98-429: The Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence , also known as Waltham Abbey or Waltham Abbey Church , is the parish church of the town of Waltham Abbey , Essex , England. It has been a place of worship since the 7th century. The present building dates mainly from the early 12th century and is an example of Norman architecture . To the east of the existing church are traces of an enormous eastward enlargement of
196-626: 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. Aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches , cathedrals , synagogues , meeting halls , parliaments , courtrooms , theatres , and in long passenger vehicles. An aisle floor may be level or, as in theatres, sloping upward from
294-562: 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
392-530: 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
490-527: A triforium and clerestorey above. A long eastern chapel may have housed the Holy Cross. The rebuilding, which had started at the eastern end, was completed by about 1150. Although there is a marked stylistic resemblance to Durham Cathedral , a recent study of the features of the church and comparison with other sites has concluded that the master mason at Waltham was trained in East Anglia . This construction
588-439: A dangerous area. Regulations applicable to public carriers transporting passengers often require aisles to be completely clear in vehicles, such as airlines, buses and trains. Many insurance companies have requirements regarding minimum aisle width, unrestricted aisles and easy access to exits, and will refuse to insure companies that do not meet their requirements or will increase the premiums on companies that frequently violate
686-558: A field nearby at Romeland, destroying most of the windows on the north side of the church. In March 1945, a V-2 rocket landed in Highbridge Street, destroying the "Bellringers Window" in the tower; a detailed hand-tinted photograph of the window, discovered in 2007, may eventually allow the window to be recreated. In 2003 the church was attacked by a man armed with two small axes, resulting in an estimated £200,000 worth of damage. Harold stopped to pray at Waltham on his way south from
784-548: 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
882-419: A legend says that this was because in his childhood, he had been miraculously cured of paralysis by the Holy Cross. The new church was placed under the control of a dean and a college of twelve married priests . Evidence suggests that stone and some of the foundations of the previous church were re-used for the new building, which had a nave the same length as the present one, aisles , a large transept and
980-583: A new principal chorus on the Great division, and a new 32-foot reed on the Pedal. The carol " Hark! The Herald Angels Sing " was first heard sung to a melody from Felix Mendelssohn 's Festgesang in the church on Christmas Day 1855 with William Hayman Cummings , who made the adaptation, at the organ. Its organists have included: Waltham Abbey 51°41′05″N 0°00′01″E / 51.6846°N 0.0004°E / 51.6846; 0.0004 Waltham Abbey
1078-459: A new tower at the opposite end of the church, abutting the 14th-century west wall and straddling the main doorway. Work commenced in 1556 and was completed in the following year; it was the only church tower built in England during the reign of Queen Mary I . In 1859, the architect William Burges was appointed to undertake a restoration of the site and a refurbishment of the interior. The restoration
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#17328517368911176-489: A popular place for overnight stays for kings and other notables hunting in Waltham Forest . Henry VIII 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. Waltham was the last abbey in England to be dissolved . On 23 March 1540, the last abbot, Robert Fuller, surrendered
1274-490: A prominent member of the Privy chamber and a confidant of the king. When Denny died in 1549, his estates passed to his widow Joan and in 1553 she bought the manor of Waltham outright; she died in the same year. The manor then passed to her son Henry, who died in 1574 leaving two sons; the elder Robert, died in 1576 and was succeeded by Edward Denny , who became Baron Denny of Waltham in 1604 and Earl of Norwich in 1626. Edward reused
1372-435: A series of chapels, is a chevet . In Gothic architecture , the aisles' roofs are lower than that of the nave, allowing light to enter through clerestory windows. In Romanesque architecture , however, the roofs are at roughly equal heights, with those of the aisle being only slightly lower than that of the nave. In Germany, churches where the roofs of the aisles and nave are the same height, such as St. Stephen's, Vienna ,
1470-646: A small eastern apse . Starting in about 1090, Harold's building was demolished and a new church with crossing tower and transepts was begun in the Norman style. It reused the Saxon foundations and some of the stonework, with additional stone from Reigate , Kent and Caen in Normandy . The church was cruciform, with a tower at the crossing and two smaller towers at the west end. The nave had typically massive Norman pillars with incised decoration and semi-circular arches supporting
