View source for Chingford

{{Short description|Town in east London, England}}
{{For|the former House of Commons constituency|Chingford (UK Parliament constituency)}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox UK place
 | country                  = England
 | region                   = London
 | official_name            = Chingford
 | constituency_westminster = [[Chingford and Woodford Green (UK Parliament constituency)|Chingford and Woodford Green]]
 | post_town                = LONDON
 | postcode_area            = E
 | postcode_district        = E4
 | london_borough           = Waltham Forest
 | dial_code                = 020
 | os_grid_reference        = TQ379935
 | coordinates              = {{coord|51.623|0.009|display=inline,title}}
 | charingX_distance_mi     = 9.2
 | charingX_direction       = SW
 | static_image_name        = {{Photomontage
| photo1a= Chingford Mount (Old Church Road) Chingford - geograph.org.uk - 2638823.jpg
| photo2a = Bull & Crown Chingford (1).jpg
| photo2b = Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge - geograph.org.uk - 1524048.jpg
| photo3a = Station Road, Chingford - geograph.org.uk - 1523789.jpg
| photo3b = Junction of The Green, Kings Head Hill and The Ridgeway, Chingford - geograph.org.uk - 390486.jpg
| spacing = 3
| size = 266
| color = white
| foot_montage = Clockwise from top: Old Church Road in [[Chingford Mount]], [[Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge]], Kings Head Hill and War Memorial, Station Road, and the former Bull & Crown public house}}
 | population               = 70,583
 | population_ref           = ([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 Census]])<ref>Chingford broadly approximates to the 6 northern wards in the London Borough of Waltham Forest: Chingford Green, Endlebury, Hale End and Highams Park, Hatch Lane, Larkswood, and Valley.</ref>
}}
'''Chingford''' is a suburban town in [[East London|east London]], [[England]], within the [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]]. The centre of Chingford is {{convert|9.2|mi|km}} north-east of [[Charing Cross]], with [[Waltham Abbey]] to the north, [[Woodford Green]] and [[Buckhurst Hill]] to the east, [[Walthamstow]] to the south, and [[Edmonton, London|Edmonton]] and [[Enfield, London|Enfield]] to the west. It had a population of 70,583 at the 2021 census.

Historically an [[ancient parish]] in the [[Hundreds of Essex|Waltham hundred]] of Essex. The [[Municipal Borough of Chingford|The parish]] was granted [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] status in 1894, and [[municipal borough]] status in 1938. Its administrative headquarters were at [[Chingford Town Hall]] until 1965 when Chingford merged with Walthamstow and [[Leyton]] to form a new borough, Waltham Forest within [[Greater London]].

==History==
=== Origin and toponymy ===
The first record of the manors of Chingford, is as ''Cingeford'', in 913AD. It was also recorded with the same spelling in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. The meaning of the name is not certain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/D7296921|title=Chingford Doomsday Book entry |publisher=Government National Archives|access-date=8 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Reaney |first=P.H. |title=The Place Names of Essex|date=1969 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=521-07505-X |page=20}}</ref>

It is thought that, similarly to how [[Kingston upon Thames]] appears in Domesday Book of 1086AD as Chingestone and Chingetun(e), with ''ching'' being old English for the king, that Chingford could refer to the King's river, and Kings Ford. There is evidence of King [[Harold Harefoot]] having lived in Chingford and the environs in the 11th century, a date which ties in with the Old English use of "Ching" for King.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Another suggestion is that the settlement's name has its origin as "Shingly Ford"—that is, a ford over a waterway containing shingles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://exploringeastlondon.co.uk/eel/Chingford/Chingford.htm |title=Chingford's Free Art and History |publisher=exploringeastlondon.co.uk |access-date=16 January 2012}}</ref> However, this is likely to be incorrect, as the usage of the placename name "Cingefort" in the Doomsday book predates the coining of the word "Shingle." The earliest known usage of the Middle English word shingle is 1200AD and the word was not used to describe loose stones on a waterway until three centuries later in the 1500s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=shingle |title=Etymology of the word Shingle |publisher=Etymology Online |access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

The ford referred to in the place name may have been a ford used to cross either the [[River Ching]] or the [[River Lea]]. Chingford is close to a number of [[Ford (crossing)|fords]] of the Ching. However, old maps and descriptions give a name for the settlement long before the river has a name and it is likely that the name of the river as "Ching" arose long after the settlement was named. 

