Description
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.
Practical Information
| Site location | High Road/Harrow Green, Leytonstone |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E11 |
| What3Words | ///bravo.doll.hidden |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Tube: Leyton (Central). London Overground: Leytonstone High Road. Bus: 257 |
| Research Updated | 22 July 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Harrow Green is shown as a triangular open space at a junction of roads on the First Edition OS map, 25 inch to the mile, surveyed 1863-67 and published in 1869 (London Sheet XII). At that time the area was largely rural with ribbon development along the highways. In 1894 the Second Edition OS Map of Leyton (London Sheet IV.83) shows that the green had perimeter trees, and a built structure on the east side. By this time the area was built up with housing, and a tramway ran along the High Road..By 1914 the garden had three paths running from the centre of each side meeting at a central point, with a drinking fountain marked (Essex Series, LXXVIII.13, published 1916). Early C20th postcards show Harrow Green with railings around the grass areas and a tall standard lamp in the centre. The OS 1:1250 map of 1952 shows the War Memorial in the centre of the public garden and a trough at the east point. (Plan TQ 3986.SW).
Leytonstone War Memorial was erected in 1925 and unveiled by Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd, who was responsible for the Defence of London during WWI. The monument commemorates those from Leyton and Leytonstone who had died in WWI and it was later expanded to include those who died in WWII. The Memorial was listed by Historic England in 2014, which receognised the momunment's placement within its own gardens, creating strong composition: "It is of strong historic and cultural significance both at a local and a national level". The monument takes the form of a tapering granite obelisk set on a stepped plinth, with carved reliefs of wreaths on each face at the top of the obelisk. Metal plaques that were once at the base of the obelisk are no longer in place.
Since 2000, perimeter trees in the gardens have been replaced with new planting of silver birch.rendering the garden more open.
Leytonstone War Memorial was erected in 1925 and unveiled by Lieutenant General Sir Francis Lloyd, who was responsible for the Defence of London during WWI. The monument commemorates those from Leyton and Leytonstone who had died in WWI and it was later expanded to include those who died in WWII. The Memorial was listed by Historic England in 2014, which receognised the momunment's placement within its own gardens, creating strong composition: "It is of strong historic and cultural significance both at a local and a national level". The monument takes the form of a tapering granite obelisk set on a stepped plinth, with carved reliefs of wreaths on each face at the top of the obelisk. Metal plaques that were once at the base of the obelisk are no longer in place.
Since 2000, perimeter trees in the gardens have been replaced with new planting of silver birch.rendering the garden more open.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ392862 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.09 |
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Grounds maintenance by Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LB Waltham Forest |
| Dates | 1883, 1930s |
| Listed Structures | LBII Leytonstone War Memorial |
| 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 |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
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Nearby parks and gardens
The site was formerly that of the West Ham Union Workhouse, which was built in 1842 in what was then a rural area. It later became Langthorne Hospital, named after Stratford Langthorne Abbey, which had owned much of the area in medieval times. After the hospital closed in the late 1980s the buildings were acquired for new housing, with the remainder of the site acquired to create a new public park. Langthorne Park was opened on 17 June 2000 and features a number of specially commissioned art features to enhance both the physical environment of the park as well as providing visual representations of the site's long history. An amphitheatre and pavilion provide community facilities adjacent to a children's play area; other facilities include sports pitches, a quiet garden with ornamental pond and a small lake with a fountain that is important for nature and wildlife.
Jubilee Gardens was created for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. A plaque on the site records that it was undertaken by Leyton Society in 1977 The small open space consists of an open access paved area along the busy High Road, with raised beds, seating and shrubbery. It is opposite Langthorne Park, which was created in 2000 on the site of the former West Ham Union Workhouse.
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.