1568-501: A stage. Aisles also cross through shops , where they have shelving on either side; warehouses , flanked by storage pallets; and factories , where they separate different work areas. In health clubs , exercise equipment is normally arranged along aisles. They are distinguished from corridors, hallways, walkways , footpaths, pavements ( American English sidewalks ), trails, paths and open areas of buildings: aisles lie between other open or seating areas, which are all enclosed within
1666-685: A structure. Spaces between buildings are not considered aisles, regardless of their size. The word is related to French aile (wing). Aisles have certain general physical characteristics: In architecture , an aisle is more specifically the wing of a house, or a lateral division of a large building. The earliest examples of aisles date back to the Roman times and can be found in the Basilica Ulpia (basilica of Trajan), which had double aisles on either side of its central area. The church of St. Peter's in Rome has
1764-576: 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
1862-452: 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
1960-603: 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
2058-489: Is any feature that makes access or use of a building difficult, unreasonably dangerous or impossible. This can include aisles that are too narrow for easy access by a wheelchair . Often, the only way to get from a row of chairs, shelves, workstations, etc., to an exit is by an aisle. Historically, many deaths and serious injuries have occurred due to fire, inhalation of smoke or noxious fumes, etc., because blocked or partially blocked aisles prevented persons from promptly leaving
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#17328517368912156-701: 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
2254-471: Is mainly the fabric that has survived to the present. In 1177, the abbey was re-founded once more, this time as an Augustinian priory with 16 canons, by Henry II as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas Becket . The rebuilding, in the Early English style, made the abbey far more extensive than the original Norman establishment, as can be seen today from traces in the abbey grounds. Those parts of
2352-566: 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
2450-509: Is thought that the motive for this was to distract attention away from Harold's tomb in the church, as he was still a politically sensitive figure to the Norman ruling class. In the 18th century, the historian David Hume wrote that Harold had been buried by the high altar in the Norman church and moved to the choir of the later Augustinian abbey. Visitors were shown a stone slab bearing the inscription "Hic iacet Haroldus infelix" ("Here lies Harold
2548-458: 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
2646-597: 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
2744-633: The Battle of Stamford Bridge to fight William of Normandy ; the battle-cry of the English troops at Hastings was "Holy Cross". According to Gesta Guillelmi , an account of the battle written by William of Poitiers in the 1070s, Harold's body was handed over to William Malet , a companion of William the Conqueror for burial; Duke William refused an offer by Harold's mother, Gytha , to exchange Harold's corpse for its weight in gold. The account also relates that some Normans remarked "in jest" that "he who guarded
2842-672: 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
2940-644: 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
3038-550: 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
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3136-590: 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
3234-477: 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
3332-403: The "stacks" area are called aisles and desks in the reading area are frequently arranged in rows with aisles. Server rooms are typically divided into hot and cold aisles for cooling efficiency, and access to servers. Films, stage plays and musical concerts ordinarily are presented in a darkened facility so the audience can see the presentation better. To improve safety, often the edges of
3430-488: 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
3528-402: 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
3626-460: 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
3724-447: The Abbey that housed these instruments were demolished shortly afterwards. The church currently contains a large 3 manual organ. A plaque on the organ case has the inscription, " Flight & Robson 1827, the gift of (Thomas) Leverton Esq.", although this instrument dates from 1819. It was fully rebuilt in 1860 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd . In 1879, the organ was dismantled and rebuilt at
3822-579: 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
3920-552: 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
4018-523: 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
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4116-719: 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
4214-608: 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
4312-679: 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
