Walthamstow: Great for couples and singles alike

Walthamstow, located in the E17 postcode, is a district in the north-east London borough of Waltham Forest.

It is 6.4 miles north-east of Charing Cross, showing its close proximity to the city, as well as being close to the countryside, with Epping Forest nearby.

Walthamstow is, according to upmystreet.com's neighbourhood snapshot, a very multi-cultural area, which suits singletons, couples and families.

Most people living in the area are under-40s, the majority of whom rent, rather than having their own mortgage. It has a relatively high number of people educated to degree level residing there, with most of them working in managerial or clerical roles.

Transport

Due to the urban location of Walthamstow, most people choose not to travel by car and instead opt for walking, using the Tube or taking other forms of public transport.

Walthamstow Central London Underground station is located on the Victoria line, putting it within easy reach of King's Cross St Pancras, as well as Oxford Circus.

There are also a number of bus routes which run from the area, with night buses such as the N26 running to Trafalgar Square and N73 to Victoria Bus station offering easy access to the City of London.

Schools

When it comes to primary and secondary schools, there are a number of good choices within less than a one-mile radius of Walthamstow.

Pupils at Greenleaf Primary School, St Mary's Walthamstow CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Edinburgh Primary School and Henry Maynard Junior School all achieve higher than the national average scores in their English, Maths and Science Key Stage 2 Sats exams.

In terms of secondary institutions, there are four achieving more than the national average of 51 per cent of students gaining five or more A* to C grades, with 69 per cent of pupils at Walthamstow School for Girls scoring highly.

Things to do

The high street in Walthamstow is still dominated by its market, which started all the way back in 1885, and takes up all but 100m of the road. It is open five days a week – not on Sundays or Mondays.

There is also a regular farmers' market on a Sunday, while a French market also comes into town on occasion.

While there are top-league football clubs nearby, Walthamstow boasts local side Waltham Forest FC, which was established in 1995 when Walthamstow Penant and Leyton FC merged. Footy fans might want to head to a midweek match at the club's Cricklewood Stadium in Ilford.

Those who like a bit of culture in their lives will have the Vestry House Museum and the William Morris Gallery right on their doorsteps.

The first was opened as a museum in 1931 and boasts a very interesting history as it was built as a workhouse, has been a police station and was once a private house.

Meanwhile, the latter, due to reopen next year with some great new exhibitions, boasts a tea room, dedicated learning space and some great William Morris works.

For lovers of the countryside, Epping Forest is the place to go. It is the largest public open space in the London area, boasting an impressive 6,000 acres which stretches all the way from Manor Park in East London through to Essex.

Published 29th July, 2011

© 2011 Estates IT Limited