London’s Highams Park stands as a prime neighborhood for comfortable living in 2024. The Sunday Times praised this area for its abundant housing options with desirable amenities.
Highams Park was characterized as a vibrant community surrounded by greenery and trees, benefiting from convenient access to the Liverpool Street to Chingford Overground route. Its recognition as one of the best places to reside in London during 2024, as determined by the Sunday Times, underscores the area’s overall appeal and high quality of life.
Highams Park: A Residential District in London Borough of Waltham Forest
Highams Park is a delightful neighborhood located in the Waltham Forest area of London, England. This captivating district sits near the lovely Epping Forest, a beautiful natural wonder. Highams Park lies just 8.1 miles (13 km) northeast of the famous Charing Cross landmark in central London. Despite its proximity to the bustling city center, this enchanting locale retains a distinct charm and intriguing past.
Throughout the centuries, Highams Park has evolved from a modest rural hamlet into a vibrant urban community.
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Highams Park Features
Once a part of Essex county, Highams Park has a strong historical connection to Walthamstow parish and municipal borough. Over time, it has evolved into a predominantly residential neighborhood, characterized by its picturesque Victorian and 1930s terraced houses.
Highams Park offers a peaceful and serene atmosphere, making it an ideal place for families and individuals seeking a tranquil living environment. The district’s proximity to nature, with Epping Forest nearby, adds to its allure, providing residents with opportunities for outdoor recreation and leisure activities. With its blend of history, natural beauty, and residential charm, Highams Park continues to be a beloved community within the vibrant tapestry of London.
Connection of Highams Park and School in Waltham Forest
To the north of Waltham Forest is a district hub called Highams Park. Highams Park School, a secondary academy with a focus on sports and technology, is located there. The school, which aims to restore and improve its facilities to accommodate 1,500 students, is a component of Waltham Forest’s revitalization initiatives. The Highams Park Academy Trust, which oversees the Highams Park School, is looking for feedback on its suggested admission policies for 2022–2023.
Schools in Waltham Forest
Primary Schools
Waltham Forest holds several primary schools. They aim to educate young kids. Handsworth Primary School provides education. So does Selwyn Primary School, previously split into Infants and Juniors. Ainslie Wood Primary School is in South Chingford. Oak Hill Primary School is in Hale End. Thorpe Hall School is in Walthamstow. These schools welcome children in their earliest years.
Secondary Schools
Highams Park School, once Sydney Burnell School, is a big secondary school nearby. It’s for students aged 11 to 16. It also has a sixth form college for 16 to 18-year-olds. The school is both a Technology College and a Sports College. This lets it offer many educational opportunities.
Special Schools
Joseph Clark School teaches blind and partially sighted pupils. It provides primary and secondary education. The school tailors education to students’ needs. It ensures proper support and tools aid their learning.
Library
Hale End Library in Highams Park is vital to the community. It’s located on The Avenue. From January to July 2007, the library got refurbished. The changes aimed to enhance the library’s facilities and services for users.
Sports and Recreation in Highams Park
Highams Park has two big sports grounds: Jubilee Sports Ground and Rolls Park.
The Jubilee Sports Ground used to be called Truman’s Sports Ground. It’s off The Avenue and owned by Waltham Forest Council now. Lots of soccer teams use it to train and play matches. There’s grass fields and astro-turf pitches. But you can’t just go there, only teams can use it. Rolls Park is bigger and open to everyone though. Football and cricket happen on the fields there. There’s also tennis courts and a small gym near the fields. Plus there’s a bar/clubroom owned by the West Essex football and cricket clubs. So it has a fun, social feel to it.
As well as the sports grounds, there’s another tennis club called Whitehalls on Larkshall Road. Tennis fans can enjoy playing there.
At Highams Park Lake, kayakers from The Scout Association go out on the pretty lake. So water sports lovers get to enjoy the outdoors here too.
Highams Park and Highams Park Lake
Highams Park
The area named “The Highams Park” is usually called “Highams Park Field,” “The Field,” “The Park,” or simply “The Lake” by locals. This park sits mainly on a hill, sloping down toward its north end. It draws diverse visitors like dog walkers, runners, and families seeking fun activities. Inside the park are a cafe for refreshments and a playground for kids.
Highams Park Lake
Located west, Highams Park Lake enhances the area’s charm. Though London Borough of Waltham Forest maintains the park, the City of London Corporation owns the lake. Landscape gardener Humphry Repton created the lake by damming the River Ching. Historically, the lake, park, and Manor House (now Woodford County High School) were known as Highams Bensted.
The lake spans roughly 450 meters long and 80 meters wide at its broadest point. A boat house constructed by Kenneth Robert John Ford sits at the southern end, used by Waltham Forest South Scouts. The northern end narrows and shallows, often drying to mud in summer. Though the River Ching flows nearby, it doesn’t directly feed the lake; instead, a small outflow from the south end connects to the river.
A small island inhabited by nesting swans adds natural beauty. Large rocks near the top, believed strategically placed by Humphry Repton, enhance the lake’s aesthetic. While a public toilet block once stood on the east side, it’s now demolished, leaving only foundations.
Public Transport at Highams Park
Station at Highams Park
There is a train station in Highams Park. It is a part of the London Overground Chingford branch. This railway line, which is a section of the Lea Valley lines, runs from London Liverpool Street to Chingford. For locals and commuters, the station is an essential center for transit.
There is a level crossing close to the station where the railway line travels through Highams Park. The only place in Highams Park where cars are allowed to drive across the tracks is at this crossing. Prior to 2002, a signalman positioned in the conventional signal box next to the crossing controlled the level crossing. Local criticism was aroused, though, when operations were moved to a central office at Liverpool Street station in 2002.
“The Highams Park Forum,” a group of locals, spearheaded efforts to save the historic signal box, with assistance from then-Member of Parliament Iain Duncan Smith. The signal box was preserved from demolition in order to be converted into a tea room or museum. The signal box was reopened in 2017 as LaBoite, a crêperie, giving a distinctive touch to the neighborhood’s history.
Buses
Highams Park is well served not only by the railway but also by a number of London Buses routes, such as school route 675, W16, 212, and 275. These bus routes connect locals to neighboring locations and make traveling within the town easier. They offer handy public transportation options.
FAQs
What are the admission requirements for Highams Park School?
Getting accepted into Highams Park School asks for five GCSE subjects with at least Grade 4 scores.
Furthermore, the admission rules have extra priorities if too many want in for Year 7 next year – like who lives closest or has siblings already enrolled.
