It was designated a Conservation Area by the London Borough of Waltham Forest in 1967, and another Conservation Area on nearby Orford Road was subsequently added.

The area centres on St. Mary's Church, which was founded in the 12th century.

[1] Nearby are almshouses dating from the 16th and 18th centuries, and the Vestry House Museum, which has been used as a workhouse and police station, but has been a museum since 1931.

It also holds the archives of the borough and a local studies library.

[1] Orford Road, the ancient road leading up to St Mary's church, has in recent years developed as a street of small restaurants, cafes and a local supermarket.