Wanstead’s Olive Branch ‘for sale’

It’s mysterious, but it seems that the Olive Branch, one of Wanstead’s popular coffee shops, is up for sale. An advert posted at Christie & Co describes the cafe as offering a “prime location in an affluent area”, with “good day and night footfall”, a “covered pavement area with seats”, and with “scope to improve trade”. The quoted price for the lease is £95,000, though it’s not stated how long this has to run.

There would be plenty of people in Wanstead who would be sorry to see the end of the Olive Branch, if that’s what this advert portends. It’s especially appreciated for being roomy and capable of accommodating families. But competition has seriously increased in the past year with Wanstead’s new Starbucks being rarely less than buzzing.

Any more information welcome at wansteadium[at]googlemail.com or via comments below.

What do Wanstead’s new ‘village’ signs mean?


Wanstead’s ‘village’ signs, erected this week, are now in place at either end of Wanstead High Street. For the curious, here is a guide to the symbols on the signs:

1. The coat of arms was previously that of Wanstead and Woodford Borough Council, which was incorporated into Redbridge in 1965, and dates from 1937.

2. The Latin inscription means “By wisdom and courage”

3. The birds (martlets) and lions on the shield refer to Westminster Abbey and Waltham Abbey, which oversaw Wanstead and Woodford.

4. The trees are a reference to Epping Forest

5. The herons are from the logo of the former Wanstead Urban District Council

6. St Mary The Virgin, Wanstead

7. Christchurch, Wanstead – rather confusingly pictured here as red rather than the actual grey.

8. Wanstead drinking fountain, outside Wanstead Underground station.

9. The horse chestnut leaves refer to Redbridge Borough Council.

(Sources: Civic Heraldry, Ordnance Survey)