The alternative view is that the ford crossed the Lea, and a location near Cook's Ferry has been suggested.<ref>The Place Names of Essex, by PH Reaney, English Place-Name Society, Volume 12 p19</ref> This may be supported by the form ''Chagingeford'' recorded in 1204, which may mean ''the ford of the dwellers by the stumps''. The remains of pile dwellings, covering a considerable area, were found near the mouth of the Ching between 1869 and 1901, when the reservoirs were being built.<ref>The Place Names of Essex, by P.H. Reaney, The English Place name Society, Volume 12, 1935, Reissued 1969</ref>

===Administrative History===
At Domesday, the manors of Chingford are recorded as being in the in the [[Hundreds of Essex|Waltham hundred]] of Essex. Manors were landholdings which initially also had an administrative role. Later the manors would be served by the [[ancient parish]] of Chingford. The civil parish was granted [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|urban district]] status in 1894, and [[municipal borough]] status, as the [[Municipal Borough of Chingford]], in 1938. Its administrative headquarters were at [[Chingford Town Hall]].<ref>{{cite web|year=2009|title=History of Chingford, in Waltham Forest and Essex|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/place_page.jsp?p_id=1066|access-date=23 June 2012|publisher=University Of Portsmouth and others}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|year=2012|title=The parish and borough of Chingford|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42713|access-date=23 June 2012|publisher=University of London & History of Parliament Trust}}</ref>
[[File:Chingford essex 1961.png|thumb|The Municipal Borough of Chingford, 1961]]

The Borough of Chingford's politics were dominated by the Chingford Ratepayers' Association, which was nominally independent, but against whom the Conservative Party did not field candidates.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

In 1965 Chingford merged with the Municipal Boroughs of [[Municipal Borough of Leyton|Leyton]] and [[Municipal Borough of Walthamstow|Walthamstow]] to form a new borough, Waltham Forest, within the new [[Greater London]].

===Epping Forest and the railway===
[[Chingford Station]] opened in 1873 and brought with it a huge increase in visitors to the area, many of whom used the town as a gateway to Epping Forest. The forest was given to the people by Queen Victoria in 1878 under the Epping Forest Act, which ensured it was kept unenclosed for public enjoyment.<ref>'The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5, ed. W R Powell (London, 1966), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp97-114 [accessed 14 November 2025].</ref>

The Royal Forest Hotel opened in 1880, and its location in Ranger's Road meant it soon became popular among day-trippers visiting Epping Forest. It is situated next to the historic Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, which the royal family used while hunting deer in the forest during the 1600s.

===Urbanisation===
The area was almost entirely rural until development began in earnest in the late 19th century.  forming part of the [[conurbation]] of [[London]]. The area was included in the [[Metropolitan Police District]] in 1840 and became part of [[London postal district|London's postal district]] upon its inception in 1856, with the NE postcode area replaced with [[E postcode area|E]] in 1866. The E area was subdivided in 1917 with Chingford approximating to the southern part of E4. Development accelerated after World War I.<ref>'The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5, ed. W R Powell (London, 1966), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp97-114 [accessed 14 November 2025].</ref>

==Geography==
The area covered by the former ancient parish and subsequent Municipal Borough of Chingford includes Chingford Green, [[Chingford Hatch]], [[Chingford Mount]], [[Friday Hill, London|Friday Hill]], North Chingford and [[South Chingford]].<ref>
'The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5, ed. W R Powell (London, 1966), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp97-114 [accessed 14 November 2025].</ref> 

The area of the parish and borough approximates to the southern part of the E4 Postal Area. This also roughly approximates to six Waltham Forest wards that lie north of the North Circular Road.<ref>Local Borough Boundary Commission for England report https://www.lgbce.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/si_2021-000_-_the_lb_waltham_forest_electoral_changes_order_map.pdf</ref> The ward areas north of the North Circular also takes in [[Hale End]] and [[Highams Park]], that were part of the parish and borough of Walthamstow.

The highest point, [[Pole Hill]], has an elevation of 299 feet above seal level.<ref>'The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5, ed. W R Powell (London, 1966), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp97-114 [accessed 14 November 2025].</ref>

Nearby places include:
* [[Woodford, London]]
* [[Walthamstow]]
* [[Edmonton, London]]
* [[Leyton]]
* [[Tottenham, London]]
* [[Buckhurst Hill]]
* [[Loughton]]
* [[Sewardstone]]

