The centre of Chingford is 9.2 miles (14.8 km) north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow to the south, and Edmonton and Enfield to the west.

Historically an ancient parish in the Waltham hundred of Essex, the town expanded significantly from the late 19th century, forming part of the conurbation of London.

[6] However, the genealogists' assertion is likely to be incorrect, as the usage of the placename name "Cingefort" in the Doomsday book predates the coining of the word "Shingle."

The remains of pile dwellings, covering a considerable area, were found near the mouth of the Ching between 1869 and 1901, when the reservoirs were being built.

Chingford Station opened in 1873 and brought with it a huge increase in visitors to the area, many of whom used the town as a gateway to Epping Forest.

At the other end of Station Road, the King's Head Hotel dates back to at least the 1730s and it received a boost in trade as more people visited the area.

It is still a popular hotel and has recently been refurbished inside, although the exterior of the building still preserves the character of its early days.

[4] Originally called the Great Standing, it was built for King Henry VIII in 1543, and was used as a grandstand to watch the hunting of deer, although it has been heavily altered over time.

The building is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and takes its name from the 1891 occupier John Butler.

He took shelter in Pimp Hall and was so delighted with the food offered him that he jocularly drew his sword and knighted the joint of beef declaring that it was now Sir Loin.

[citation needed] A granite obelisk at Pole Hill was erected in 1824 under the direction of the Astronomer Royal, the Rev.

John Pond M.A., to mark true north for the telescopes of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, south of the Thames.

The site was sold to property developers who built blocks of flats on the land and the town hall building was subsequently converted to apartments.

[18] Former MPs include Norman Tebbit, Leah Manning, Stan Newens, and Winston Churchill (when Chingford was in the Epping constituency).

[citation needed] Chingford and Waltham Forest fall within the North East constituency of the London Assembly,[20] represented since 2004 by Jennette Arnold of the Labour party.

Chingford lost its rail link to Stratford with the removal of the 500 m length of track known as the Hall Farm Curve in 1970, and there have been campaigns for its reinstatement.