93-534: Holyfield may refer to: Holyfield, Essex , a hamlet in Waltham Abbey parish, England Holyfield (surname) , a surname (including a list of people with the name) See also [ edit ] Hollyfield (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Holyfield . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
186-553: A thegn and a native of Sussex. Godwin began his political career by supporting King Edmund Ironside (reigned April to November 1016), but switched to supporting King Cnut by 1018, when Cnut named him Earl of Wessex. Godwin remained an earl throughout the remainder of Cnut's reign, one of only two earls to survive to the end of that reign. On Cnut's death in 1035, Godwin originally supported Harthacnut instead of Cnut's initial successor Harold Harefoot , but managed to switch sides in 1037 – although not without becoming involved in
279-461: A belfry . In 2008 the congregation moved to a more modern building, and sold the former building to an Evangelical Free church . Waltham Abbey has one senior non-League football club, Waltham Abbey F.C. which plays at Capershotts. Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( c. 1022 – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II , was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king . Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at
372-562: A county review order in 1934, an area of 58 acres with a population of 23 (in 1931) was transferred to Chingford Urban District . The Enfield Island Village area was transferred from Waltham Abbey to the London Borough of Enfield in 1994. Over the centuries many channels have been dug to divide the River Lea and drain the westernmost land. These channels flow southward across Cheshunt Marsh and part of Waltham Abbey parish; As of
465-530: A prior or dean . In 1184, this was enlarged so that Waltham became an abbey with an abbot and twenty-four canons, which grew to be the richest monastery in Essex. The town grew to the west and south of the abbey. In 1189, the town was chartered by Richard the Lionheart to host regular markets and fairs. The market continues to run today, and is held at the town's market square on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In
558-488: A cousin, Beorn . In 1049, Harold was in command of a ship or ships that were sent with a fleet to aid Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor against Baldwin V, Count of Flanders , who was in revolt against Henry. During this campaign, Sweyn returned to England and attempted to secure a pardon from the king, but Harold and Beorn refused to return any of their lands, and Sweyn, after leaving the royal court, took Beorn hostage and later killed him. In 1051, Edward appointed an enemy of
651-548: A fish. The recorded history of the town began during the reign of Canute in the early 11th century when his standard-bearer Tovi or Tofig the Proud, founded (or rebuilt) a church here to house the miraculous cross discovered at Montacute in Somerset . It is this cross that gave Waltham the earliest suffix to its name. After Tovi's death around 1045, Waltham reverted to the King ( Edward
744-619: A grave in Bosham Church was refused by the Diocese of Chichester in December 2003, the Chancellor having ruled that the chances of establishing the identity of the body as Harold's were too slim to justify disturbing a burial place. The exhumation in 1954 had revealed the remains of a man in a coffin. "[It] was made of Horsham stone, magnificently finished, and contained the thigh and pelvic bones of
837-424: A hermit at Chester or Canterbury. Harold's son Ulf, along with Morcar and two others, were released from prison by King William as he lay dying in 1087. Ulf threw his lot in with Robert Curthose , who knighted him, and then disappeared from history. Two of Harold's other sons, Godwine and Edmund, invaded England in 1068 and 1069 with the aid of Diarmait mac Máel na mBó ( High King of Ireland ) but were defeated at
930-581: A man thought to represent Harold. When the Witan convened the next day they selected Harold to succeed, and his coronation followed on 6 January, most likely held in Westminster Abbey , though limited but persuasive evidence from the time survives to confirm this, in the form of its depiction in the Bayeux Tapestry (shown above left). Although later Norman sources point to the suddenness of this coronation,
1023-706: A need to defend against the threat from King Magnus the Good of Norway. It is possible that Harold led some of the ships from his earldom that were sent to Sandwich in 1045 against Magnus. Sweyn, Harold's elder brother, had been named an earl in 1043. It was also around the time that Harold was named an earl that he began a relationship with Edith the Fair , who appears to have been the heiress to lands in Cambridgeshire , Suffolk and Essex , lands in Harold's new earldom. The relationship
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#17328511246341116-410: A powerfully built man of about 5ft 6in in height, aged over 60 years and with traces of arthritis." It was suggested that the contents of the coffin had been opened at a much earlier date and vandalised, as the skull was missing and the remaining bones damaged in a way that was inconsistent with decomposition post mortem . The description of the remains is not unlike the fate of the king, recorded in