==Landmarks==
[[File:Hunting Lodge Chingford.JPG|thumb|left|[[Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge]]]]
One notable local landmark is [[Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/visitor-information/Pages/queen-elizabeths-hunting-lodge.aspx |title=cityoflondon.gov.uk |access-date=6 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812195830/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/visitor-information/Pages/queen-elizabeths-hunting-lodge.aspx |archive-date=12 August 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge">{{cite web |url=http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Local_history_and_heritage/Buildings_outside_the_City/hunting_lodge.htm |title=Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge |publisher=Cityoflondon.gov.uk |date=16 December 2010 |access-date=14 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612205426/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/LGNL_Services/Leisure_and_culture/Local_history_and_heritage/Buildings_outside_the_City/hunting_lodge.htm |archive-date=12 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Originally called the Great Standing, it was built for [[Henry VIII of England|King Henry VIII]] in 1543, and was used as a grandstand to watch the hunting of deer, although it has been heavily altered over time. The building is located on Chingford Plain within [[Epping Forest]] and is open to the public. The lodge is preserved under the Epping Forest Preservation Act.<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Chingford|volume=6|page=233}}</ref>

The King's Head Hotel, on Station Road, dates back to at least the 1730s and it received a boost in trade as more people visited the area. It is still a popular hotel and has recently{{when|date=May 2025}} been refurbished inside, although the exterior of the building still preserves the character of its early days.

Originally a barn built in the mid-19th century, [[Butler's Retreat]], a [[Grade II listed|Grade II listed building]], is one of the few remaining [[Victorian era|Victorian]] retreats within the forest. The building is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and takes its name from the 1891 occupier John Butler. Retreats originally served non-alcoholic refreshments as part of the [[Temperance movement in the United Kingdom|Temperance movement]]. After closing in 2009 the building was refurbished by the [[City of London Corporation]] and re-opened as a cafe in 2012.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120831110048/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest/news/Documents/Forest%20Focus%20Autumn%202011.pdf City of London- Butler's Retreat] Retrieved 25 February 2013</ref>

[[File:Friday Hill House, Chingford, London, UK.jpg|thumb|[[Friday Hill House]]]]
[[Friday Hill House]], Simmons Lane, off [[Friday Hill, London|Friday Hill]], dating from 1839, was a manor house built and owned by [[Robert Boothby Heathcote]], who was both the lord of the manor and rector of the local church. It was he who paid for the building of the church of [[St Peter and St Paul, Chingford|St Peter and St Paul]] in Chingford. He is buried in the Boothby family vault in All Saints' Churchyard (Chingford Old Church), Old Church Road. The vault was purchased by Robert Boothby (died 1733), who lived in the previous manor house. The present building has been used as a further education centre but was put up for sale in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Pages/ServiceChild/Friday-Hill-House-disposal.aspx |title=Waltham Forest Council, Friday Hill House Disposal |access-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705030804/http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Pages/ServiceChild/Friday-Hill-House-disposal.aspx |archive-date=5 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Documents/fhh_sale_particulars_r1.pdf |title=Waltham Forest Council, Friday Hill House Sale Particulars |access-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709110453/http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/Documents/fhh_sale_particulars_r1.pdf |archive-date=9 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Pimp Hall Dovecote is situated in a green area at the bottom of Friday Hill and can be viewed by entering the Pimp Hall Nature Reserve. The [[dovecote]], which had nesting space for 250 birds, belonged to Pimp Hall (originally Pympe's Hall), one of three manor houses around Chingford. In 1838 the estate was taken over and became part of the Chingford Earls estate. The farmhouse associated with it survived until just before World War II. This dovecote is depicted in the [[:File:Millenium Heritage Mosaic on Assembly Hall, Chingford, London, UK.jpg|Millennium Heritage Mosaic]] on the front of Chingford Assembly Hall. It is the fourth item down on the left-hand side of the mosaic.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

[[File:Trig Point and Obelisk, Pole Hill, Chingford - geograph.org.uk - 390420.jpg|thumb|left|Pole Hill Obelisk]]

A granite obelisk at [[Pole Hill]] was erected in 1824 under the direction of the [[Astronomer Royal]], the Rev. John Pond M.A., to mark true north for the telescopes of the Royal Observatory at [[Greenwich]], south of the Thames. It was placed on high ground along the line of the Greenwich Meridian, but when this was recalibrated later in the 19th century, the obelisk was deemed to have been erected {{convert|19|ft|m}} west of the revised meridian line. Today, an adjoining [[triangulation pillar]] marks the modern line.{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
[[File:Chingford Old Town Hall Building, The Ridgeway, Chingford, London, UK.jpg|thumb|alt=Chingford Old Town Hall building, The Ridgeway|[[Chingford Town Hall]], The Ridgeway]]

[[Chingford Town Hall]], dating from 1929, is on The Ridgeway in Chingford. It has more recently been known as the Chingford Municipal Offices. The site was sold to property developers who built blocks of flats on the land and the town hall building was subsequently converted to apartments.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/business/business-property/chingford-municipal-offices-disposal.htm |title=Waltham Forest Council, Chingford Municipal Offices disposal |access-date=19 November 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615061723/http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/index/business/business-property/chingford-municipal-offices-disposal.htm |archive-date=15 June 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gilmartinley.co.uk/getfile.aspx?a=21192&f=&e=&t= |title=Gilmartin Ley, The Old Town Hall, Chingford, London, E4 |access-date=14 September 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731153522/https://www.gilmartinley.co.uk/getfile.aspx?a=21192&f=&e=&t= |archive-date=31 July 2020 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Churches==
[[File:All Saints, Old Church Road, Chingford - geograph.org.uk - 1702067.jpg|thumb|All Saints, Chingford, viewed from the south.]]

