61-550: Waltham Cross is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne , Hertfordshire , England, located 12 miles (19 km) north of central London . In the south-eastern corner of Hertfordshire, it borders Cheshunt to the north, Waltham Abbey to the east, and Enfield to the south. Historically part of the ancient parish of Cheshunt in the Hertford hundred of Hertfordshire, the town once formed its southern part. Waltham Cross formed
122-530: A brewery in the town, and it became a major employer and one of the largest breweries in England. The brewery continued in operation until 1928. Most of the brewery buildings were demolished in 1930, although part was converted into a cinema itself since demolished. Some remnants of the establishment remain in Brewery Road. By the mid-19th century the town still consisted principally of one street, and had
183-491: A fall from 56.9% in 2011 and 82.7% in 2001. The town centre has a pedestrianised High Street fronted by a mixture of chain stores, independent shops and banks; a covered shopping mall and Fishpools Department Store which specialises in upholstered and fancy furniture and has been in the town since 1899. A general market takes up parts of the street on Wednesdays and Fridays, morphed into occasional entirely French and entirely farmers' markets, season-dependent. Park Plaza west of
244-631: A fourth such cross, the most southerly, destroyed in the English Civil War is at Charing Cross station less than one mile (1.6 km) from the abbey in London. In the early 18th century the monument was surveyed by the Society of Antiquaries of London who, advocating its conservation, printed and illustrated the results in the pages of Vetusta Monumenta in 1721. However, restoration did not take place until 1832, when extensive rebuilding
305-441: A large modern extension in 1986, which was formally opened on 10 December 1986 by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent . Since the last ward boundary changes in 2012 the council has comprised 30 councillors , with the borough being divided into 10 wards each electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, electing one councillor from each ward each time. Elections to Hertfordshire County Council are held in
366-570: A long history of the Anglo-Irish across many socio-economic sectors in the local area, including as to engineering and construction, the surrounding area having many reservoirs, railways and once vast building yards. [REDACTED] Media related to Waltham Cross at Wikimedia Commons Borough of Broxbourne The Borough of Broxbourne is a local government district with borough status in Hertfordshire , England. Its council
427-578: A population of 1,743. Malt was being produced and transported to London via the River Lea . There were also a number of flour mills . Trade in Hoddesdon was centred on the hops market each Thursday. As time went on, more and more hops were carried on the river rather than the roads and the Wednesday meat market took predominance. The Wednesday market has survived and a Friday market was added in
488-542: A separate ecclesiastical parish in 1855, whilst remaining part of the Cheshunt civil parish. The parish of Cheshunt was granted urban district status in 1894, and merged with that of Hoddesdon to form the Borough of Broxbourne in 1974. The town has a modest commercial centre, with a pedestrianised High Street and an indoor shopping centre. The Waltham Cross post town stretches to the neighbouring town of Cheshunt and
549-423: A separate parish called Hoddesdon Rural, which became part of Ware Rural District . Hoddesdon Urban District Council came into being on 31 December 1894. On 1 April 1935 a County Review Order enlarged the urban district. The neighbouring parishes of Broxbourne , Hoddesdon Rural, and Wormley were all abolished, with most of their territory being absorbed into the parish and urban district of Hoddesdon. Parts of
610-663: A sizeable Italian community. Many Sicilian families emigrated to the Lea Valley in the 1950s and 60s to work in the nearby garden nurseries , and they and many of their descendants still live in the area. Since the 18th century the Lea Valley has had a reputation for fine produce from its market gardens and green houses. The owners and growers of the majority of the Lea Valley's cucumber farms come primarily from two villages in Sicily: Cianciana and Mussomeli. The Lee Valley Growers Association estimates that more than 70% of
671-676: A small part of Enfield. It is named after the Eleanor cross which stands in its centre, one of twelve constructed on the orders of King Edward I following the death of his wife Eleanor of Castile in 1290. Only three of the original crosses remain intact, including the Waltham cross and two more in the Northamptonshire villages of Geddington and Hardingstone . The town falls within Hertfordshire's Borough of Broxbourne ,
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#1732773404711732-461: A south-eastern far corner of Hertfordshire so bordering Essex , and its former parent Urban District was dissolved into its present local government unit, the Borough of Broxbourne in 1974. From Roman times, the village of Walthame has been situated next to the River Lea, a tributary of the river Thames, in the ancient parish of Cheshunt in the Hertford hundred of Hertfordshire ., and since