1209-531: A ready wit and a variety of excellent qualities. But what availed so many valuable gifts, when good faith, the foundation of all virtues, was wanting?" Due to a doubling of taxation by Tostig in 1065 that threatened to plunge England into civil war, Harold supported Northumbrian rebels against his brother, and replaced him with Morcar . This led to Harold's marriage alliance with the northern earls but fatally split his own family, driving Tostig into alliance with King Harald Hardrada ("Hard Ruler") of Norway. At
1302-544: A role as kingmaker , helping to secure the English throne for Edward the Confessor. In 1045, Godwin reached the height of his power when the new king married Godwin's daughter Edith. Godwin and Gytha had several children – six sons: Sweyn , Harold, Tostig , Gyrth , Leofwine and Wulfnoth (in that order); and three daughters: Edith of Wessex (originally named Gytha but renamed Ealdgyth (or Edith) when she married King Edward
1395-530: A solid line resembling a spear being held overhand matching the manner of the standing figure currently depicted with an arrow to the eye; while stitch marks for where such a spear may have been removed can be seen in the Tapestry. In 1816, Charles Stothard was commissioned by the Society of Antiquaries of London to make a copy of the Bayeux Tapestry. He included in his reproduction previously damaged or missing parts of
1488-436: A story described by Edward Freeman as "plainly mythical", before the battle a single man rode up alone to Harald Hardrada and Tostig. He gave no name, but spoke to Tostig, offering the return of his earldom if he would turn against Hardrada. Tostig asked what his brother Harold would be willing to give Hardrada for his trouble. The rider replied "Seven feet of English ground, as he is taller than other men." Then he rode back to
1581-576: Is Waltham Cross , on the Lea Valley lines , around 25 minutes from London Liverpool Street and 30 minutes from Stratford . It is in London fare zone 7 and a mile from the town centre at neighbouring Waltham Cross. It opened in 1840 as "Waltham" and was named "Waltham Cross and Abbey" in 1894, but reverted to "Waltham Cross" in 1969. The station is planned for inclusion on Crossrail 2 . Other nearby railway stations include Chingford and Cheshunt , also on
1674-452: Is a 17th-century timber framed and plastered building. It was given by Edward Denny, 1st Earl of Norwich to create the first curacy, but was much altered in the 18th century and later, and was more recently architecturally Grade II*listed . In the early 19th century the church held three Sunday services, including one in the evening for the local factory workers. In 1862, Holy Communion was celebrated monthly and attended by about 100. In
1767-603: Is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex , within the metropolitan and urban area of London , England , 13.5 miles (21.7 km) north-east of Charing Cross . It lies on the Greenwich Meridian , between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east, with large sections forming part of the Metropolitan Green Belt . The town borders Chingford to
1860-701: Is based at Waltham Abbey Town Hall on Highbridge Street. Waltham Abbey has formed part of the Epping Forest parliamentary constituency since 1974, represented by Dr Neil Hudson MP of the Conservative Party since 2024 . Prior to 1974, the town formed part of the Epping constituency, served by Sir Winston Churchill as its Member of Parliament between 1924 and 1945. Other previous MPs include Dame Eleanor Laing , Steve Norris , John Biggs-Davison , and Norman Tebbit . The ancient parish of Waltham Holy Cross
1953-459: Is killed") a figure standing below the inscription is currently depicted gripping an arrow that has struck his eye. This, however, may have been a late 18th or early 19th century modification to the Tapestry. Some historians have questioned whether this man is intended to be Harold or if the panel shows two instances of Harold in sequence of his death the figure standing to the left of the central figure commonly thought to be Harold, and then lying to
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#17328511246342046-566: Is much of Epping Forest , maintained by the City of London Corporation ; entirely within it is the village of High Beach . In the south is Gilwell Park , which since 1919 has formed an important site for the worldwide Scout movement . Following the course of the River Lea along the town's western boundary with Hertfordshire and historic Middlesex is the Lee Valley Regional Park , where
2139-442: Is much speculation about this voyage. The earliest post-conquest Norman chroniclers state that King Edward had previously sent Robert of Jumièges , the archbishop of Canterbury, to appoint as his heir Edward's maternal kinsman, Duke William II of Normandy , and that at this later date, Harold was sent to swear fealty . Scholars disagree as to the reliability of this story. William, at least, seems to have believed he had been offered
