Waltham Cross takes its name from one of the twelve Eleanor Crosses erected by Edward I in 1291 to mark the resting places of his wife's funeral cortege on its journey from Lincoln to London. The cross still stands in the town centre, heavily restored but one of only three originals to survive. It is an extraordinary piece of medieval craftsmanship to find in what is now a busy commuter town on the northern edge of London.
Nearby Waltham Abbey, just across the River Lea, is worth a visit — the abbey church has a Norman nave and is reputedly the burial place of King Harold, killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The Lee Valley Regional Park stretches south from here along the river, with nature reserves, walking trails, the white-water course built for the 2012 Olympics, and the remains of the Royal Gunpowder Mills. West of the town centre, Cedars Park sits on the grounds of the demolished royal palace of Theobalds.