4410-419: The Norman church east of the Norman crossing were demolished, and a new church, with its own nave, a second pair of transepts and a further tower at the new crossing, were constructed. The Norman nave was retained as a parish church, divided from the new work by a screen. The whole building was now longer than Winchester Cathedral . A cloister was built to the north of the new nave. A short passage that led into
4508-575: 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
4606-762: The Wiesenkirche at Soest , St. Martin's, Landshut , and the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Munich are known as Hallenkirchen . When discussing overall design, architectural historians include the centrally-positioned nave in the number of aisles. Thus the original St Peter's Basilica in Rome, Milan Cathedral , Amiens Cathedral , Notre Dame de Paris and Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia are all described as having five aisles, meaning they have two side aisles either side of
4704-456: The abbey and its estates to Henry's commissioners, the annual income from which was valued at £1,079, 12 shillings and one penny. In return, the abbot received a generous pension in the form of estates with an annual income of £200; the prior received an annuity of £20 and sixteen canons each received between £5 and £10 depending on seniority. Thomas Tallis , who had taken up a post as a senior "singing-man" (often interpreted as choir master ) in
4802-473: The aisle. Sport stadiums and outdoor arenas frequently have several types of aisles, including aisles to purchase tickets for events, aisles to enter the main event area and aisles to go to seating. Stadium seating routinely is separated into sections by aisles. Seating rows are accessed by stairsteps. To promote safety, aisles commonly are divided by a handrail in the middle of the aisle. The floor plan of aisled barns resembles that of an aisled church. However,
4900-403: The aisles in such facilities are marked with a row of small lights. The markers frequently are strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) because LEDs are durable, have low power consumption and use low voltages that are not subject to electrical codes . To provide a higher level of light focused downward, lighting fixtures referred to as luminaries are often built into the side of the seat facing
4998-430: 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
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#17328517368915096-471: The autumn of 1538, was awarded 20 shillings in outstanding wages and 20 shillings "reward". Tallis went on from Waltham to a post in the choir at Canterbury Cathedral . The Holy Cross disappeared without trace at this time. King Henry suggested Waltham as one of the new cathedrals for the Church of England , but this proposal was not implemented. In 1541, the king leased the manor of Waltham to Sir Anthony Denny ,
5194-530: The battle, they asked permission to recover Harold's body, which could only be identified by his concubine , Edith Swanneck , who recognised "secret marks". From Hastings the body was brought to Waltham and buried under the floor of the church. This story was related to the author of the Chronicle when he was a boy, by the elderly Sacristan Turketil, who claimed to have himself been a boy at Waltham when Harold arrived en route from Stamford Bridge, and later witnessed
5292-420: The blacksmith at another estate belonging to Tovi, at Montacute near Glastonbury , found a large black flint (or marble) crucifix buried at the top of a hill, after a dream. Tovi had the cross loaded onto an ox-cart , but the oxen would only go in one direction and continued every day until they reached Waltham, a journey of some 150 miles. This Holy Rood or Cross was installed at the church and soon became
5390-590: The building, begun following the re-foundation of the abbey in 1177. In the Late Middle Ages , Waltham was one of the largest church buildings in England and a major site of pilgrimage ; in 1540 it was the last religious community to be closed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries . It is still an active parish church for the town, and is a grade I listed building . The monastic buildings and those parts of
5488-461: The church east of the crossing were demolished at the Dissolution, and the Norman crossing tower and transepts collapsed in 1553. The present-day church consists of the nave of the Norman abbey church, the 14th-century lady chapel and west wall, and a 16th-century west tower, added after the dissolution. King Harold Godwinson , who died at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, is said to be buried in
5586-503: 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
5684-414: The cloister still exists; this, and a fourteenth-century gatehouse, are the only surviving monastic buildings. In 1184, Henry raised the status of the church to an abbey; he appointed an abbot and the number of canons was increased to 24. The completed abbey was finally re-dedicated on 30 September 1242, by William de Raley , Bishop of Norwich . The Holy Cross attracted many pilgrims and the Abbey became
5782-506: The coast with such insensate zeal should be buried by the sea shore", but does not say that this was actually done. Another account, the Carmen de Hastingae Proelio , thought to have been written only months after the battle, says that he was buried under a cliff top cairn , but this version does not appear in any other account. William of Malmesbury wrote in the Gesta regum Anglorum in 1125, that