2232-461: Is now Le Touquet . William arrived soon afterward and ordered Guy to turn Harold over to him. Harold then apparently accompanied William to battle against William's enemy, Conan II, Duke of Brittany . While crossing into Brittany past the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel , Harold is recorded as rescuing two of William's soldiers from quicksand . They pursued Conan from Dol-de-Bretagne to Rennes , and finally to Dinan , where he surrendered
2325-458: The 2021 census , the population of Waltham Abbey was 22,859, an increase from 21,149 in 2011. The majority of the population (82%) resides in the main built-up area, which had a 2021 population of 18,647. The 2021 census showed that 74.6% of the civil parish population identified as White British . 63.8% of the civil parish population was Christian at the 2011 census, with 25.3% declaring themselves irreligious . Minority religious groups include
2418-597: The Battle of Hastings in 1066, Harold's body was brought to Waltham for burial near to the High Altar. Today, the spot is marked by a stone slab in the churchyard (originally the site of the high altar before the Reformation). In 1177, as part of his penance for his part in the murder of Thomas Becket , Archbishop of Canterbury , Henry II refounded Harold's church as a priory of Augustinian Canons Regular of sixteen canons and
2511-579: The Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman Conquest . Harold's death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England . He was succeeded by William the Conqueror . Harold Godwinson was a member of a prominent Anglo-Saxon family with ties to Cnut the Great . He became a powerful earl after the death of his father, Godwin, Earl of Wessex . After his brother-in-law, King Edward
2604-608: The Battle of Northam in Devon in 1069. In 1068, Diarmait presented another Irish king with Harold's battle standard. Some Eastern Orthodox Christians controversially view King Harold as a saint, though he has not been officially glorified ( canonised ) by the Orthodox Church. Supporters of Harold's sainthood view him as a potential Martyr or Passion Bearer. Among English-speaking Orthodox Christians there has been some interest in creating iconography and localised veneration. Harold
2697-758: The Carmen de Hastingae Proeliormen , that says Harold was buried by the sea. The location of the grave, at Bosham Church, is also consistent with William of Poitiers' description as it is only a small distance from Chichester Harbour and in sight of the English Channel . There were legends of Harold's body being given a proper funeral years later in Waltham Abbey Church in Essex , which he had refounded in 1060. Legends also grew up that Harold had not died at Hastings but instead fled England or that he later ended his life as
2790-672: The Lee Valley White Water Centre hosted the canoe slalom events of the London 2012 Olympic Games . For over 300 years, the Royal Gunpowder Mills on the Millhead Stream were in operation, where many of the processes used in the explosives industry were invented and developed; it today forms a scheduled ancient monument site with many listed buildings , and is a site of special scientific interest . Historically an ancient parish named Waltham Holy Cross in
2883-644: The Loughton post town of the IG postcode area , and the Sewardstone and Gilwell Park areas to the southwest are within the E postcode area of the London post town . The main settlement in the parish is the town of Waltham Abbey, and the other smaller settlements are the hamlets of Claverhambury, Fishers Green , Holyfield, High Beach , Sewardstone and Upshire . Claverhambury consists of approximately 15 homes and farms by two woods, Deerpark Wood and Stockings Grove, to
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2976-550: The Muslim and Jewish populations, forming 1.7 and 1.1 percent of the population respectively. The medieval Waltham Abbey Church was kept as it was close to a town and is still used as a parish church. In addition there are other remains of the former abbey – the Grade II*listed Midnight Chapel, the gatehouse, a vaulted passage and Harold's Bridge – all in the care of English Heritage . These grounds are notable for
3069-590: The Waltham Holy Cross Urban District . The urban district council built itself the Town Hall in 1904 to serve as its headquarters. Following the Local Government Act 1929, in 1932 it was proposed that it should be merged with Chingford to form a new urban district of 'Chingford and Waltham Abbey'. The amalgamation was supported by Chingford Urban District Council but was not supported by
3162-477: The Waltham hundred of Essex, it became a local government district in 1850, and was granted urban district status in 1894. The town was granted a charter to host a regular market by Richard I in 1189, and it remains a market town . Whilst the use of the name Waltham Abbey for the town dates back to the 16th century at the earliest, it never officially had that name until 1974, when the successor parish covering
