Places of Interest
The medieval Waltham Abbey Church is now used as the parish church. In addition there are a few other remains of the former abbey – the gatehouse, a vaulted passage and Harold’s Bridge – all in the care of English Heritage.
Waltham Abbey is notable for the reputed grave of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. Also in the town, housed in a building dating back to 1520, is the Epping Forest District Museum, which tells the story of the people who have lived and worked in this part of south Essex from the earliest times to the present.
On the site of a former gunpowder factory another museum illustrates the evolution of explosives and the development of the Royal Gunpowder Mills (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage) through interactive and traditional exhibitions and displays. The site hosts living history and battle re-enactment events most summer weekends and also offers a self-guided nature walk that shows visitors the ecology that has reclaimed much of the remaining 175 acres (0.71 km2).
The former gravel pits in the Lea Valley and parts of the former Abbey Gardens are now in the care of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority for recreation use and nature conservation.
The Epping Forest Conservation Centre in High Beach provides information, maps, books, cards, displays and advice for visitors to the area.
Read more about this topic: Waltham Abbey (town)
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