This locale covers a number of hamlets linked to Chingford: Sewardstone in the northernmost part of the area, Gilwell Hill is further south, and Sewardstonebury sits directly to the east. The area is best described as pockets of suburban semi-detached properties and bungalows – together with some wealthier estates in Sewardstonebury – submerged in the luscious greens of Epping Forest. Chingford high-street boasts a pleasant variety of places for food and drink. Gilwell Hill, by Genesis Housing, is a completely new neighbourhood which was unveiled in 2013 and served to provide eighty percent affordable housing. Sewardstone is a collection of quaint residential quarters, horticultural nurseries, farms, and nature reserves, featuring the Lee Valley Campsite. The area’s links to adventure are further emphasised by the presence of the UK’s National Scouting Headquarters at Gilwell Park. For less amateur but equally stimulating outdoor leisure experiences, head to King George’s reservoir for some sailing or the Chingford golf course. Chingford Foundation is the local secondary school and is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted.

This neighbourhood has a distinctly rural character, with farms and nature reserves fostering a quiet environment and air quality rarely observed anywhere else in London. During the 19th century (and earlier), there stood a number of grand houses belonging to wealthy families, such as the Sothebys – separate from the auction house. The other side of Victorian society was also manifested in this locale in the form of a silk factory to which poor children were sent to from the Enfield Chase Side Workhouse. Both the Royal Oak and the Plough are historic pubs, the former of which has been around since 1826, whilst the latter was built in 1917. In the south, Chingford did not see large-scale development until after the First World War and especially the building of the North Circular. This made the area accessible to the newly emerging set of middle-class car owners.

It was here that around three decades ago, a young David Beckham would tell his teachers that he wished to be a footballer. After a long career playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy, Paris Saint-Germain, and the England National Football Team, he is now known around the world as an ambassador for the sport, and the face of England’s Golden Generation of football.

The Greenwich Prime Meridian was established by Sir George Airy in 1851. In 1884, the longitudinal line was adopted as an international standard, with the abstention of the French who wanted the line moved to Paris. Sixty years before the 1884 treaty, an obelisk was erected at Pole Hill, at the current boundary of Epping Forest, in the exact spot which was, at the time, considered to be the point through which the line passed. Unfortunately, the astronomers of the day had got it wrong, since the true line – as concluded by the treaty – lay 19 feet east of the obelisk. Hence a subtle-looking pillar marks the true point. Unfortunately for Airy, American Scientists have since revised even these calculations, claiming that the line is as much as 336 feet west of that marked by the Greenwich Royal Observatory.

The downside about living on the border of Greater London and the home counties is that there are very few transport links apart from a couple of bus routes and the overground service running from Chingford Station, just outside the area. Having said that, the train takes a mere 30 minutes to reach Liverpool Street and the nearest tube station is Buckhurst Hill – a 15-minute drive from this locale.

Local transport links between the Overground station, high-street, nearby reservoirs, and Gilwell Park wedding venue are planned to be improved. However, the scope for new developments is limited as most of the gaps left between the council’s post-war development were filled by private developers in the latter half of the previous century. Highgrove Walk, a set of 14 semi-detached properties, may be seen as representative of the kind of suburban development which is occasionally new to the area. While proposals for larger developments do occur, they are generally met with residence from locals, with one such scheme near Chingford leisure centre recently rejected.