793-491: A statue known as the "Samaritan Woman". In 1683 there was an alleged Whig conspiracy to assassinate or mount an insurrection against Charles II of England because of his pro-Roman Catholic policies. This plot was known as the Rye House Plot , named from Rye House at Hoddesdon, near which ran a narrow road where Charles was supposed to be killed as he travelled from a horse meeting at Newmarket. By chance, according to
854-539: Is based in Cheshunt . Other settlements in the borough include Broxbourne , Hoddesdon and Waltham Cross . The eastern boundary of the district is the River Lea . The borough covers 20 square miles (52 km ) in south east Hertfordshire , and had an estimated population of 99,000 in 2021. Much of the borough lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt which surrounds London . The western side of
915-453: Is celebrated in June with a street procession , although nowadays it is a low-key festival since many of the participants are elderly. In 1951 Hoddesdon was the seemingly unlikely location for the eighth meeting of CIAM ( Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne ), referred to as CIAM 8, which was an international organization of the world's most significant architects and town planners of
976-486: Is open to the public at weekends and bank holidays during the summer, featuring displays about the Plot and the early history of brick-building. The rest of the grass-covered site has the floor-plan of the house marked out. A new chapel of ease, dedicated to St Paul , was built in 1732. This was subsequently enlarged, and in 1844 become the parish church when Hoddesdon was created a separate ecclesiastical parish. Previously
1037-497: Is served by two railway stations, on different lines in London fare zone 7. Waltham Cross station has services to London Liverpool Street and Stratford via Tottenham Hale with links to the Victoria line . To the north services run to Hertford East or Bishops Stortford . Theobalds Grove station to the north of the town centre also provides services to London Liverpool street via Seven Sisters which also provides links to
1098-689: Is within the BBC London and ITV London region. Television signals are received from the Crystal Palace TV transmitter Local radio stations are BBC Three Counties Radio , Heart Hertfordshire and Mix 92.6 . The town is served by the local newspaper, Hoddesdon & Broxbourne Mercury which is published by the Hertfordshire Mercury . The nearest railway stations are Broxbourne Station and Rye House Station which offer frequent services to London. Hoddesdon contains
1159-676: The News of the World ). Employing 200 people on a 23-acre (93,000 m ) site to produce 86,000 newspapers per hour on each of its twelve printing presses (a total capacity of over 1,000,000 newspapers per hour), the plant cost £350 million and replaced the News International press in Wapping . Hoddesdon Hoddesdon ( / ˈ h ɒ d z d ən / ) is a town in the Borough of Broxbourne , Hertfordshire , lying entirely within
1220-569: The 2024 election the composition of the council was as follows: The next election is due in 2026. The council is based at Bishops' College on Churchgate in Cheshunt . The building had been a college for training clergy and comprised an early eighteenth century house to which substantial extensions had been added in 1810 and 1871. The college closed in 1968 and the vacant building was bought in 1972 by Cheshunt Urban District Council. The building then passed to Broxbourne Borough Council on local government reorganisation in 1974. The council added
1281-668: The Eleanor Cross which stands in its centre. Waltham Cross formed part of Cheshunt Urban District from 1894 to 1974. A suburb of London, the Cheshunt Urban District formed part of the review area for the Royal Commission on Local Government in Greater London , which proposed that it form part of a Greater London borough with Enfield . This proposed borough, however, was abandoned, and
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#17327734047111342-788: The London Metropolitan Area and Greater London Urban Area . The area is on the River Lea and the Lee Navigation along with the New River . Hoddesdon is the second most populated town in Broxbourne with a population of 42,253 according to the United Kingdom's 2011 census . It borders Ware to the north, Nazeing in Essex to the east, and Broxbourne to the south. The Prime Meridian passes just to
1403-652: The River Lee was chosen as the site for the Lee Valley White Water Centre for the 2012 Olympics . It was the only new Olympic venue to be open ahead of the Games, and offers the public the chance to follow in the footsteps of the Olympic competitors by taking to the rapids themselves. A Gaelic Football club is a rare venue for the sport in the county, St Joseph's (Waltham Cross) , and reflects
1464-563: The metropolitan area of London , and the Greater London Urban Area , with Waltham Abbey to the east, Cheshunt to the north, and Enfield to the south. The M25 motorway runs immediately south of the town, bordering the area of Freezywater . The Waltham Cross post town includes the neighbouring town of Cheshunt, some northern sections of Enfield, including the Holmesdale Estate. Waltham Cross occupies
