is now used for research on Flu vaccines and bovine diseases.
Wanstead High Street is distinctive because of its many independent retailers, attracting shoppers from a wide area. Public houses include The George (which began life as the George and Dragon in the 18th century), The Cuckfield and Russells.
Wanstead was a part of the Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford
until 1965, when Greater London
was created.
became rector
of Wanstead. In 1717 the Royal Society
lent Pound Huygens
's 123-foot object-glass, which he set up in Wanstead Park
. Pound's observations with it of the five known satellites of Saturn enabled Halley to correct their movements; and Newton employed, in the third edition of the Principia, his micrometrical measures of Jupiter's disc, of Saturn's disc and ring, and of the elongations of their satellites; and obtained from him data for correcting the places of the comet of 1680. Laplace also used Pound's observations of Jupiter's satellites for the determination of the planet's mass; and Pound himself compiled in 1719 a set of tables for the first satellite, into which he introduced an equation for the transmission of light.
Pound trained his sister's son, James Bradley
, and many of their observations were made together, including the opposition of Mars in 1719, and the transit of Mercury
on 29 October 1723. Their measurement of γ Virginis in 1718 was the first made of the components of a double star
and was directed towards the determination of stellar parallax
.
In 1727, Bradley embarked upon a series of observations using a telescope of his own erected at the rectory in Wanstead, now the site of Wanstead High School
. This instrument had the advantage of a large field of view and he was able to obtain precise positions of a large number of stars that transited close to the zenith over the course of about two years. This established the existence of the phenomenon of aberration of light
, and also allowed Bradley to formulate a set of rules that would allow the calculation of the effect on any given star at a specified date.
There are various local legends explaining this curious plaque, including a tale of the theft of a cherry pie by local workmen who were caught and fined half a guinea
(52.5p). However the most likely explanantion is that it was placed there by the landlord of 1752, David Jersey (corrupted by centuries of repainting and re-cutting the inscription to D Jerry on the plaque), commemorating a feast which included a huge cherry pie. Monstrous pies were a feature of 18th-century Essex rural festivals; the Tollesbury Gooseberry Pie festival is still in existence, and other inns around the edge of Epping Forest were famed for pies (rabbit pie at The Reindeer, Loughton
, now Warren House, and pigeon pie at The King's Head, Chigwell
). Wanstead was well-known for its cherry orchards as late as the 1830s, when they were mentioned by poet Thomas Hood
, who lived in Wanstead 1832-5.
in 1855. The schools at Wanstead provided housing, food, clothing and education for up to 130 children of commercial travellers who had died or became unable to earn their livelihood.
, London
in 1827 before moving to Hermon Hill, Wanstead in 1862. The new building provided for 300 orphans of Merchant Navy
seamen. It moved again to Bearwood
near Wokingham
in 1921. The building then became a convent refuge for women and girls and later Wanstead Hospital
.
), primrose (P. vulgaris
), and meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris), followed by many species including the grass vetchling (Lathyrus nissolia
). The meadow is listed as one of the main Primula species meadows in Greater London. The fauna of the area includes birds, foxes, Muntjac deer, and squirrels.
. There are six primary schools in Wanstead: Wanstead church school, Our Lady of Lourdes, Aldersbrook, Nightingale, Snaresbrook and St. Joseph's which is an all-girls' private school.
Underground stations
The nearest London Underground stations are Snaresbrook
and Wanstead
on the Central Line
.
Nearest railway stations
London Borough of Redbridge
The London Borough of Redbridge is a London borough in outer north-east London. Its administrative headquarters is at Redbridge Town Hall in Ilford. The local authority is Redbridge London Borough Council.-Etymology:...
, North-East London. The main road going through Wanstead is the A12. The name is from the Anglo-Saxon words wænn and stede, meaning "settlement on a small hill".
The town has a largely suburban feel, containing open grasslands such as Wanstead Flats
Wanstead Flats
Wanstead Flats is the southern-most portion of Epping Forest in east London. It is surrounded by the heavily built-up areas of Leytonstone to the west, Wanstead to the north with Manor Park and Forest Gate to the southeast and south respectively. To the north-west it is connected by way of Bush...
, and the woodland of Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park is the name of a grade II listed municipal park covering an area of about 140 acres , located in Wanstead, in the London Borough of Redbridge, historically within the county of Essex...
