War Memorial, Waltham Forest Town Hall

The memorial sits outside Waltham Forest Town Hall in a corner of East London most visitors never reach. It's a solid stone monument, the kind that catches you off guard when you're walking past on an ordinary afternoon - no fanfare, no visitor centre, just the names of the fallen carved into granite.

You can visit it anytime since it's outside the town hall and entirely free. Don't expect to spend more than ten minutes there unless you're genuinely interested in reading the inscriptions. History buffs will appreciate the craftsmanship and the local significance - this is where Waltham Forest remembers its dead from both world wars. Families with older children might find it a quiet moment to explain what these memorials mean, though younger kids will likely get restless quickly.

What makes it worth a detour isn't the memorial itself - there are hundreds like it across Britain - but rather how it anchors you to this particular patch of East London. It's the kind of stop you'd make if you're camping at Lee Valley Camping and Caravan Park in Edmonton (just three miles away) or the slightly better-rated Lee Valley Campsite near Sewardstone. Both are functional bases for exploring the Lee Valley, and this memorial gives you a reason to venture into the town itself rather than spending the entire break on the caravan park.

Go quietly. Bring flowers if you're so inclined. Don't expect crowds or facilities. It's simply there, as it has been for generations.