Description
Cann Hall Park is a small local park that has been much improved largely through the efforts of Cann Hall Can, a community organisation and charity established in 20?? to breathe new life into the local area, including this previously underused space. A closed pavilion building was opened up for community use, and a cafe and skate park are now provided, funded through LB Waltham Forest's Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy. The new skatepark replaced an older one constructed of wood that was expensive to maintain and badly located. One of the founders of Cann Hall Can, Beth Hardisty, who died in 2020, is commemorated by a plaque in the Patch Cafe, and there are plans to plant a tree in her memory.
Practical Information
| Site location | Cann Hall Road, Leytonstone |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E11 3NN |
| What3Words | ///value.pipes.award |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 9am - 30 minutes before sunset. |
| Facilities | Skatepark, Mini playing pitch; Play for 7-13; Play for over 13s; Play for under 7s, water play area. Patch Cafe |
| Events | Various community events organised by Cann Hall Can |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Leytonstone High Road then walk |
| Research Updated | 22 December 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
LB Waltham Forest's Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) is collected from new developments in the borough and is allocated to local infrastructure projects in developed areas, with the views of the community taken on board. The new skate park at Cann Hall was designed for all abilities, and it is used by beginners and experts alike. In November 2021 Cann Hall Skate Park was commended in the Waltham Forest Design Awards.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ398861 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.5196 |
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LBWF; Cann Hall Can |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Waltham Forest |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
West Ham Burial Board was set up following the passing of the Burial Acts in the 1850s and in 1857 purchased 4.85 hectares of land for its new cemetery from Samuel Gurney, a Quaker whose family was related to the prison reformer Elizabeth Fry. West Ham Cemetery was extended to its current size in 1871. The emphasis was on creating good drainage and keeping costs low so the cemetery's layout is a simple grid plan. It retains its small ragstone chapel designed by T E Knightly but its non-conformist chapel has since been demolished. A small mock-Tudor lodge is situated just inside the metal entrance gates. There are no prominent monuments, and gravestones are set among grass. Among the memorials are those who died in two disasters, the sinking of the Princess Alice pleasure boat in 1878, and the Silvertown Explosion of 1917.
Harrow Green was established as a separate ecclesiastical district in 1879. Formerly forest land, this small triangle between road junctions was given to Leyton Board to be maintained as an ornamental enclosure. The War Memorial was erected after WWI, now commemorating the dead of both world wars, located in the centre of a formal 1930s style layout comprising a circular paved seating area with four radial pathways to the surrounding streets. Stone piers are at each entrance, those on the main entrance from High Street surmounted by small glass flame shades. Four planted areas have grass and lozenge-shaped beds, with small trees around the perimeter. Winter flowering cherry trees were replaced by silver birch in the C21st. Nearby is the 1930s Harrow Green Library on Cathall Road.
In 1857, with its Brady Street Cemetery full almost to overflowing, the congregation of the New Synagogue joined with that of the Great Synagogue, becoming the United Synagogue, to buy land for a new cemetery. A plot of just over 2 hectares was purchased from the Quaker banker and local landowner Samuel Gurney who had previously sold land adjacent to this to the West Ham Burial Board for its new West Ham Cemetery. The cemetery was later extended to its present size and is laid out simply, with tombs surrounded by gravel, straight paths and little vegetation. The original prayer hall was demolished and a new one was built in 1874. In 1960 the remains from a small Jewish Cemetery in Hoxton Street were reinterred in the north of the cemetery.