[[All Saints, Chingford|All Saints' Church]] in [[Chingford Mount]] (known locally as the Old Church) is a [[listed building|Grade II* listed]] [[Church of England]] church at Old Church Road.<ref name=EnglishHeritage>{{NHLE |num= 1065596|desc= All Saints, Chingford|access-date= 6 September 2014|mode=cs2}}</ref> Parts of the church date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, but it now forms part of the parish of [[St Peter and St Paul, Chingford]], which took over its role as the [[Church of England parish church|parish church]] in 1844. The church stands on the summit of [[Chingford Mount]] and has views westwards towards the reservoirs of the [[Lea Valley]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Pevsner |first=Nikolaus |author-link=Nikolaus Pevsner |date=1951 |title=The Buildings of England: Essex |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pvJNAAAAMAAJ |location=Middlesex |publisher=Penguin Books Limited |page=123 }}</ref> Directly opposite the church is [[Chingford Mount Cemetery]].

The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of Grace & Saint Teresa of Avila is on the corner of Kings Road and Station Road, next to St Mary's Catholic Primary School. The current half-timbered building dates from 1931, on the site of an earlier 1919 church.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=W R |title='The parish and borough of Chingford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 5 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol5/pp97-114 |website=British History Online |access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref>

==Governance and representation==
=== Parliament ===
Chingford is within the [[Chingford and Woodford Green (UK Parliament constituency)|Chingford and Woodford Green]] UK Parliament constituency, which consists of parts of the Boroughs of Waltham Forest and Redbridge. [[Iain Duncan Smith]] has been the sitting MP since 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-iain-duncan-smith/152|title=Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP|publisher=UK Parliament}}</ref>

Former MPs include [[Norman Tebbit]], [[Leah Manning]], [[Stan Newens]], and [[Winston Churchill]] (when Chingford was in the [[Epping (UK Parliament constituency)|Epping constituency]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Chingford and Woodford Green |url=https://www.iainduncansmith.org.uk/about-chingford-and-woodford-green |access-date=2025-01-07 |website=Iain Duncan Smith |language=en}}</ref>

=== Waltham Forest ===
Chingford is part of the [[London Borough of Waltham Forest]], which also includes [[Walthamstow]], [[Leyton]], and [[Leytonstone]]. Chingford consists of six council [[ward (politics)|wards]], namely:

* [[Chingford Green (ward)|Chingford Green]]
* Endlebury
* Valley
* Larkswood
* [[Hatch Lane (ward)|Hatch Lane and Highams Park North]]
* Hale End and Highams Park South

Each ward is represented by three [[councillor]]s, except Endlebury and Highams Park & Hale End South, which each have two. Currently all of the councillors represent the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] except for one Labour councillor in Valley and two in Hale End and Highams Park South. The London Borough of Waltham Forest is presently controlled by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour party]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}

=== London ===
Chingford and Waltham Forest fall within the [[North East (London Assembly constituency)|North East constituency]] of the [[London Assembly]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2013|title=Census 2011: London Assembly Constituency Profiles|url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/bda12eeb-b6ce-430c-be27-adfb1115d8ee|access-date=|website=London Datastore|publisher=GLA Intelligence Unit|page=47}}</ref> represented since 2004 by [[Jennette Arnold]] of the Labour party.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Assembly Members|url=https://www.london.gov.uk/people/assembly|access-date=4 February 2021|website=Mayor of London and London Assembly}}</ref>

==Demography==
As of the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]], the population of Chingford was 70,583, an increase from 66,211 in 2011. The ethnic and cultural diversity of the town significantly increased in the decade between the two censuses, with less than half the town's population (49.1%) now identifying as [[White British]], a fall from 62.7% in 2011, and 80.5% in 2001.