5880-422: 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
5978-493: 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
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#17328517368916076-618: The eastern end of the North Aisle, but was finally rebuilt in the West Gallery in 1954, with the console in the chancel. The "Waltham Abbey Church Heritage Organ Appeal" was launched in July 2008 to replace the existing organ, which was deemed to have come to the end of its useful life. Following the success of the Organ Appeal, Mander Organs installed the new instrument in 2019. The organ includes
6174-480: The end of food aisles may be found crown end displays , where high- margin goods are displayed for impulse purchase . In retail stores that do not primarily sell food, aisles containing products would be referred to either generically as merchandise aisles , or by the particular products contained in the aisle, e.g., "the gardening aisle", "the sports equipment aisle". Checkout aisles contain cash registers at which customers make their purchases. Regardless of
6272-578: 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
6370-564: 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
6468-632: The great battle in Sussex against William the Conqueror, lies buried here; his body being begg’d by his mother, the Conqueror allow’d it to be carried hither; but no monument was, as I can find, built for him, only a flat grave-stone, on which was engraven, Harold Infoelix ." At the Dissolution in 1540, an inventory states that there was "a lyttel payre of organes" in the Lady Chapel and in the Choir, "a great large payre of organes" and also "a lesser payre". The parts of
6566-484: The interment of the king. The author himself claims to have seen Harold's body being disinterred and moved twice during the rebuilding work which started in 1090. In 1177, the Waltham became an Augustinian foundation, and the new incumbents published Vita Haroldi ("The Life of Harold") soon afterwards, which records a legend that Harold survived the battle and retired as a hermit to either Chester or Canterbury ; it
6664-578: 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
6762-413: 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
6860-446: The nave in farm buildings is called an aisle thus a "three aisled barn". Aisled barns have the big barn doors on the gable end of the building giving access to the center aisle, often called the drive floor or threshing floor. The side aisles may be the same widths making the barn symmetrical or the aisle where animals were housed may be narrower which is apparent outside the barn because the barn doors are then off-center. The area between
6958-420: The nave. Antwerp Cathedral even has seven aisles (three at either side of the central nave). In the United Kingdom, cathedrals generally only have one aisle on each side, with Chichester Cathedral , Elgin Cathedral and St Mary Magdalene, Taunton being the only three exceptions. In supermarkets there are two types of aisles, food aisles and checkout aisles. Food aisles are where goods are displayed. At
7056-489: 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
7154-508: 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
7252-505: 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
7350-688: The posts, perpendicular to the aisles are called bays. In stables there is a stable aisle down the centre with individual stalls facing the aisle. On vehicles, the aisle is more specifically a passageway for passengers to move along within the vehicle. National and local government regulations require a minimum width for aisles in various building types. Regulatory agencies frequently inspect buildings, vehicles, etc., to enforce regulations requiring that aisles not be restricted. Inspectors have imposed fines for blocking or restricting passage when boxes or folding chairs are stored in aisles, for example. Insurance companies frequently have safety inspectors to examine
7448-422: The premises, both to determine whether insureds are complying with the insurer's requirements for coverage and to look for any practices that could lead to injury or property damage, including restricting passage in aisles. The Americans with Disabilities Act sets certain standards for building access and other design considerations in all new construction and major renovations in the U.S. An architectural barrier
7546-471: The present building, and was a porticus -type church with chambers along each side of the nave . It was intended as a minster serving several communities in the area. At the beginning of the 11th century, the church and manor of Waltham were held by an Anglo-Danish thegn called Tovi the Proud . A legend, recorded in the 12th-century De Inventione Sanctœ Crucis Nostrœ ("The Discovery of our Holy Cross") or "Waltham Chronicle", relates that, in about 1016,
7644-486: The present churchyard. Archaeological investigations between 1984 and 1991 have revealed a much earlier origin of the site than had previously been believed. There is evidence for five distinct churches at Waltham. 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