(part of Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
). The park, with artificial lakes, was originally part of the estate of a large stately home Wanstead House, one of the finest Palladian mansions in Britain, from its size and splendour nicknamed the English Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, and the architectural inspiration for Mansion House, London
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
. It was demolished after the bankruptcy of the owner, William Wellesley-Long, in 1824. It is also home to Wanstead Golf club, which has hosted many of the major events in the Essex County calendar. A notable landmark towards the northern edge of Wanstead is the former Wanstead Hospital
Wanstead Hospital
Wanstead Hospital was a former NHS hospital situated on Hermon Hill in Snaresbrook, not far from Wanstead in north-east London.-History:The building was originally built as the Merchant Seamans' Orphan Asylum in 1861. In 1919 it became a convent, and the building was later taken over by Essex...
building, now a housing complex. A small annex of the old Burns Unit is now used for research on Flu vaccines and bovine diseases.
Wanstead High Street is distinctive because of its many independent retailers, attracting shoppers from a wide area. Public houses include The George (which began life as the George and Dragon in the 18th century), The Cuckfield and Russells.
History
The name Wanstead is first recorded about 1050.Wanstead was a part of the Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford
Municipal Borough of Wanstead and Woodford
Wanstead and Woodford was a local government district from 1934 to 1965 in southwest Essex, England. A merger of two former urban districts, it was suburban to London and part of the Metropolitan Police District.-Background:...
until 1965, when Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
was created.
Astronomy
In 1707 the astronomer James PoundJames Pound
-Life:He was the son of John Pound, of Bishop's Canning, Wiltshire, where he was born . He matriculated at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, on 16 March 1687; graduated B.A. from Hart Hall on 27 February 1694, and M.A...
became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Wanstead. In 1717 the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
lent Pound Huygens
Huygens
Huygens is a Dutch patronymic surname, meaning "son of Hugo". People with the name Huygens include:People* Constantijn Huygens , Dutch poet and composer...
's 123-foot object-glass, which he set up in Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park
Wanstead Park is the name of a grade II listed municipal park covering an area of about 140 acres , located in Wanstead, in the London Borough of Redbridge, historically within the county of Essex...
. Pound's observations with it of the five known satellites of Saturn enabled Halley to correct their movements; and Newton employed, in the third edition of the Principia, his micrometrical measures of Jupiter's disc, of Saturn's disc and ring, and of the elongations of their satellites; and obtained from him data for correcting the places of the comet of 1680. Laplace also used Pound's observations of Jupiter's satellites for the determination of the planet's mass; and Pound himself compiled in 1719 a set of tables for the first satellite, into which he introduced an equation for the transmission of light.
Pound trained his sister's son, James Bradley
James Bradley
James Bradley FRS was an English astronomer and served as Astronomer Royal from 1742, succeeding Edmund Halley. He is best known for two fundamental discoveries in astronomy, the aberration of light , and the nutation of the Earth's axis...
, and many of their observations were made together, including the opposition of Mars in 1719, and the transit of Mercury
Transit of Mercury
A transit of Mercury across the Sun takes place when the planet Mercury comes between the Sun and the Earth, and Mercury is seen as a small black dot moving across the face of the Sun....
on 29 October 1723. Their measurement of γ Virginis in 1718 was the first made of the components of a double star
Double star
In observational astronomy, a double star is a pair of stars that appear close to each other in the sky as seen from Earth when viewed through an optical telescope. This can happen either because the pair forms a binary star, i.e...
and was directed towards the determination of stellar parallax
Stellar parallax
Stellar parallax is the effect of parallax on distant stars in astronomy. It is parallax on an interstellar scale, and it can be used to determine the distance of Earth to another star directly with accurate astrometry...
.
In 1727, Bradley embarked upon a series of observations using a telescope of his own erected at the rectory in Wanstead, now the site of Wanstead High School
Wanstead High School
Wanstead High School , formerly Wanstead County High School, is a co-educational, non-denominational, comprehensive high school in Wanstead, London, United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
. This instrument had the advantage of a large field of view and he was able to obtain precise positions of a large number of stars that transited close to the zenith over the course of about two years. This established the existence of the phenomenon of aberration of light
Aberration of light
The aberration of light is an astronomical phenomenon which produces an apparent motion of celestial objects about their real locations...
, and also allowed Bradley to formulate a set of rules that would allow the calculation of the effect on any given star at a specified date.