1525-588: The 100 or so nurseries in the Lea Valley are now owned by Sicilian descendants, producing 75% of UK-grown cucumbers and 50% of its peppers in their glasshouses. Part of a wave of immigration to the UK after the Second World War, the Italian community has grown to become part of the fabric of the area, with migrants and their descendants still celebrating their rich Italian heritage. The Festival of San Antonio
1586-631: The High Street. The Council Offices were formally opened on 21 December 1936, and remained the headquarters of the council until its abolition. Hoddesdon Urban District was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 , merging with Cheshunt Urban District on 1 April 1974 to become the Borough of Broxbourne. No successor parish was created for the town. The former offices of Hoddesdon Urban District Council were converted to residential use in 1988 and renamed Belvedere Court. In 2007
1647-485: The Hospital of St Laud and St Anthony had been established in the south of Hoddesdon. The institution survived the dissolution of the monasteries , but had ceased to exist by the mid 16th century, although it is commemorated in the name of Spital Brook which divides Hoddesdon from Broxbourne. In 1336 William de la Marche was licensed to build a chapel of ease in the town. The building, known as St Katharine's Chapel,
1708-469: The John Warner School received congratulations from Mr Jim Knight , Minister of State for Education for being placed 24th in the '100 most improved schools in the country'. This award is a combination of eight years continuous improvement in examination results. As well as the array of shops in and around Hoddesdon, there are a number of leisure activities in the local area, including a gym in
1769-574: The Victoria line. The station and its services are run by London Overground . There is a bus station in the town centre where many London Buses routes terminate and link with services further out of London , operated by Arriva , Metroline and other smaller operators. Cliff Richard (Harry Webb) spent some of his childhood living in Waltham Cross before moving to neighbouring Cheshunt. He attended Kings Road Junior Mixed Infants School, on
1830-506: The Ware Rural Sanitary District from 1872. Under the Local Government Act 1894 rural sanitary districts were converted into rural districts , but before that Act came into force an order was made to convert Hoddesdon into an urban district. A new parish called "Hoddesdon Urban" was created from most of the old Hoddesdon parish and part of Great Amwell, whilst the sparsely populated western part of Hoddesdon became
1891-498: The area did not become part of the final Greater London area in 1965. In April 1974, the Cheshunt and Hoddesdon urban district councils merged to form the Borough of Broxbourne . At the centre of the town is one of the three surviving medieval Eleanor crosses , memorials completed before the end of 1294 commemorating the over-night resting places of the coffin of Eleanor of Castile , wife of King Edward I , on its processional journey from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey in 1290. It
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1952-504: The borough is largely rural with extensive areas of woodland, whilst the eastern part, particularly between the A10 road and the River Lea, is generally urban. Most of the built-up parts of Broxbourne fall within the Greater London Urban Area . The Lee Valley Park lies on the borough's eastern boundary. The borough is twinned with the Sicilian city of Sutera . The borough of Broxbourne
2013-566: The building of its Eleanor Cross in the 1290s, known as the Walthame Cross. The southern part of Cheshunt was increasingly considered to be part of Waltham Cross, which was formed into a separate ecclesiastical parish in 1855, with its church of the Holy Trinity (since renamed Christ Church) built in 1832, designed by the architect Edward Blore . The road, here long called the High Street, had 'Spital Houses' (Hospitalry Houses) near
2074-441: The council were held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. The Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council since 1974: The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Broxbourne, and is usually held by a different councillor each year. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 1983 have been: Following
2135-421: The council's logo of a badger. The new district was awarded borough status from its creation, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor. Hertfordshire has a two-tier structure of local government, with the ten district councils (including Broxbourne Borough Council) providing district-level services, and Hertfordshire County Council providing county-level services. The first elections to
2196-504: The county boundary, originally built in 1625 but rebuilt in 1908. In the early 20th century, all along the 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (3.6 km) of the road which Cheshunt and Waltham Cross covered, there were numerous inns and taverns, one or two of which, such as the Four Swans Inn, plied for trade until at least that date from the 17th century, but most of them dated from the 18th century and later. The town takes its name from