Population figures for Chingford are based on the six wards that comprise the town ([[Chingford Green (ward)|Chingford Green]], Endlebury, Hale End, [[Hatch Lane (ward)|Hatch Lane]], Larkswood and Valley) combined.
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" scope="col" |Ethnic Group
! colspan="2" |1991
! colspan="2" |2001
! colspan="2" scope="col" |2011
! colspan="2" |2021
|-
!Number
!%
!Number
!%
! scope="col" |Number
! scope="col" |%
!Number
!%
|-
! scope="row" |[[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]: Total
!55,746
!92.9%
!52,801
!86.8%
!48,155
!72.7%
!44,583
!63.2%
|-
| scope="row" |White: [[White British|English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British]]
|–
|–
|49,017
|80.5%
|41,511
|62.7%
|34,650
|49.1%
|-
| scope="row" |White: [[White Irish|Irish]]
|–
|–
|1,165
|1.9%
|1,111
|1.7%
|1,178
|1.7%
|-
| scope="row" |White: [[White Gypsy or Irish Traveller|Gypsy or Irish Traveller]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|69
|0.1%
|24
|0%
|-
|White: [[Romani people|Romani]]
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|–
|120
|0.2%
|-
| scope="row" |White: [[Other White|Other]]
|–
|–
|2,619
|4.3%
|5,464
|8.3%
|8,611
|12.2%
|-
! scope="row" |[[British Asian|Asian]]: Total
!1,777
!3%
!2,724
!4.5%
!5,956
!9%
!8,622
!12.2%
|-
| scope="row" |Asian or Asian British: [[British Indians|Indian]]
|685
|1.1%
|844
|1.4%
|1,184
|1.8%
|1,671
|2.4%
|-
| scope="row" |Asian or Asian British: [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani]]
|595
|1%
|989
|1.6%
|2,370
|3.6%
|3,607
|5.1%
|-
| scope="row" |Asian or Asian British: [[British Bangladeshis|Bangladeshi]]
|113
|0.2%
|189
|0.3%
|522
|0.8%
|906
|1.3%
|-
| scope="row" |Asian or Asian British: [[British Chinese|Chinese]]
|134
|0.2%
|206
|0.3%
|328
|0.5%
|502
|0.7%
|-
| scope="row" |Asian or Asian British: Other Asian
|250
|0.4%
|496
|0.8%
|1,552
|2.3%
|1,936
|2.7%
|-
! scope="row" |[[Black British people|Black]]: Total
!2,063
!3.4%
!3,722
!6.1%
!7,166
!10.8%
!8,721
!12.4%
|-
| scope="row" |Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|African]]
|571
|1%
|1,421
|2.3%
|2,724
|4.1%
|3,721
|5.3%
|-
| scope="row" |Black or Black British: [[British African-Caribbean people|Caribbean]]
|1,139
|1.9%
|1,916
|3.1%
|3,281
|5%
|3,838
|5.4%
|-
| scope="row" |Black or Black British: [[Classification of ethnicity in the United Kingdom|Other Black]]
|353
|0.6%
|385
|0.6%
|1,161
|1.8%
|1,162
|1.6%
|-
! scope="row" |[[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]: Total
!–
!–
!1,359
!2.2%
!3,238
!4.9%
!4,641
!6.6%
|-
| scope="row" |Mixed: White and Black Caribbean
|–
|–
|530
|0.9%
|1,291
|1.9%
|1,577
|2.2%
|-
| scope="row" |Mixed: White and Black African
|–
|–
|155
|0.3%
|390
|0.6%
|606
|0.9%
|-
| scope="row" |Mixed: White and Asian
|–
|–
|306
|0.5%
|634
|1%
|990
|1.4%
|-
| scope="row" |Mixed: Other Mixed
|–
|–
|368
|0.6%
|923
|1.4%
|1,468
|2.1%
|-
! scope="row" |Other: Total
!402
!0.7%
!253
!0.4%
!1,696
!2.6%
!4,016
!5.7%
|-
| scope="row" |Other: Arab
|–
|–
|–
|–
|381
|0.6%
|382
|0.5%
|-
| scope="row" |Other: Any other ethnic group
|402
|0.7%
|253
|0.4%
|1,315
|2%
|3,634
|5.1%
|-
! scope="row" |Total
|'''59,988'''
|'''100.0%'''
|'''60,859'''
|'''100.0%'''
|'''66,211'''
|'''100.0%'''
|'''70,583'''
|'''100.0%'''
|}

==Housing==
Chingford was the location of one of the interwar [[London County Council cottage estate]]s.
{{LCC cottage estates}}

