Kennels At Walthamstow Stadium

Kennels at Walthamstow Stadium

These kennels form part of the 1930s complex at Walthamstow Greyhound Stadium on Chingford Road, built as an integral element of the first phase of construction in 1931. They are constructed of concrete with steeply pitched red tiled roofs, arranged in a splayed linear configuration at the east end of the track.

The kennels feature a distinctive layout centred on a tall tote board with a later face, flanked by original tall walls that curve down to the rear. The lower kennel range comprises individual kennels under pitched roofs. A colonnade on single posts runs in front of this range; the central posts are reinforced with a pair of curved braces. The colonnade is covered by corrugated roofs. At each end of the splayed side wings stand end pavilions with steeply pitched octagonal roofs that kick out at the bottom with prominent ribs and flashing. These pavilions have late 20th-century replacement windows. The concrete plinth features horizontal fluted detailing. A low concrete wall links the end pavilions and encloses the courtyard in front.

The interiors appear to consist only of kennels, which open directly onto the open courtyard. The kennels include a small tote board and are designed in an Art Deco-inspired style matching the materials and aesthetic of the separately listed Entrance Range with Tote Board.

Walthamstow Stadium was built in 1931 on the site of the former Walthamstow Grange football club by the Chandler family, who continue to own it. A licence was obtained under the Parliamentary Totalisator Betting Act in 1934. The complex has undergone successive improvements including rebuilt spectator stands in the years following construction, new glazed-in stands in 1965, and a new main entrance on the north side in 1969. The concrete south stand dates to 1938 and survives, albeit altered. A 1952 photograph taken for the Coronation shows the front illuminated with neon lights in the same design as now, though with additional swags bearing the inscription 'Long live Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'. The complex underwent considerable updating in the 1980s, when post-modern red tubular detailing was added and hospitality suites were updated.

Greyhound racing evolved as a sport from the 1920s, developing from the much older leisure pursuit of hare and rabbit coursing. The sport was invented by Oklahoma entrepreneur O.P. Smith, who created the mechanical hare. The sport came to England in 1925, with Belle Vue Greyhound Stadium in Manchester being the first facility established here, followed by White City in London. By 1939, there were 100 tracks in Britain, with London having at least ten. In 1946, attendance numbers rivalled those for football. The number of surviving tracks is considerably lower today, with 56 operating in Britain.

These kennels are notable as purpose-built structures that form an integral part of the best surviving and most architecturally interesting vintage greyhound stadium in the country. The stadium itself has special historic interest as the best surviving and most celebrated Inter-War greyhound stadium, representing a nationally significant building type expressive of developments in Inter-War mass culture and entertainment.