The London Borough of Waltham Forest is a London borough in north east London, England. The local authority is Waltham Forest London Borough Council. It covers a total area of approximately 14.99 square miles. The borough is positioned between Epping Forest and Essex to the north, Redbridge in the east, Newham and Hackney to the south, and Haringey and Enfield to the west, exactly where the River Lea and Lea Valley and the surrounding parkland forms a green corridor separating north and east London. Major districts are Leyton and Leytonstone in the south, Walthamstow at the centre, and Chingford in the north.
Based on population estimates from the middle of 2014, Waltham Forest is a borough with a permanent population of around 268020 inhabitants. The north and south of the borough, split by the North Circular Road, contrast markedly in terms of ethnicity and socio-economic indicators, with built-up urban districts towards the south having inner-city characteristics, and more affluent residential development to the north with open spaces, parks, and playing fields.
Historically called the seat of the Arts and Crafts Movement under the stewardship of William Morris, Waltham Forest continues to support lots of modern artists and art groups. These consist of the North East London Independent Artists group, based at the Changing Room Gallery in Lloyd Park, the 491 Gallery in Leytonstone, in addition to a number of independent artists, also primarily in the Leytonstone area. Waltham Forest was one of the six London boroughs that hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics.