This part of Chigwell and Hainault is a bit more upmarket than its neighbouring areas. While there are still many small semi-detached post-war houses, there are also a handful of larger Tudor style homes and quaint Georgian style terraced houses. Between these offerings and the quaint tree lined streets, it’s no surprise that families love living in the area. Despite it being an easy ride into town via the central line at Grange Hill station, this tight knit community finds little reason to venture away on their days off. Whether it’s attending a community meeting at The Limes Centre, playing a couple of rounds at the Chigwell Golf Club, or catching up over Tandoori Chicken at Indian Ocean, there’s really something for everyone in the neighbourhood!

This area of the neighbourhood, nestled between Hainault and Chigwell, began mostly as countryside and forest. Despite the arrival of the railways at the start of the 20th century, little housing development occurred in the area. It wasn’t until the mid 1930s that growth really picked up in the neighbourhood. This was in part due to London County Council’s plan for the Chigwell Urban District. While the district development was delayed due to WWII, the LCC eventually built nearly 3000 homes and community services in the area as a part of the initiative. Today, the area’s plethora of housing means that there are many affordable pockets within it.

Famous Olympian, Sally Gunnell, lived in Chigwell and even went to school in the neighbourhood at West Hatch High School. Before retiring, Sally won multiple medals in hurling competitions.

While the neighbourhood is easily accessed via the tube at Grange Hill station, the surrounding area is a bit void of commercial activity. Unlike many tube adjacent high streets, this area lacks the exciting shops and eateries that Londoners often depend on. Still, residents don’t mind this. They enjoy the quiet vibe that this offers the neighbourhood.

Local favourite, Chigwell Golf Club, has shared plans to invest further in the property. They will be launching multiple projects in the coming years to improve the quality of the course, working with their original designers, Hawtree Ltd, to explore additional ways that the courses could be improved. Aside from this fairly insignificant change there has been some concern among residents about the future of Grange Hill station. The historic local landmark opened in 1903 but has consistently been one of the least well-used stations on the network in recent years, with daily passenger counts frequently falling below 1,000.