The George Public House
Although The George is not a particularly old building, there has been a pub on that site for hundreds of years. Set in to the side of the pub is a plaque dating from 1752 which was formerly part of an older pub building. The plaque is inscribed with the eccentrically spelled verse:- In Memory of
- Ye Cherry Pey
- As cost 1/2 a Guiney
- Ye 17 of July
- That day we had good cheer
- I hope to so do maney a Year
- R C 1752 D Jerry
There are various local legends explaining this curious plaque, including a tale of the theft of a cherry pie by local workmen who were caught and fined half a guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
(52.5p). However the most likely explanantion is that it was placed there by the landlord of 1752, David Jersey (corrupted by centuries of repainting and re-cutting the inscription to D Jerry on the plaque), commemorating a feast which included a huge cherry pie. Monstrous pies were a feature of 18th-century Essex rural festivals; the Tollesbury Gooseberry Pie festival is still in existence, and other inns around the edge of Epping Forest were famed for pies (rabbit pie at The Reindeer, Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
, now Warren House, and pigeon pie at The King's Head, Chigwell
Chigwell
Chigwell is a civil parish and town in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located 11.6 miles north east of Charing Cross. It is served by two London Underground stations and has a London area code.-Etymology:According to P. H...
). Wanstead was well-known for its cherry orchards as late as the 1830s, when they were mentioned by poet Thomas Hood
Thomas Hood
Thomas Hood was a British humorist and poet. His son, Tom Hood, became a well known playwright and editor.-Early life:...
, who lived in Wanstead 1832-5.
Royal Commercial Travellers Schools
The Royal Commercial Travellers Schools were founded in 1845 by John Robert Cuffley, first in Wanstead, moving to PinnerPinner
- Climate :Pinner's geographical position on the far western side of North West London makes it the furthest London suburb from any UK coastline. Hence the lower prevalence of moderating maritime influences make Pinner noticeably warmer in the spring and the summer compared to the rest of the capital...
in 1855. The schools at Wanstead provided housing, food, clothing and education for up to 130 children of commercial travellers who had died or became unable to earn their livelihood.
The Royal Merchant Navy School
The Royal Merchant Navy School was founded in St George in the EastSt George in the East
St George in the East is an Anglican Church and one of six Hawksmoor churches in London, England, built from 1714 to 1729, with funding from the 1711 Act of Parliament...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1827 before moving to Hermon Hill, Wanstead in 1862. The new building provided for 300 orphans of Merchant Navy
Merchant Navy
The Merchant Navy is the maritime register of the United Kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of UK-registered ships and their crews. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency...
seamen. It moved again to Bearwood
Bearwood College
Bearwood College is a secondary co-educational independent school located at Bearwood House at Sindlesham, near Wokingham, in the English county of Berkshire. Before the 1990s, it was the Royal Merchant Navy School.-History of the house:...
near Wokingham
Wokingham
Wokingham is a market town and civil parish in Berkshire in South East England about west of central London. It is about east-southeast of Reading and west of Bracknell. It spans an area of and, according to the 2001 census, has a population of 30,403...
in 1921. The building then became a convent refuge for women and girls and later Wanstead Hospital
Wanstead Hospital
Wanstead Hospital was a former NHS hospital situated on Hermon Hill in Snaresbrook, not far from Wanstead in north-east London.-History:The building was originally built as the Merchant Seamans' Orphan Asylum in 1861. In 1919 it became a convent, and the building was later taken over by Essex...
.
Local flora and fauna
An area near the A12 M11 Link Road (which was built in the 1990s) beside the section from Blake Hall Road to Selsdon Road was in 2008 preserved by local residents as a Wild-Flower Meadow with a year-round display of wild and naturalised plants, shrubs and trees; starting in spring with oxlip (P. elatoir), cowslip (Primula verisPrimula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
), primrose (P. vulgaris
Primula vulgaris
Primula vulgaris is a species of Primula native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia...
), and meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris), followed by many species including the grass vetchling (Lathyrus nissolia
Lathyrus nissolia
Lathyrus nissolia or Grass Vetchling is a plant species of the genus Lathyrus. It is native to the British Isles and North West Europe....
). The meadow is listed as one of the main Primula species meadows in Greater London. The fauna of the area includes birds, foxes, Muntjac deer, and squirrels.
