Walthamstow, District in East London, England
Walthamstow is a district in northeast London with residential neighborhoods, shopping streets, and parks connected by several train stations. A long market runs along the main road, while rows of Victorian houses line the side streets and green spaces break up the housing areas.
The area was first recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book as Wilcumestou and belonged to Earl Waltheof before the Norman conquest. From a rural village it grew into a suburb during the 19th century when the railway brought workers from central London.
The neighborhood name comes from Old English meaning "place of welcome" or "guest settlement", referring to a stone that once greeted travelers. Today visitors see a lively market scene where traders from many countries sell their goods and the streets fill with voices and smells from around the world.
The market along High Street offers fruit, vegetables, clothes, and international foods on most weekdays, with Saturday being the busiest day. Train stations are spread across the district and connect different residential areas to central London and the eastern suburbs.
John Kemp Starley developed the first modern bicycle here in 1885, with two equal wheels and chain drive, called the Rover. A few years later Frederick Bremer built Britain's first petrol-powered motor car at the same location in 1892.
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