History of Waltham Cross

Eleanor Monument

The resting place of Queen Eleanor during her funeral procession was known as Waltham and the location was already known to Edward l as he, like former kings, hunted in Waltham Forest. The abbey was built 350 years earlier, during the reign of King Harold. When Edward died at Burgh on The Sands in Cumbria his body was kept at the Abbey for five weeks before its interment at Westminster Abbey in London.

It is believed that the location chosen for the monument was a hamlet a mile away from Waltham. It was a main road at a crossroad point where travellers would be able to view it from several directions.

In 1720, Stamford Vicar William Stukeley, made a drawing of the monument at Waltham Cross and presented it to the newly founded Society of Antiquaries. They undertook works to protect it from the increasing traffic.

In 1795, Sir George Prescott tried to have it moved to Theobalds Park, but failed after official intervention.

The first major restoration took place in 1833 by WB Clark, but these improvements lasted just 50 years and further work was required in the 1880s.

Eleanor Cross Road was bombed during World War Two, and although the monument didn’t suffer a direct hit it was damaged by the resulting tremors. Following the war, in 1950 a major restoration took place. The statutes were relocated briefly to Cheshunt library and for a time they were stored in Cedars Park conservatory before being loaned long term to the Victoria and Albert Museum for safe keeping. Hertfordshire County Council took over the responsibility of the Eleanor monument in 1906.

In 1989, the County Council undertook further restoration. Pigeon droppings were cleaned off and grime and carbon was mostly removed. The detailed areas were cleared with tiny brushes and where further damage would be caused by the removal of the carbon, it was left as a protective barrier. Netting was added to prevent further bird damage.

Falcon Hotel

Originally licensed in 1617 to William Foster, The Falcon Hotel became a coaching inn around the mid-1700s. Owing to its proximity to London it was used by the Royal Mail Coach for changing horses. The hotel at this time had a gantry similar to that of the Four Swannes. The gap between the hotel and the Eleanor monument was so small that the roof actually touched one of the statues. Therefore in 1889 the old building was demolished and rebuilt, leaving a roadway between the hotel and the monument. The Inn continued trading during this period of refurbishment. The Inn was demolished in 1974 to make way for a new development in the town centre.

Four Swannes Public House

The Four Swannes pub was known as The Swan in medieval times and it was claimed that the pub was established in 1260. The gantry beside the pub dated from around 1606. The swans were added around after 1858 and were made of elm. The gantry was used for advertising, such as in 1912 when it was used to advertise a garage and cars for hire. In the 1960s, the Four Swans Public House was demolished as part of the redevelopment of the town centre and the construction of the Pavilions shopping centre and multi-story car park. The gantry and swans which stood beside the pub remained. The original swans are now on display in Lowewood Museum and fibreglass replicas were installed in their place.

Churches and their schools

St Joseph’s Church

In 1861 a new mission was established in Waltham Cross by the Revered George Bampfield in Eleanor Road. Originally a house with a school attached, it later served as a church. The present building designed by T. H. B. Scott was built in 1931 on the site. St Joseph’s Church is a brick stripped Romanesque style building. Over the years a number of improvements have taken place within the church. In 2011 a new hall was built at its rear.

Christ Church

When the church was originally built it was known as Trinity Chapel and as a chapel of ease to St. Mary's in Cheshunt. In 1855, it became the parish church of Waltham Cross and changed its name to Holy Trinity Church. In 1974, a Sharing Agreement was entered into with the Methodist Church and the building was renamed Christ Church. Holy Trinity School was built behind the church in 1841 for infants and girls. A separate room for boys was added later – with teachers’ cottages between the two to separate the girls and boys! They were not taught together until 1947. The school was too small for the number of pupils and after a number of delays, including the Second World War, the new school in Longlands Close on playing fields and allotments opened in 1952. The site of the old school became the head office of the electrical retailer Rumbelows and later, following its demise, the building was converted into flats.

Almshouses

At the south of the town, once stood Spital Almshouses. This was a building were sick and infirm people were cared for by the parish. They were re-modelled in 1903 as part of the coronation celebration of Edward VII but were demolished in 1979 to enable the construction of the M25. At this time it was found that the building had earlier foundations dated back to Tudor times.

Fishpools*

Fishpools is a successful family run retailer based in Waltham Cross. It considers itself to be the south east's largest quality furniture store with a 62,000sq ft showroom and is now being run by the fourth generation of the Fishpool family. Established in 1899 by Ernest Fishpool, the shop originally sold clothes as well as furniture. In 1906 Ernest sought larger premises owing to the success of the store and moved the business to its current location of 115 High Street. Many expansions and refurbishments later, Fishpools continues to provide quality furniture, home furnishings plus more to the region and it plays a key role in the town.