==Local sport teams==
* Chingford's oldest football club is Egbertian FC,<ref>[http://www.egbertianfc.com Egbertian FC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208011451/http://egbertianfc.com/ |date=8 February 2011 }} Retrieved 27 February 2013</ref> formerly Old Egbertian FC, which was started by former pupils of St Egbert's College, Chingford. The club was formed in 1928 and is affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance (AFA). The club plays in the [[Amateur Football Combination]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2011}}
* Ridgeway Rovers Youth Football Club is a local club in Chingford East London. Notable former players include [[David Beckham]], [[Andros Townsend]], and [[Harry Kane]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://volunteerteam.london.gov.uk/organizations/index.php?org_id=312|title=Team London - Ridgeway Rovers Football Club|publisher=volunteerteam.london.gov.uk}}</ref>
* Chingford Rugby Club was also founded in 1928, and its ground is at Waltham Way, Chingford.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chingfordrugby.co.uk/ |title=Home &#124; Chingford Rugby Club |publisher=Chingfordrugby.co.uk |date=10 December 2011 |access-date=14 December 2011}}</ref>
* Chingford Cricket Club is located on Forest Side, but the entrance to the ground is on Kimberley Way. It is believed to have been founded in 1884.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chingfordcricketclub.co.uk/history/default.aspx|title=Chingford Cricket Club : history|publisher=www.chingfordcricketclub.co.uk|access-date=24 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221345/http://www.chingfordcricketclub.co.uk/history/default.aspx|archive-date=14 July 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The club plays in The Shepherd Neame Essex League<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.essexcricket.com|title=The Shepherd Neame Essex League|publisher=Essex Cricket}}</ref> and the first team were promoted to the Premier League for the 2013 season.
*Chingford Town Football Club was re-established in 2018 and competes with the local non-league teams of Essex.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

[[File:Lee Valley Reservoirs.jpg|thumb|right|upright|King George's Reservoir, home to the Sailing Club]]
* King George Sailing Club was founded in the 1970s to provide [[dinghy sailing]] and [[windsurfing]] on the largest and best sailing water in the north and east of London. The club enjoys facilities both on and off the water and has an active membership engaged in racing, learning to sail, casual sailing, and windsurfing. In recognition of its good facilities and encouragement of youth sailing, the [[Royal Yachting Association]] has awarded the club Volvo Champion Club status.<ref>[http://www.kgsc.org.uk King George Sailing Club] Retrieved 27 February 2013</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Chingford station building.JPG|thumb|Chingford Station]]
Chingford is served by [[Chingford railway station]] - which is in [[List of stations in London fare zone 5|zone 5]] - which is the terminus of the [[London Overground]] [[Lea Valley lines]] from [[Liverpool Street station]] in the [[City of London]]. Chingford is the only station in Waltham Forest to be within zone 5.
There is also a station at [[Highams Park]], in [[List of stations in London fare zone 4|zone 4]].
Chingford lost its rail link to [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] with the removal of the 500&nbsp;m length of track known as the [[Hall Farm Curve]] in 1970, and there have been campaigns for its reinstatement.

The following [[London Buses]] routes serve Chingford: [[London Buses route 97|97]] Chingford Station to [[Stratford City]], [[London Buses route 158|158]] Chingford Mount to Stratford, [[London Buses route 179|179]] Chingford Station to [[Ilford]], [[London Buses route 212|212]] Chingford Station to [[Walthamstow]] St James St, [[London Buses route 215|215]] Lee Valley Camp Site to Walthamstow Central, [[London Buses route 313|313]] Chingford Station to [[Potters Bar]], [[London Buses route 357|357]] Chingford Hatch to [[Whipps Cross]], [[London Buses route 379|379]] Chingford Station to Yardley Lane Estate, [[Buses in London|385]] Chingford Station to Crooked Billet Sainsbury's, [[London Buses route 397|397]] Crooked Billet Sainsbury's to Debden,  [[London Buses route 444|444]] Chingford Station to Turnpike Lane, [[London Buses route W11|W11]] Chingford Hall Estate to [[Walthamstow]] Central, [[London Buses route W16|W16]] Chingford Mount to [[Leytonstone]] and night route [[London Buses route N26|N26]] [[Victoria, London|Victoria]] to Chingford Station.