2257-399: The course of restoration, but one of the originals can be seen on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum . The High Street is spanned by a gantry sign supporting four sculpted swans. It was originally the sign of the now-demolished Four Swans (or "Swannes") public house. The present sign is a replica erected in 2007. The original signs are now kept at Lowewood Museum, Hoddesdon. The area
2318-572: The east of Hoddesdon. The town is served by Rye House railway station and nearby Broxbourne railway station . The name "Hoddesdon" is believed to be derived from a Saxon or Danish personal name combined with the Old English suffix "don", meaning a down or hill. The earliest historical reference to the name is in the Domesday Book within the hundred of Hertford. Hoddesdon was situated about 20 miles (32 km) north of London on
2379-473: The fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections. The borough's wards are: The main industrial areas of the borough are around Waltham Cross and the Essex Road area of Hoddesdon . Park Plaza at Waltham Cross is home to the world's largest printing plant, which produces publications for News International including The Sun , The Times and The Sun on Sunday (formerly
2440-591: The late 20th century. After the Second World War Hoddesdon increasingly became a dormitory town , forming part of the London commuter belt . Much of the town centre was demolished in the 1960s and 1970s, with the construction of the Tower Centre and Fawkon Walk shopping centres. The opening of a bypass in 1974 changed the nature of the town, with through traffic curtailed. Hoddesdon has
2501-403: The main road to Cambridge and to the north. The road forked in the centre of the town, with the present High Street dividing into Amwell Street and Burford Street, both leading north to Ware . From an early date there were a large number of inns lining the streets to serve the needs of travellers. A market charter was granted to Robert Boxe, lord of the manor , in 1253. By the 14th century
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2562-443: The mid-1400s have also been revealed, suggesting that The Star is older than previously thought. Hoddesdon has two tiers of local government, at district (borough) and county level: Broxbourne Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council . There has been no parish or town council for Hoddesdon since 1974. Hoddesdon was formerly classed as a hamlet within the parish of Broxbourne . A separate ecclesiastical parish of Hoddesdon
2623-559: The neighbouring manor of Baas. From that date the Cecils maintained a connection with the town which is recorded by the naming of The Salisbury Arms (anciently the Black Lion Inn) ;: the title Marquess of Salisbury was granted to James Cecil in 1789. In 1622 Sir Marmaduke Rawdon built Rawdon House , a red-brick mansion which still survives. Rawdon also provided the town with its first public water supply, flowing from
2684-509: The official narrative, the king's unexpectedly early departure in March foiled the plot. Ten weeks later, on 1 June, an informer's allegations prompted a government investigation. The subsequent history of Rye House has been considerably less dramatic. In 1870 the current owner, William Henry Teale, opened a pleasure garden, displaying the Great Bed of Ware , which he had recently acquired. It
2745-554: The parishes of Great Amwell and Stanstead Abbotts were transferred into Hoddesdon at the same time. Much of the western boundary of the urban district then coincided with the track of the Roman Ermine Street . In its early years, Hoddesdon Urban District Council met at the Coffee Tavern Hall on Lord Street. In 1936 the council built itself a new building called Council Offices at the southern end of
2806-569: The plant cost £187 million (part of £650m spending including plants in Knowsley, near Liverpool, and Motherwell, near Glasgow) and replaced the News International press in Wapping . In 2022 film and TV studio Sunset Studios plan to build a 91-acre site got approved. The £600M project is currently paused. In 2024, Google began construction on its first data centre in the UK on a 33-acre (13 ha) site in Waltham Cross which it purchased in 2020. They invested $ 1 billion (£790 million) to build
2867-623: The site of the current Four Swannes Primary School, before attending Cheshunt Secondary Modern. Bill Treacher , known for his role as Arthur Fowler in EastEnders , grew up in York Road and attended Kings Road JMI School. Before his acting career, he worked as a porter at Waltham Cross station. Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope lived at Waltham House, Waltham Cross for 12 years between 1859 and 1871, where he wrote twenty-six novels and entertained his illustrious London friends. His home
2928-511: The site, which they hope to be completed by 2025. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it showed the UK had "huge potential for growth" and that "investments like this will help to drive growth in the decade ahead." Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that the investment "is a huge vote of confidence in Britain as the largest tech economy in Europe." The Showground site adjoining Waltham Town Lock on
2989-514: The time. The participants gathered in the High Leigh country house in Hoddesdon to discuss the theme "The Heart of the City", a response to issues regarding cities badly damaged during World War Two. In 2007 Rye House Kart Raceway was taken over by two local family businessmen. It was recently described as the "Silverstone of Karting" by David Coulthard. The Book It Now diary based calendar system