3255-459: The 1036 murder of Alfred Aetheling , half-brother of Harthacnut and younger brother of the later King Edward the Confessor . When Harold Harefoot died in 1040, Harthacnut ascended the English throne and Godwin's power was imperiled by his earlier involvement in Alfred's murder, but an oath and large gift secured the new king's favour for Godwin. Harthacnut's death in 1042 probably involved Godwin in
3348-488: The 11th century, and was rebuilt and re-founded by King Harold Godwinson , the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, in 1060. It is believed to be Harold's final resting place after his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Open to the public as Waltham Abbey Gardens, the grounds of the abbey and Cornmill Meadows are maintained by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority . Along the town's eastern edge
3441-402: The 17th century there were four churchwardens (who fulfilled some roles of local government, collected and distributing poor relief): one each for the town, Holyfield, Upshire, and Sewardstone. Joseph Hall , curate from 1608, was later Bishop successively of Exeter and Norwich. A complete diocesan list of curates was printed to 1888 and Thomas Fuller , author of The Worthies of England and of
3534-460: The 7th century. Traces of the flint rubble foundations of a 7th-century wooden church have been found under the choir of the present building; an associated burial has been radiocarbon dated to between 590 and 690. A proposed date of circa 610 would place its construction in the reign of Sæberht of Essex , who was noted for his church-building activities. Other finds included a 7th-century Kentish jewellery book-clasp depicting eagles grasping
3627-579: The American city of Waltham in Middlesex County , Massachusetts , 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 usually given as "Waltham Holy Cross" in civil matters and "Waltham Abbey" in ecclesiastical matters. The use of the name Waltham Abbey for the main settlement in
3720-511: The Battle of Hastings, the pregnant Ealdgyth had been collected, from London, by her brothers, the Northern earls, Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria , and taken to Chester for safety. It is not known what happened to her thereafter. Some historians have suggested that Harold and Ealdgyth's union was childless, others ascribe two children to Ealdgyth, named Harold and Wulf/Ulf . Because of
3813-500: The Confessor ), who gave it to the Earl Harold Godwinson (later king). Harold rebuilt Tovi's church in stone around 1060, in gratitude it is said for his cure from a paralysis, through praying before the miraculous cross. Waltham's people used the abbey as their parish church, and paid their tithes , worked the glebe as well any of their lord's land, and paid other dues to the canons. Legend has it that after his death at
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3906-497: The Confessor , died without an heir on 5 January 1066, the Witenagemot convened and chose Harold to succeed him; he was probably the first English monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey . In late September, he successfully repelled an invasion by rival claimant Harald Hardrada of Norway in York before marching his army back south to meet William at Hastings two weeks later. Harold
3999-520: The Confessor), Gunhild and Ælfgifu. The birthdates of the children are unknown. Harold was aged about 25 in 1045, which makes his birth year around 1020. Edith married Edward on 23 January 1045 and, around that time, Harold became Earl of East Anglia . Harold is called "earl" when he appears as a witness in a will that may date to 1044; but, by 1045, Harold regularly appears as an earl in documents. One reason for his appointment to East Anglia may have been
4092-523: The Crooked Mile. Holyfield consists of approximately 11 homes and farms and is mostly on the western slopes of Monkham's Hill, near the top of which is situated Monkham's Hall. Seven buildings in the hamlet are architecturally listed . In the west are plant nurseries above lakes of the River Lea, and an arboretum and tree nursery separate the hamlet from the town to the south. It is located at grid reference grid reference TL385035 . Following
4185-471: The English coast on a hunting and fishing expedition and had been driven across the English Channel by an unexpected storm. There is general agreement that he left from Bosham , and was blown off course, landing at Ponthieu. He was captured by Count Guy I of Ponthieu , and was then taken as a hostage to the count's castle at Beaurain , 24.5 km (15.2 mi) up the River Canche from its mouth at what
4278-616: The Godwins as Archbishop of Canterbury and soon afterwards drove them into exile, but they raised an army which forced the king to restore them to their positions a year later. Earl Godwin died in 1053, and Harold succeeded him as Earl of Wessex, which made him the most powerful lay figure in England after the king. In 1055, Harold drove back the Welsh, who had burned Hereford . Harold also became Earl of Hereford in 1058, and replaced his late father as