==Education==
{{Further|List of schools in Waltham Forest}}

Chingford secondary schools include:
* [[Chingford Foundation School]]
* [[Heathcote School, Chingford|Heathcote School]]
* [[Normanhurst School]]
* [[South Chingford Foundation School]]
* Lime Academy Larkswood

==Notable people==
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2015}}<!--alphabetical order by last name; notable people only-->
* [[Charles W. Alcock|Charles Alcock]], founding father of [[the Football Association]] and creator of the [[FA Cup]], moved to Chingford with his family when he was young.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamPlyrsBios/PlayersA/BioAlcockCW.html |title=England Football Online}}</ref>
* Dame [[Louisa Aldrich-Blake]], notable surgeon and pioneer in medical education for women, was born in Chingford.<ref>{{Cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-30367|title=Blake, Dame Louisa Brandreth Aldrich- (1865–1925), surgeon|last=|first=|date=23 September 2004|language=en|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/30367|access-date=16 February 2019}}</ref>
* [[David Beckham]], former England [[Captain (association football)|captain]], grew up in Chingford from age three.<ref>{{cite news |title=BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, David Beckham |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08bz0rz |access-date=16 March 2019 |work=Desert Island Discs |date=3 February 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Beckham - Working-class boy to Man U | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-jul-09-sp-beckham9-story.html | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | date=9 July 2007 | access-date=9 September 2008 | first=Chuck | last=Culpepper}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Becks opens up about Chingford on Desert Island Discs|url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/15060351.david-beckham-opens-up-about-chingford-on-radio-4s-desert-island-discs/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=East London and West Essex Guardian Series|date=31 January 2017 |language=en}}</ref> He was educated at the [[Chingford Foundation School]] and also Chase Lane Primary School<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2007/08/beckhams_steven_klein?currentPage=2|title=American Idols|publisher=[[W magazine]]|date=1 August 2007|access-date=24 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214155704/http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2007/08/beckhams_steven_klein?currentPage=2|archive-date=14 February 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and played football for Ridgeway Rovers F.C.,<ref>[http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/ridgewayroversfootballclub/David Beckham at Ridgeway Rovers] Retrieved 27 February 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFAVase/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2004/09/BecksBrimsdownBoost.htm The FA - Becks' Brimsdown boost, article from Friday, 24 September 2004] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20041011163715/http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFAVase/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2004/09/BecksBrimsdownBoost.htm |date=11 October 2004 }}, accessed 7 July 2007</ref> a local side.
* Sir [[Winston Churchill]] was MP for [[Epping (UK Parliament constituency)|Epping]], a defunct constituency that included Chingford, from October 1924 to July 1945.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |title=List of MPs |access-date=10 May 2009 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129230526/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ecommons2.htm |archive-date=29 November 2017 }}</ref>
*Sir [[John Dankworth]], [[jazz]] composer, saxophonist, [[Clarinetist|clarinettist]] and writer of film scores, grew up in Highams Park.
* [[Alan Davies]], stand-up comedian and regular guest on the quiz show ''[[QI]]'', grew up in Chingford.<ref>{{cite news |title=On the move: Alan Davies |date=11 July 2008 |first=Garth |last=Pearce |newspaper=The Sunday Times |url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article4396137.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615192103/http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/celebrity/article4396137.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2011 |access-date=10 May 2009 | location=London}}</ref>
* [[Paul Di'Anno]], former lead singer of heavy metal band [[Iron Maiden]], was born and grew up in Chingford.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metal-archives.com/more.php?id=25 |title=Metal-archives.com |publisher=Metal-archives.com |access-date=14 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818040637/http://www.metal-archives.com/more.php?id=25 |archive-date=18 August 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
*Sir [[Iain Duncan Smith]], Conservative MP for Chingford and Woodford Green since 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green|url=https://www.iainduncansmith.org.uk/|access-date=2019-12-26|website=www.iainduncansmith.org.uk}}</ref>
* [[Dwight Gayle]], current Stoke City striker, is from Chingford.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gayle signs permanent deal with Stoke City |url=https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news/gayle-signs-permanent-deal-with-stoke-city/ |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=Newcastle United Football Club |date=22 July 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Peter Greenaway]], film director, grew up in Chingford.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
*Sir [[Peter Harding (RAF officer, born 1933)|Peter Harding]], former [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]], was educated at [[Chingford Foundation School|Chingford County High School]]
* [[Steve Hillage]], guitarist, is from Chingford.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
