An unlikely pearl, Wanstead is a small enclave of Georgian, Victorian and idyllic suburban semis – the legacy of a town which used to be likened to a mini-Versailles, though not during much of recent history. The boundaries are formed by the grounds of the 140-acre Wanstead Park, which includes a golf club, to the south, and Layton Flats to the north west. The area’s saturation of greenery cannot go unnoticed; well-maintained parks and open spaces are plentiful and the avenues are lined with tall lime trees, shrubs, and conifers. On the northern edge of Wanstead park stands St Mary the Virgin’s Church– the only Grade-I listed building in Redbridge. Small independent cafes and high-end restaurants showcasing an international cuisine embellish the high street further: the French Provender is “deservedly popular”, while the Italian Luppolo boasts an brewed in-house craft beer. Such a gentle and pleasant environment is demanded mostly by families who are likely to send their children to the highly rated Nightingale and Our Lady of Lourdes primary schools, both of which are within walking distance.

Though Wanstead may stand out today as the ‘hipster’ of Redbridge, its historical development took a similar path to many towns on the outskirts of London, exploding in popularity with the arrival of the railway. Having said that, its roots were certainly distinguished: originally a royal hunting ground around the turn of the 16th century, the Versailles on this side of the channel was one of the most elaborate houses of its time and today a fragment of this estate can be witnessed on weekends and bank holidays in the form of The Temple – a Palladian-style keeper’s lodge on the grounds of Wanstead Park. Another central piece of the town was the George Hotel which stood in the locale way back in 1752. It was then rebuilt in 1903, and today it is simply ‘The George’, a “cheap and cheerful” Wetherspoons. Winston Churchill was a notable frequenter of Manor House on the high street (now a converted bar and restaurant) during its time as a hub for local conservative party members, who were the dominant political force in the area.

Wanstead, together with neighbouring Leytonstone, was later the centre of an action-packed squatting campaign, in protest of the M11 (A12) road link that was being extended through the middle of the village. The several houses and trees that were to be demolished were repopulated by both local residents and veteran protesters. There was thus a brief spell of time in 1994 when ‘Wanstonia’ was an autonomous republic. At one point, there was even a letter addressed to a 250-year-old chestnut tree on George Green in order to give it the status of a legal dwelling. This innovative technique allowed the demolition to be delayed further. Unfortunately for the conservationists, the final eviction of Wanstonia went ahead on the 16th February 1994.

Taking away from the village feel is the aforementioned A12 which inspired Wanstonia. Those living near the road may complain from noise levels and the town has seen increased air pollution since the nineties. All of this comes, of course, with the compensation of much-improved car access to central London. But for locals, pride in their area has remained the prevailing sentiment, one of whom explains that, despite the bisecting A12, the high street is “one of the best in London”.

Families and pensioners forming the bulk of the community in Wanstead, which along with the history of conservationism and civil resistance, means new construction in the area is relatively rare by London standards. The council is currently considering numerous small projects, such as the scheme to build 24 flats and a nursery on Wanstead High Street. However, local residents have expressed concern about the scale of this four story development in comparison to the surrounding architecture.