4371-719: The Greater London Conurbation, the urban district formed part of the review area for the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London . However, it did not subsequently become part of the Greater London administrative area created in 1965, because it was surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt and had limited connection to the London built-up area. The urban district was abolished in 1974 to become part of
4464-655: The King were found near him and Harold himself, stripped of all badges of honour, could not be identified by his face but only by certain marks on his body. His corpse was brought into the Duke's camp, and William gave it for burial to William, surnamed Malet, and not to Harold's mother, who offered for the body of her beloved son its weight in gold. For the Duke thought it unseemly to receive money for such merchandise, and equally he considered it wrong that Harold should be buried as his mother wished, since so many men lay unburied because of his avarice. They said in jest that he who had guarded
4557-552: The Lea Valley and parts of the former Abbey Gardens are now in the care of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority for recreational use and nature conservation. The Epping Forest Conservation Centre in High Beach provides information, maps, books, cards, displays and advice for visitors to the area. There are no mainline or tube stations in Waltham Abbey itself, although there are several located nearby. The nearest mainline station
4650-679: The Lea Valley lines. The nearest London Underground station is Loughton , on the Central line . Local bus services were historically operated by London Buses , but are now run by various commercial operators. In 2024, the London Assembly agreed a motion calling on Transport for London to restore service between Waltham Abbey and neighbouring Chingford. Several local routes provide services to Cheshunt, Epping, Harlow, Loughton, and Waltham Cross, with operators including Arriva Herts & Essex and Central Connect. The M25 motorway runs through
4743-510: The Saxon host. Hardrada was impressed by the rider's boldness, and asked Tostig who he was. Tostig replied that the rider was Harold Godwinson himself. On 12 September 1066, William's fleet sailed from Normandy. Several ships sank in storms, which forced the fleet to take shelter at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and to wait for the wind to change. On 27 September, the Norman fleet set sail for England, arriving
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#17328511246344836-575: The Waltham Holy Cross Urban District Council, who feared increased rates and the potential loss of the annual fair and market. The lack of a direct rail connection between the districts was also highlighted. The review resulted in no amalgamation, and only a small transfer of territory from Waltham Holy Cross to Chingford following a county review order in 1934. As it formed part of the Registrar General's definition of
4929-430: The area was extensively covered in glass-houses and market gardens . Gravel extraction has also long been a major industry in the Lea Valley , leaving a legacy of pits now used for recreation and an important wildlife habitat. In 1959–60 all of the church's houses and land were converted to stock or bank investments. No rectory has existed – the benefice before becoming the present vicarage serving four churches in
5022-450: The battle of Hastings, contains a report of Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow, but this may be an early fourteenth-century addition. The sources for how Harold met his death are contradictory, thus modern historians have not been able to produce a definitive story without finding something that will compromise any hypothesis. In the panel of the Bayeux Tapestry with the inscription "Hic Harold Rex Interfectus Est" ("Here King Harold
5115-464: The chronology it is likely that the boys would have been twins and born after the demise of their father. Another possibility is that Ulf was the son of Edith the Fair. There is a tradition that Edith the Fair took the broken body of her husband Harold Godwinson to the Church at Waltham Holy Cross to be buried. What happened to her after 1066, is not known. Also, after their defeat at the Battle of Northam
5208-556: The civil parish of Waltham Abbey had a population of 22,859. The town is named and renowned for its former abbey , the last in England to be dissolved , now the Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence —a scheduled ancient monument and the town's parish church . A place of worship since the 7th century, it became a place of pilgrimage following the Legend of the Holy Cross in
5301-434: The coast with such insensate zeal should be buried by the seashore. Another source states that Harold's widow, Edith the Fair , was called to identify the body, which she did by some private mark known only to her. Harold's strong association with Bosham , his birthplace, and the discovery in 1954 of an Anglo-Saxon coffin in the church there, has led some to suggest it as the place of King Harold's burial. A request to exhume