7742-580: The refusal to accept Gytha's gold simply meant that Harold's body was handed over without payment, and that it was taken from the battlefield to Waltham for burial. This version is supported by the Roman de Rou , written by Wace in the 1160s. The final and most detailed medieval account comes from the Waltham Chronicle . The author describes how two canons from Waltham, Osgod Cnoppe and Aethelric Childemaister, accompanied Harold from Waltham to Hastings. After
7840-453: 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 a fish. During the reign of King Offa of Mercia , whose rule extended to the Kingdom of Essex in the late 8th century, a building of Barnack stone was constructed around the earlier wooden church. It was half the length of
7938-486: 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
8036-737: The rose window and lancets of the east wall, and Archibald Keightley Nicholson in the Lady Chapel. The Lady Chapel has three windows by Nicholson, depicting the Annunciation , the Nativity and the Presentation of Christ in the Temple . Work on a fourth – intended to depict the Epiphany – was interrupted by the Second World War and never resumed. In April 1941, a 500 kg German parachute mine exploded in
8134-500: The same number. In church architecture , an aisle (also known as an yle or alley ) is more specifically a passageway to either side of the nave that is separated from the nave by colonnades or arcades , a row of pillars or columns . Occasionally aisles stop at the transepts , but often aisles can be continued around the apse . Aisles are thus categorized as nave-aisles , transept-aisles or choir-aisles . A semi-circular choir with aisles continued around it, providing access to
8232-406: 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 ,
8330-459: 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
8428-407: The stones from the demolished Gothic choir and chancel (the fifth church) for the sumptuous Abbey House which he built to the north of the churchyard; the Norman remnant of the nave continued in use as the town's parish church . In 1553, shortly after the demolition of the 12th-century choir, crossing and chancel, the 11th-century Norman tower at the east end of the nave collapsed. It was replaced by
8526-408: The subject of pilgrimage. Tovi is said to have rebuilt the church, but modern evidence suggests that he probably retained the 8th-century fabric of the building. After Tovi's death, his son fell into debt and the estate passed to King Edward the Confessor . He then gave it to Harold Godwinson (later King Harold II), who rebuilt, refounded and richly endowed the church, which was dedicated in 1060;
8624-476: 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
8722-447: 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
8820-721: The type of merchandise the establishment sells, it is common to display a range of "impulse buy" items along the checkout aisle, such as cold beverages, magazines, candy and batteries. These are often called "lanes" to distinguish them from the food aisles. For customer convenience, supermarkets and retail stores commonly number the aisles and have signs indicating both the aisle number and the types of products displayed in that aisle. Churches, courtrooms, legislatures, and meeting halls may identify individual rows, seats or sections but do not normally assign aisle numbers or display signs regarding aisles. Libraries are commonly divided into several areas: The spaces between rows of book shelves in
8918-420: The unfortunate"), although it had been destroyed when that part of the abbey was demolished at the Dissolution. An earlier 18th-century reference comes from Daniel Defoe 's A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain . In his description of Essex, Defoe mentions Waltham Abbey where "the ruins of the abbey remain; and tho’ antiquity is not my proper business, I cou’d not but observe, that King Harold, slain in
9016-602: 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
9114-413: 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
9212-412: 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,
9310-472: Was carried out "with all the robust ugliness which that architect liked". The revised 2007, edition of his book takes a more sympathetic view, describing Burges' work as "pioneering (and) powerful". In the last year of the restoration, a 15th-century doom painting was discovered under whitewash on the east wall of the Lady Chapel. Further, more sensitive, restoration was undertaken in 1964. The Abbey's stained glass includes early work by Edward Burne-Jones in
9408-454: 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
9506-587: Was extensive; the removal of pews and galleries from the south and west sides, a new ceiling (painted with signs of the zodiac as at Peterborough Cathedral ), a new chancel and significant re-building. The designs were exhibited at the Royal Academy . Work was completed by 1876. In the view of Burges's biographer, J. Mordaunt Crook , "(Burges's interior) meets the Middle Ages as an equal." The architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner said that Burges's remodelling
9604-497: 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
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