*Images courtesy of Fishpools Ltd Travel in the town centre

The number 79 Metropolitan Tramway network electric tramline ran from Waltham Cross to Smithfield, London from 1904, terminating just south of the Eleanor monument. In 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board took over the tramline and in 1938 replaced the trams with trolley buses (anecdotally known as the ‘silent killer’). Two lines ran; the 659 to Holborn and the 679 to Smithfield. To accommodate them a new terminus was built in Eleanor Cross Road. This change resulted in wires encircling the Eleanor monument with buses needing to negotiate tight corners. The service ended in 1961 and the wires were removed. The service was replaced with Routemaster diesel buses.

In 1964 a traffic management scheme was introduced including a one-way system, to ease congestion in the town centre. A relief road known as Monarch’s Way was built in the 1980s. This reduced the through traffic and the area was partially pedestrianised in the early 1990s.

Boundaries

In 1725 the parliament, under George l, brought in legislation to improve the condition of the main highways. This resulted in the establishment of the Cheshunt Turnpike Trust which would use funds raised to repair and maintain the road from the parish of Enfield to Wadesmill near Ware. A turnpike tollgate was built at the boundary between Enfield and Waltham Cross initially at Waltham Lane (now Eleanor Cross Road), and it was later moved to the Enfield/Waltham Cross border. Turnpike cottages take their name from this structure.

A further one was built at the northern end of the town in Marsh Lane (now renamed Trinity Lane). This was removed when Theobalds Station was built in the 1890s. It is likely that the Wheatsheaf public house was built around this time, partly to serve train travellers. Tickets for the toll were sold for 3d (Threepence) for 100 and the system operated until the 1860s.

Cinema

The Regent

Now the home of Eternal Youth Beauty Spa, the Regent cinema was originally known as The Electric Palace. It opened in October 1913 with 600 seats. Through the 1920s it was known as ‘The Palace’. It was sold to the Shipman and King circuit in 1931. Following refurbishment it re-opened as The Regent in October 1931 with an additional 100 seats. It closed it 1972 and was converted into a Mecca Bingo Hall. It closed in 1986 and was demolished in 1987.

The Embassy

The Art Deco styled cinema opened in November 1937. It was built for the Shipman and King circuit which operated the Regent Cinema over the road. It had a small stage and a Christie organ relocated from the Court Cinema, Berkhamsted. It was refurbished in 1972 and upgraded to a three- screen cinema. A fourth screen was added later. It was closed in 1993, the screens were removed and The Gala Bingo Club took over its use. It was closed in January 2017. It is now due for re-development. Bakers and Sweeps

The Bakers and Sweeps football match, now played on Boxing Day on the playing field in Waltham Cross, started in the early 1900s to raise funds for the Cheshunt Cottage Hospital located in Church Lane, Cheshunt, in 1889. Through the years funds have also been raised for hospitals in neighbouring districts. During the game players dressed as bakers or chimney sweeps play with a number of different sized balls. Flour and soot is used alongside stocks for misdemeanours.

Notable People

Novelist Antony Trollope was living in Ireland but felt it would be beneficial as an author to be closer to London. He became a surveyor for the Post Office and lived in Waltham House from 1859 to 1871. Trollope introduced the pillar box (the free-standing post box) to Britain in 1855, initially with five sage green ones in London. It was in 1874 that they were painted red. Waltham House later became a convent but was demolished in 1936 when Abbey Road was built across the rear garden. A number of shops and the Moon and Cross public House now stand on the site.

Harry Webb, better known as the singer Cliff Richard, attended Kings Road JMI. His family lived in Waltham Cross briefly after returning from India where he was born, before moving to Bury Green Road in Cheshunt. King Road JMI was burned down in 1976 and replaced with the Four Swannes Primary School which was built on its playing field.

EastEnders actor Bill Treacher lived in York Road and worked as a porter at Waltham Cross railway station.

White Water Centre

A new centre was built to host the 2012 Olympics. Situated beside the River Lee, it was the only new venue to open ahead of the games. Since the Olympic Games it has been enlarged and visitors can now enjoy the terrace café, live music on a Friday evening and in the summer a beach. Specialist events have also been held at the venue such as Christmas fairs.

Park Plaza and News UK

In March 2008, News International (News UK) moved its printing works from Wapping to a purpose built site north of the M25 and west of the town centre. As one of the world’s largest print works (covering 23 acres), it produces a number of publications including The Times and The Sun on its 12 printing presses at a rate of 86,000 papers per hour.

Odd facts

• The workhouse for the parish of Cheshunt was situated at Waltham Cross • The first public toilet in the town was built between 1926 and 1929 • Swanfield Road took its name from a large common known as ‘swan field’ • Holdbrook was formerly known as Waltham new town. The estate was built in 1860 and built as a result of the invention of gun cotton at the Waltham Abbey gunpowder mills and the need for more labour.

Modern day Waltham Cross town centre