5394-422: The county boundary with Hertfordshire , is the town's western boundary, and the eastern boundary runs through Epping Forest. The land rises gradually from the marshes and meadows by the river to a small plateau of london clay in the east, 60–90 metres above sea level , capped in the highest parts by the sand and gravel of Epping Forest. On the river the elevations range from 22m in the northwest to 13.5m in
5487-493: The development of the Royal Gunpowder Mills (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage ) through interactive and traditional exhibitions and displays. The site hosts living history and battle re-enactment events most summer weekends and also offers a self-guided nature walk that shows visitors the ecology that has reclaimed much of the remaining 175 acres (0.71 km ). The former gravel pits in
5580-452: The end of 1065, King Edward the Confessor fell into a coma without clarifying his preference for the succession. He died on 5 January 1066, according to the Vita Ædwardi Regis , but not before briefly regaining consciousness and commending his widow and the kingdom to Harold's "protection". The intent of this charge remains ambiguous, as is the Bayeux Tapestry, which simply depicts Edward pointing at
5673-578: The first History of Waltham Abbey , was curate 1649–58. In the 17th century, a gunpowder factory was opened in the town, no doubt due to good river communications and empty marshland by the River Lea and this now forms the museum below. The factory was sold to the government in 1787 and was greatly expanded during the next century, becoming the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills . In the 19th century, searches began for more powerful and reliant propellant explosives , and guncotton
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#17328511246345766-475: The focus of opposition to growing Norman influence in England under the restored monarchy (1042–66) of Edward the Confessor, who had spent more than 25 years in exile in Normandy . He led a series of successful campaigns (1062–63) against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd , king of Wales . This conflict ended with Gruffydd's defeat and death in 1063. In 1064, Harold was apparently shipwrecked at Ponthieu . There
5859-502: The following day at Pevensey on the coast of East Sussex. Harold's army marched 240 miles (390 kilometres) to intercept William, who had landed perhaps 7,000 men in Sussex , southern England. Harold established his army in hastily built earthworks near Hastings . The two armies clashed at the Battle of Hastings, at Senlac Hill (near the present town of Battle ) close by Hastings on 14 October, where after nine hours of hard fighting, Harold
5952-564: The former Waltham Holy Cross Urban District was named Waltham Abbey. It was included in the Metropolitan Police District in 1840, and the London postal district upon its inception in 1856. It formed part of the review area for the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London , but did not become part of the Greater London administrative area in 1965. Its administrative headquarters have been at Waltham Abbey Town Hall since 1904. The town most likely gives its name to
6045-635: The fortress's keys at the point of a lance . William presented Harold with weapons and arms, knighting him. The Bayeux Tapestry , and other Norman sources, then state that Harold swore an oath on sacred relics to William to support his claim to the English throne. After Edward's death, the Normans were quick to claim that in accepting the crown of England, Harold had broken this alleged oath. The chronicler Orderic Vitalis wrote of Harold that he "was distinguished by his great size and strength of body, his polished manners, his firmness of mind and command of words, by
6138-487: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Holyfield&oldid=895819920 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Holyfield, Essex 51°41′05″N 0°00′01″E / 51.6846°N 0.0004°E / 51.6846; 0.0004 Waltham Abbey
6231-632: The medieval and early Tudor periods , there were two guilds in the parish, each with an endowment for a priest: the Brotherhood of Our Lady, and the Charnel Guild, whose priest was also the parish curate. The former, which existed from at least 1375, occupied the Lady Chapel in the parochial part of the church. The Charnel Guild, which occurs as 'the Sepulchre' in 1366, probably used its crypt. Henry VIII
6324-413: The middle of the parish and can be accessed east of the town at Junction 26 via Honey Lane or the rural relief road, the A121 directly south of the motorway. The north-west of the parish contains part of the Lee Valley Park . Most of the parish, and the majority of its population, are within the Waltham Abbey post town of the EN postcode area . However, lightly populated parts to the south are within
6417-477: The mouth of the Tyne . The invading forces of Hardrada and Tostig defeated the English earls Edwin of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria at the Battle of Fulford near York on 20 September 1066. Harold led his army north on a forced march from London, reached Yorkshire in four days, and caught Hardrada by surprise. On 25 September, in the Battle of Stamford Bridge , Harold defeated Hardrada and Tostig, who were both killed. According to Snorri Sturluson , in
