This area is constituted by a nicely ordered set of residential streets centred around The Drive – a green avenue lined with impressive detached homes. Significantly more suburban than coffee-shop-Leytonstone, the presence of Epping Forrest with its ponds and footpaths makes this locale a first choice for families wishing to take advantage of the half hour commute to London and the slightly more reasonable property prices. Despite the village feel, the area is well equipped for cultural activity: Odeon Cinema, housed in a historic venue on South Woodford high street shows blockbusters, National Theatre and Royal Ballet screenings alike. Redbridge Drama Centre, directly above the north circular hosts productions and events at least once a week and its workshops are suited to persons aged five all the way to sixty-five. The local schools are Churchfields, rated ‘outstanding’ and Snaresbrook Primary School which has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in 2014. Compared with the older Snaresbrook in the southern part of the area, South Woodford has a much higher share of families.

Prior to the 19th-century, a number of public houses in this locale served as stop-over points for stage-coaches on their way to Essex. For the southern portion of the area, this was the Spread Eagle whilst the northern part was served by the 18th century pub – the George, which also lends its name to the high-street, George Lane. Here, the row of shops - the Electric Parade, has stood since 1925 and the name probably originates from when electricity arrived in the area. A notable monument of the area is the building which currently houses the Royal Crown Court, in the southern part of the neighbourhood. This grade-II listed building was originally an orphanage, built by the illustrious architects of St Pancras Station, unveiled by the Belgian King Leopold I in 1843. It served as a school for roughly half a century before becoming the crown court in the mid 1960s. Today, it is regarded as the largest crown court in the UK.

Ruth Rendell is regarded by many as the saviour of the thriller genre from the bark of literary critics, when this sort of novel was still in its infancy. She has inspired countless authors today, enriched the lives of her peers in the House of Lords and unnerved those who have had the pleasure of meeting her personally: “she was so affable in person and yet you knew she could summon up dark places in her mind”, recalls crime writer Simon Brett. She is most famed for her series of Inspector Wexford novels, who simultaneously carved out a standard within crime writing whilst also developing its wider appeal.

Though it might not be so evident now, the Odeon cinema on George Lane was built in 1934 by S. B Pritlove in the then modernist art deco style. It was opened by Winston Churchill – who was the local MP – and it constituted one of five independent Majestic Theatres. An organ featured in the new building together with a ballroom, neither of which, sadly, survive today. What does stand, almost unchanged, since a century and a half ago is Snaresbrook tube station. In fact, it is one of the least altered stations in east London, such that if a Victorian was to be transported into today, they would hardly tell any difference.

The North Circular ring-road may be a concern for those sensitive to noise and looking to buy within a short distance to the road. Pollution can also be a mild issue. Noise concerns arising from the tube, however, have recently been addressed by London Mayor, Sadiq Khan. It is also true that a tube station is not present directly within the neighbourhood area, though South Woodford station is merely a 15-minute walk away, on average.

In contrast to most other areas in the east of the capital development, new construction is relatively infrequent in this locale. This can partially be attributed to the staying power of the families and pensioners who form the bulk of the community, but is also a product of the neighbourhood’s history of local conservatism which continues to put off developers. However plans have been approved for a small co-living scheme on Chigwell Road. The 45 new residences have been opposed by both locals and councillors who described the rooms as “rabbit hutch sized”. However Woodford’s lack of housing development in recent years meant that approval was granted in order to meet quotas set by the London Plan.