Rich history of Wanstead

The history of Wanstead and the surrounding area makes for a fascinating study. There was Wanstead House that used to stand in the grounds of the park and golf course with its rich history. The final episode being well chronicled in Geraldine Robert’s excellent book, the Angel and the Cad, which tells the story of William Wellesley-Pole and Catherine Tylney Long. The frittering away of the estate, which stood comparison to Blenheim Palace, to the point where it was physically sold off piece by piece. Prior to that, the previous Wanstead House had been the playground of Tudor and Stuart monarchs and courtiers. The house was variously owned by the infamous Richard Rich and later Queen Elizabeth’s favourite Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley. The latter is believed to have married his second wife Lettice Knollys at the house, resulting in his being exiled from court by a scorned and angry Elizabeth. A new study titled Wanstead House: East London’s Lost Palace by Hannah Armstrong comes out next year . Beyond the house, though, here is so much else that has gone on in the area. A lot of Wanstead, as it appears today, came about in the early part of the 20th century. Up until that time it seems to have been mainly made up of farms and forest – a very rural setting. The building of the likes of the Eastern Avenue and arrival of the railway seems to have led to much of the developments. Previously, the landscape was punctuated by large houses, such as the Lake House, which stood where the Belgrave Heights block of flats now stands. On the site of Wanstead Station, there used to be another large house occupied by William Penn, after whom Pennsylvania was later named. Another striking house, was the former the agent’s residence for the Wanstead House Estate, pictured in 1912, with the hunt outside. It was demolished in 1932. In his recent talk on Wanstead history, Chris O’Donnell told the story of the three Nutter sisters – Gertrude, Jessie and Mary, who gave the field at Nutter Lane to the people of Wanstead. It was in their honour that the road was renamed Nutter Lane, it previously having been known as George Lane. Chris also told of the fascinating history of St Marys Church, with links to slave owners and those who fought for abolition, both commemorated in the grounds. It is also a sobering thought that Wanstead House was no doubt financed by income derived from the East India Company, which was linked to the slave trade. Then there is the United Reformed Church at the top of Nightingale and Grosvenor Roads, moved brick by brick from St Pancras and rebuilt here. Another more recent nugget of history concerned the battle post war to stop West Ham Council compulsorily purchasing 163 acres of Wanstead Flats to build a housing estate linking West Ham and Wanstead. A mobilisation, involving the War Damage Organisation in Aldersbrook, together with people from East Ham and West Ham stopped this happening. There is so much history in Wanstead and the surrounding area