6510-427: The new Epping Forest District. A successor parish was created covering the former Waltham Holy Cross Urban District, but with the new parish being named Waltham Abbey rather than Waltham Holy Cross. The new parish council created in 1974 resolved that the parish should have the status of a town under the Local Government Act 1972 , allowing it to take the name Waltham Abbey Town Council. The River Lea, which forms
6603-404: The north-east of the town centre. Its bounds are the eastern slopes of Galley Hill. The western side of this hilltop is wooded. It is directly south of Epping Long Green, a tall ridge topped by the Stort Valley Way footpath between the towns of Epping and Harlow . Fishers Green is a locality 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the town of Waltham Abbey on the B194 road on the section known as
6696-505: The parish seems to have originated in the 16th century, although there has often been inconsistency in the use of the two names. Despite the similar name, the parish never included Waltham Cross on the opposite side of the River Lea , which formed part of the parish of Cheshunt in Hertfordshire . The civil parish of Waltham Holy Cross was formally renamed Waltham Abbey in 1974. There are traces of prehistoric and Roman settlement in
6789-609: The reason may have been that all the nobles of the land were present at Westminster for the feast of Epiphany , and not because of any usurpation of the throne on Harold's part. In early January 1066, upon hearing of Harold's coronation, William began plans to invade England, building approximately 700 warships and transports at Dives-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast. Initially, William struggled to gain support for his cause, however, after claiming that Harold had broken an oath sworn on sacred relics, Pope Alexander II formally declared William
6882-486: The reputed grave of Harold II or "Harold Godwinson" , the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. Housed in a building dating back to 1520 is the Epping Forest District Museum , which tells the story of the people who have lived and worked in this part of south Essex from the earliest times to the present. On the site of a former gunpowder factory another museum illustrates the evolution of explosives and
6975-413: The right almost supine being mutilated beneath a horse's hooves. Etchings made of the Tapestry in the 1730s show the standing figure with differing objects. Benoît's 1729 sketch shows only a dotted line indicating stitch marks which is longer than the currently shown arrow and without any indication of fletching, whereas all other arrows in the Tapestry are fletched. Bernard de Montfaucon's 1730 engraving has
7068-495: The rightful heir of the throne of England and nobles flocked to his cause. In preparation of the invasion, Harold assembled his troops on the Isle of Wight , but the invasion fleet remained in port for almost seven months, perhaps due to unfavourable winds. On 8 September, with provisions running out, Harold disbanded his army and returned to London. On the same day, the invasion force of Harald Hardrada, accompanied by Tostig, landed at
7161-406: The south; Loughton , Theydon Bois and Buckhurst Hill to the east; Cheshunt , Waltham Cross and Enfield to the west; and the rural areas of Nazeing and Epping Upland to the north. As well as the main built-up area, the parish covers the areas of Claverhambury, Fishers Green , High Beach , Holyfield, Lippitts Hill , Sewardstone , Sewardstonebury and Upshire . As of the 2021 census ,
7254-459: The southwest . To the southwest, occupying a former course of the River Lea, is the King George V Reservoir , opened in 1913. Cobbins Brook , a tributary of the River Lea, crosses the parish from east to west. Waltham Abbey parish includes in its 41 km the villages and hamlets of High Beach , Holyfield, Sewardstone and Upshire . The M25 motorway runs to the south of the town through
7347-501: The succession, but some acts of Edward are inconsistent with his having made such a promise, such as his efforts to return his nephew Edward the Exile , son of King Edmund Ironside , from Hungary in 1057. Later Norman chroniclers suggest alternative explanations for Harold's journey: that he was seeking the release of members of his family who had been held hostage since Godwin's exile in 1051, or even that he had simply been travelling along
7440-476: The town, with the interchange for Junction 26 at Waltham Abbey. The main roads running through the town are the A112 and A121 . The Anglican abbey church is dedicated to St Lawrence. The town has long had a Catholic church . For some decades this was in a former Methodist chapel, an irregularly shaped Edwardian building of stone-dressed red brick with a roof of Welsh slate tiles in free late gothic style with
7533-447: 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 . There has been a church on the site of Waltham Abbey since
