Waltham Abbey (town)
| Waltham Abbey | |
|---|---|
 The Abbey Church from Highbridge Street |
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 Waltham Abbey
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| Waltham Abbey shown within Essex | |
| Population | 21,149 (whole civil parish) |
| OS grid reference | TL385005 |
| Civil parish | |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | EN9 |
| Post town | WALTHAM ABBEY |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Dialling code | 01992, 020 |
| EU Parliament | East of England |
| UK Parliament | |
Waltham Abbey is a suburban market town within the Epping Forest District of Essex in England, with a population of about 20,400. It is located 15 miles north-northeast of central London, and is in the Greater London Urban Area. It is on the Greenwich Meridian, between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east. The town is situated immediately north of the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Waltham Abbey takes its name from the Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross, a scheduled ancient monument that was prominent in the town's early history. The town is within the large civil parish of Waltham Abbey which was known as Waltham Holy Cross until 1974. The parish has a town council and is twinned with the German town of Hörstel.
The name Waltham derives from weald or wald "forest" and ham "homestead" or "enclosure". The name of the ancient parish was Waltham Holy Cross, but the use of the name Waltham Abbey for the town seems to have originated in the 16th century, although there has often been inconsistency in the use of the two names. Indeed, the former urban district was named Waltham Holy Cross, rather than Waltham Abbey.
There are traces of prehistoric and Roman settlement in the town. Ermine Street lies only 5 km west and the causeway across the River Lea from Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire may be a Roman construction. A local legend claims that Boudica's rebellion against the Romans ended in the neighbourhood, when she poisoned herself with hemlock gathered on the banks of Cobbins Brook.
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Wikipedia