3050-454: The town adjacent to Junction 25 of the M25 hosts one of the world's largest printworks. This produces publications for News International including The Sun , The Times and formerly the News of the World . Employing 200 people on a 23-acre (9.3 ha) site to produce 86,000 newspapers per hour on each of its twelve printing presses (a total capacity of over 1,000,000 newspapers per hour),
3111-555: The town centre and the John Warner sports centre, a leisure centre on the outskirts of the town containing a swimming pool and children's activity centre. There is also a Non-League football club Hoddesdon Town F.C. , which plays at Lowfield, and a large go-kart track located in nearby Rye park. Around a mile north of the town is Rye House Stadium , home until recently of the Rye House Rockets speedway team. The town
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#17327734047113172-437: The town government under a bailiff, warden and eight assistants. The charter also established a free grammar school based on the site of the former hospital, and this was placed under the care of the corporation. Neither the borough nor the school flourished, however, and both had ceased to exist by the end of the century. In 1567 Sir William Cecil acquired the manor of Hoddesdonsbury and two years later Elizabeth granted him
3233-405: The town had been divided between the two parishes of Broxbourne and Great Amwell . The boundary between the two parishes ran through an archway in the town's High Street. When this building was demolished in the 1960s, a specially inscribed stone was set into the pavement marking the historic boundary. Brewing was first established in the town in about 1700. In 1803, William Christie established
3294-472: Was carried out under William Barnard Clarke . A further major restoration was carried out in 1885–92, and yet another in 1950–53. The cross is hexagonal in plan, in three stages. The main stage has three statues of the Queen, each standing in a niche under a canopy, while the other three faces have a niche bisected by a buttress. The original sculptures were by Alexander of Abingdon . These have been replaced in
3355-550: Was created in 1844, but for civil purposes the town continued to straddle Broxbourne and Great Amwell parishes. The hamlet of Hoddesdon had its own overseers of the poor and from 1835 appointed its own guardians to the Ware Poor Law Union . As such, the hamlet of Hoddesdon became a civil parish on 10 August 1866 with the passing of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1866. Hoddesdon was included in
3416-400: Was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , covering the area of two districts, which were both abolished at the same time: The new district was named Broxbourne after the old village of that name at the centre of the area. The village had been administratively part of Hoddesdon Urban District since 1935. The name Broxbourne means "badger's stream", a fact referenced in
3477-528: Was demolished in 1936 and on the general site now stands a 1930s parade of shops and the Moon and Cross , a J D Wetherspoon public house , decorated with a literary theme. The Waltham Cross ward had a population of 8,577 at the 2021 census ; an increase from its population of 7,407 in the 2011 census . The ethnic and cultural diversity of the town has increased in recent decades, with less than half its population (41.8%) in 2021 identifying as White British ,
3538-440: Was developed here in 2013. In 2014 JD Wetherspoon's first pub in Hoddesdon opened at the former Salisbury Arms on the High Street. During renovations at the renamed Star, a series of important 16th century wall paintings was uncovered. They are located on the north wall of the bar, with some additional detail found on one of the beams supporting the ceiling. The paintings depict half-figures and biblical verses. Roof beams dating to
3599-608: Was such a popular destination for excursions from London that an extra station was built on the Liverpool Street to Hertford East line to serve it. By the early 20th century, however, the tourist trade had fallen off, and Rye House was demolished, apart from the Gatehouse; the Great Bed was moved to the Victoria & Albert Museum . Rye House Gatehouse still stands today, and is now a Grade 1 listed building. It
3660-409: Was the only one designed by a foreigner, in name at least, Nicholas Dymenge de Reyns or de Legeri. Records, some patched together and non-contemporary, state her body, deceased on 28 November rested at St Albans on the night of 12 December and was carried to what was then Waltham on the following day, where it rested for the night at Waltham Abbey and arrived in London on 14 December. A recreation of
3721-427: Was used by pilgrims to the shrine at Walsingham . It survived until the 17th century, when it was demolished. In 1835, a single-storey building, known as Hoddesdon Town Hall , was built on the site: only the clock tower now survives. The town was considerably enlarged in the reign of Elizabeth I , and a number of inns in the High Street date from this time. The monarch granted a royal charter in 1559/60, placing
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