7626-427: The visual centre of a scene, not the location of the inscription, identifies named figures. A further suggestion is that both accounts are accurate, and that Harold suffered first the eye wound, then the mutilation, and the Tapestry is depicting both in sequence. The account of the contemporary chronicler William of Poitiers states that the body of Harold was given to William Malet for burial: The two brothers of
7719-602: The wider area was a perpetual curacy — a relevant fact for the purposes of chancel repair liability that therefore cannot exist. In the 1960s and 1970s, the population of the town increased, partly by an extensive programme of clearances and redevelopment in the town centre, and partly by the development of housing estates on the outskirts, such as Roundhills and Ninefields. There are three tiers of local government covering Waltham Abbey, at parish (town), district and county level: Waltham Abbey Town Council, Epping Forest District Council and Essex County Council . The town council
7812-405: The work with his own hypothesised depictions. This is when the arrow first appears. It has been proposed that the supine figure once had an arrow added by over-enthusiastic nineteenth-century restorers that was later unstitched. Many believe the figure with an arrow in his eye to be Harold as the name "Harold" is above him. This has been disputed by examining other examples from the Tapestry where
7905-518: Was a form of marriage that was not blessed or sanctioned by the Church, known as More danico , or "in the Danish manner", and was accepted by most laypeople in England at the time. Any children of such a union were considered legitimate. Harold probably entered the relationship in part to secure support in his new earldom. Harold's elder brother Sweyn was exiled in 1047 after abducting the abbess of Leominster . Sweyn's lands were divided between Harold and
7998-461: Was a frequent visitor and is said to have had a house or lodge at Romeland, adjacent to the abbey. During their summer progress of 1532, Henry and Queen Anne Boleyn stayed at Waltham Abbey for five days. The town's dependence on the Abbey is signalled by its decline after the Abbey was dissolved and partially demolished in 1540, the last working abbey or monastery to be dissolved. Waltham Abbey vicarage
8091-466: Was a son of Godwin ( c. 1001 –1053), the powerful Earl of Wessex , and of Gytha Thorkelsdóttir , whose brother Ulf the Earl was married to Estrid Svendsdatter (c. 1015/1016), the daughter of King Sweyn Forkbeard (died 1014) and sister of King Cnut the Great of England and Denmark. Ulf and Estrid's son would become King Sweyn II of Denmark in 1047. Godwin was the son of Wulfnoth , probably
8184-412: Was also a fulling mill at Sewardstone around 1777 and a pin factory by 1805. Silk and calico printing were also important industries. The River Lee Navigation was also improved, a new canal cut across the marshes was opened in 1769, bringing more trade to the town. Outside the town, the parish is largely rural and agriculture has been an important occupation. In the first half of the 20th century,
8277-514: Was developed here by Frederick Abel , starting in 1863. Cordite production began in 1891 and the site was enlarged several times. The site was an obvious target during World War II, and a German V-2 rocket landed near the factory in Highbridge Street on 7 March 1945, causing considerable damage to property and large loss of life. The factory eventually closed in 1943, and the site was developed into an explosives research establishment. There
8370-559: Was in the Waltham Hundred of Essex. The parish was divided into the township of Waltham Abbey and the hamlets of Upshire, Holyfield, and Sewardstone. The parish was included in the Metropolitan Police District in 1840. The whole parish was made a local board of health district in 1850, governed by a local board. Such districts were reconstituted as urban districts in 1894 under the Local Government Act 1894 , so it became
8463-402: Was killed and his forces defeated. His brothers Gyrth and Leofwine were also killed in the battle. The widely held belief that Harold died by an arrow to the eye is a subject of much scholarly debate. A Norman account of the battle, Carmen de Hastingae Proelio ("Song of the Battle of Hastings"), said to have been written shortly after the battle by Guy , Bishop of Amiens, says that Harold
8556-417: Was lanced and his body dismembered by four knights, probably including Duke William. Twelfth-century Anglo-Norman histories, such as William of Malmesbury 's Gesta Regum Anglorum and Henry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum , recount that Harold died by an arrow wound to his head. An earlier source, Amatus of Montecassino 's L'Ystoire de li Normant ("History of the Normans"), written only twenty years after
8649-431: Was married to Edith the Fair for approximately twenty years and had at least five children with her. According to Orderic Vitalis , Harold was at some time betrothed to Adeliza , a daughter of William the Conqueror; if so, the betrothal never led to marriage. In about January 1066, Harold married Ealdgyth, daughter of Earl Ælfgar , and widow of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn . After her husband's death, at
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