Education
Wanstead is home to a large comprehensive school, Wanstead High SchoolWanstead High School
Wanstead High School , formerly Wanstead County High School, is a co-educational, non-denominational, comprehensive high school in Wanstead, London, United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
. There are six primary schools in Wanstead: Wanstead church school, Our Lady of Lourdes, Aldersbrook, Nightingale, Snaresbrook and St. Joseph's which is an all-girls' private school.
Transport and locale
Nearest places- Snaresbrook
- RedbridgeRedbridge, LondonRedbridge is a district of Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge in north-east London. It is home to Redbridge Institute of Adult Education and Redbridge Football Club.-Etymology:...
- South Woodford
- Walthamstow
- Leyton
- Manor ParkManor Park, LondonManor Park is the name of an area in the London Borough of Newham, as well as of the local railway station and cemetery. There is another railway station - Woodgrange Park...
- Leytonstone
Underground stations
The nearest London Underground stations are Snaresbrook
Snaresbrook tube station
Snaresbrook station is a London Underground station on the Central Line, located in Snaresbrook.The station is in Zone 4, between Leytonstone and South Woodford tube stations.-History:...
and Wanstead
Wanstead tube station
Wanstead tube station is a London Underground station in Wanstead, on the Hainault loop of the Central Line. It is in Zone 4.Construction of the station had started in the 1930s, but was delayed by the onset of World War 2. Wanstead was not opened until December 14, 1947...
on the Central Line
Central Line
The Central line is a London Underground line, coloured red on the tube map. It is a deep-level "tube" line, running east-west across London, and, at , has the greatest total length of track of any line on the Underground. Of the 49 stations served, 20 are below ground...
.
Nearest railway stations
- Wood Street railway stationWood Street railway stationWood Street railway station is in Walthamstow, now part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest in north east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 4, and the station and all trains are operated by National Express East Anglia...
for London Liverpool Street stationLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
on the Lea Valley LinesLea Valley LinesThe Lea Valley Lines are three commuter lines and two branches in North East London, so named because they run along the valley of the River Lea...
route. - Leytonstone High Road railway stationLeytonstone High Road railway stationLeytonstone High Road station is a railway station in Leytonstone, London in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, between and . It has two platforms that are elevated approximately 20 feet above ground level, each of which contains a metal shelter, covered but...
Notable residents
- Charles BresseyCharles BresseySir Charles Herbert Bressey CB, CBE was a civil engineer and surveyor who specialised in road design. Bressey was Chief Engineer for Roads at the Ministry of Transport from 1921 to 1938...
, civil engineer - Anne Cassidy, Carnegie award nominated teen author.
- Robert DudleyRobert Dudley, 1st Earl of LeicesterRobert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
, Earl of Leicester and favourite of Elizabeth I, had a house here, in which he died, much to Elizabeth's intense sorrow, on 4th September 1588, three days before the Queen's 55th birthday. - Thomas HoodThomas HoodThomas Hood was a British humorist and poet. His son, Tom Hood, became a well known playwright and editor.-Early life:...
, the poet. - Peter Goddard, physicist and journalist.
- William PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, the Quaker. - James PoundJames Pound-Life:He was the son of John Pound, of Bishop's Canning, Wiltshire, where he was born . He matriculated at St. Mary Hall, Oxford, on 16 March 1687; graduated B.A. from Hart Hall on 27 February 1694, and M.A...
, astronomer. - Max RaisonMax RaisonMaxwell Raison was an English cricketer. Rasion was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm medium pace. He was born at Wanstead, Essex and educated at Forest School, Walthamstow....
(1901-1988), cricketer - Richard Sheridan, the dramatist. Sheridan lived in the right hand house of the Georgian Terrace in the High Street near to the George. For many years now there has been single storey shop premises built in the front garden of the house
- Mark Stephens (solicitor)Mark Stephens (solicitor)Mark Howard Stephens CBE is a British solicitor specialising in media law, intellectual property rights and human rights with the firm Finers Stephens Innocent...
- Lawyer, mediator, writer & broadcaster - Jessie WallaceJessie WallaceJessie Wallace is an English actress best known for her portrayal as Kat Moon in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Early life:...
, Actress. Lived in Wanstead until late 2006. - Tom WattTom Watt (actor)Thomas Erickson "Tom" Watt is an English radio presenter, journalist and actor, who is best known for playing the role of Lofty Holloway in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.-Acting career:...
- Actor