* [[Harry Kane]], Bayern Munich and England striker, is from Chingford and attended Lime Academy Larkswood and Chingford Foundation School.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Zero to 100 {{!}} By Harry Kane|url=https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/harry-kane-tottenham-zero-to-100|access-date=2020-12-08|website=The Players' Tribune|date=5 February 2018 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-18|title=Hall of Fame|url=https://chingfordpedept.wordpress.com/hall-of-fame/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=CHINGFORD FOUNDATION SCHOOL PE Department|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-03-27|title=One day I'll play for England: London schoolboy's dream is about to|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/one-day-ill-play-for-england-london-schoolboys-dream-is-about-to-come-true-10138435.html|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Evening Standard|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Molyneaux|first=Ian|date=2020-11-15|title=The London school where David Beckham and an Eastenders star were pupils|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/celebs/london-school-harry-kane-david-19283392|access-date=2020-12-08|website=MyLondon|language=en}}</ref>
* Sir [[Jony Ive|Jonathan Ive]], [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] Chief Design Officer, was born in Chingford.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jony Ive {{!}} Biography, Apple, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jonathan-Ive|access-date=2021-01-28|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref>
* The [[Kray twins]], who dominated the London gangland scene during the 1960s, are buried in [[Chingford Mount Cemetery]].<ref name="krayburial">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/953409.stm |access-date=10 May 2009 |title=Kray funeral date set |date=3 October 2000 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
* [[John Lloyd (graphic designer)|John Lloyd]], co-founder of the international design consultancy Lloyd Northover, grew up in Chingford and lived there from 1948 to 1970.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
* Professor [[Alan Mozley]], zoologist, was born in Chingford.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
* [[Graeme Norgate]], composer of video game music, was born and grew up in Chingford.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}
* [[Michael Nyman]], composer of [[minimalist music]], notably film scores, grew up in Chingford.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4VNjLMkPcUQC&q=michael+nyman+stratford&pg=PA15|title=The Music of Michael Nyman: Texts, Contexts and Intertexts|first=Pwyll ap|last=Siôn|date=10 June 2017|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=9781859282106|via=Google Books}}</ref>
* [[Leslie Phillips]], comedy star of the [[Carry On (franchise)|''Carry On'']] films, lived in Chingford.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ex-pupil Phillips opens old school |url=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/1502804.expupil_phillips_opens_old_school/ |publisher=Waltham Forest Guardian |date=27 June 2007 |last=Moyes |first=Johnathon |access-date=10 May 2009 }}</ref>
*[[Peter Sceats]], businessman and political activist was brought up in Chingford.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.petersceats.net |title=Peter Sceats |website=petersceats.net |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240320021106/https://petersceats.net/ |archive-date= Mar 20, 2024 }}</ref> 
* [[Faiza Shaheen]], academic and economist, grew up in Chingford.<ref name=Berrill1>{{cite news |last=Berrill |first=Lewis |date=26 November 2019 |title=Candidates clash at Chingford and Woodford Green election hustings |url=https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/18061105.candidates-clash-chingford-woodford-green-election-hustings/ |work= East London and West Essex Guardian Series|access-date=26 February 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240226070408/https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/18061105.candidates-clash-chingford-woodford-green-election-hustings/ |archive-date= 26 February 2024  }}</ref>
* [[John Sitton]], former Chelsea footballer and Leyton Orient manager, lives in Chingford.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2289147/bio|title=John Sitton - Biography |website=IMDb|language=en|access-date=2019-12-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240321023249/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2289147/bio/ |archive-date= 21 March 2024 }}</ref>
* [[Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji]], composer and pianist, was born in Chingford.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kaikhosru-Shapurji-Sorabji|title=Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji {{!}} British composer|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-12-26}}</ref>
* [[Andros Townsend]], Crystal Palace and England midfielder, attended Rush Croft Sports College and grew up in Chingford.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}
* [[Geoffrey Winters]], composer was born in Chingford and taught music at Larkswood School from 1952.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Chingford}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051118211612/http://www.londonrailways.net/chingfd.htm London's Railways]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070204015548/http://cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/leisure_heritage/architectural_heritage/Buildingsoutsidethecity/hunting_lodge.htm Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081112015053/http://www.chingfordwarmemorial.co.uk/ The Chingford War Memorial Project]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200709102524/http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/nra/searches/searchResults.asp?TownName=Chingford&subjectType=PL&CountyName=London&submit.x=43&submit.y=12 Archival material relating to Chingford] listed at the UK [[National Register of Archives]]
* [https://archive.today/20121223232922/http://viewfinder.english-heritage.org.uk/search/results.aspx?index=0&mainQuery=Chingford&searchType=all&form=basic&theme=&county=&district=&placeName= Images of Chingford] at the [[English Heritage Archive]]
* [http://www.parishofchingford.org.uk/ Chingford Parish (St Peter & St Paul Church; Chingford Old Church)]
* [http://www.achurchnearyou.com/chingford-st-edmund/ St Edmund's Parish Church, Chingford]
* [http://www.stannee4.org.uk/ St Anne's Parish Church, Chingford]

{{LB Waltham Forest}}
{{London Districts}}
{{London Outer Orbital Path | locale=Chingford | back=[[Enfield Lock]] | forward=[[Chigwell]] | A=18 | B=19}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chingford| ]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Cricket in Essex]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Waltham Forest]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]
[[Category:English cricket venues in the 18th century]]