London
Green Belt Way 
London
Green Belt Way
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Stage 10 -
Cheshunt Station
to Epping Station
(11.65 miles)
Start: Grid
Reference TL3692302358 Post Code EN8 9AJ
StreetMap
ROUTE
DESCRIPTION
Start on the
River Lee Walk near Cheshunt Station and follow if for 2.8 miles to Swan & Pike
Pool. Then join the London Loop for 1.8 miles.
After leaving the London
Loop we cut
thru'
a golf course to Lippitts Hill, then onto High Beach in Epping Forest. We follow
paths thru'
the forest to join Green Ride / Centenary Walk and follow this all the way to
Epping Station.
To get to the
start, from Cheshunt Station, turn right along Windmill Lane. After 100 yards
cross bridge over Small River Lea, then stay straight on, under height
restriction, into Lee Valley Regional Park. After another 150 yards you reach
the Navigation towpath. Turn right along towpath.
Waltham Common Lock
is reached
after just 0.3 miles, the next on our route, many paths lead off in different
directions and one also crosses a footbridge over the Navigation. The path to
the right soon splits to veer both north and south. The
north path follows the Small River
Lee through Turnershill Marsh and after 600 yards comes out onto to Windmill
Lane next to Cheshunt railway station, The
south path soon crosses over the
Small River Lee and continues south along the east edge of
Bowyers Water
an ex-gravel pit, excavated by hand in the 1920s and now fishing lake and
wildlife sanctuary with some small islands in the middle. The lake is a popular
place for birdwatchers, has some beautiful water plants and covers an area of 35
acres. The path, to the left, across the footbridge and over the Lee Navigation
leads past the bottom corner of
Above, I have
only listed the main paths in this area. There are just so many and the go off
all over the place, following different rivers, going around the numerous lakes
and crossing the many marshes. With the rivers, it's
not bad enough that nobody can decide whether it's
the Lea or Lee, we also have the Lee Navigation, River Lea, Old River Lea, Small
River Lea, Powdermill Cut, Cornmill Stream and Horsemill Stream. Thank God, the
route we travel is a simple one.
80 yards after the lock, look across the canal to see the start of the Powder Mill Cut. This was the stream that supplied water to the Royal Gunpowder Mills.
After another
0.6 miles the Lee Navigation Path passes under another bridge. To the left, over
the canal, leads to more paths going off in different directions across Waltham
Marsh. To the right it soon splits, with wide footpath going north west through
Cheshunt Marsh and a road turning left to car park at the
Lee Valley White Water Centre
(official
website).
This was opened on 9 December 2010 by Princess Anne. You can watch
"Lee
Valley White Water Centre Launch" at
YouTube and also an
aerial video of the centre.
This venue hosted the London 2012 canoe slalom events with temporary seating for
12,000 spectators. Today it is used for canoe slalom and white-water rafting and
is open for public use. It's
also just a couple of hundred yards east of here where the famous Royal
Gunpowder Mills stand, but as far as I know there is not enough bridges across
all the rivers to reach there. However, new things appear all the time on maps
and who knows? I'll
may come back to this later.
After another
400 yards the towpath passes
Waltham Town Lock
and within a short distance goes under the A121 road bridge (Station
Road).
For tall people it may mean bending down as the road bridge is low
-
so why it's
called
If you wish to
divert and visit the Royal Gunpowder Mills, leave the towpath just before going
under the A121. Turn left towards Waltham Abbey and over the road bridge. After
100 yards turn left into
The Royal Gunpowder Mills started off as fulling mills for cloth production, set up by the monks of Waltham Abbey. In the early 17th Century the mills were converted to producing vegetable oils. This only lasted for a few years as with a shortage of gunpowder during the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665 - 1667) the mills were again converted, but this time to producing gun powder. The mills were taken over by the British Government in 1787 and prospered during the French Revolution Wars (1792 - 1802), the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815) cumulating in the Battle of Waterloo (1815). Production also increased during the Crimean War (1853 - 1856) with Russia and the Second Boer War (1899 - 1902) in South Africa. The mills were again in full production during World War I and for the start of World War II. The workforce more than doubled to over 6,000 and, like most other factories at the time, mainly consisted of women. However, in 1943 production moved away to the west and north where it was further out of the reach of German bombs. Production of gunpowder from the mills at Waltham Abbey was not just used for wars. There was much research and many scientific developments happened here during the centuries. The place is unique and also helped with construction as well as destruction. During and after the 18th Century explosives made here played a major part in the Industrial Revolution and what followed. It was used for quarrying and mining, blowing out tunnels and cuttings for railways and other transport links. After 1943 the site lay closed until 1945. It was then reopened and used by the government for research into rocket fuel and ejection seats for planes. The government finally ceased using the mills in 1991 and much of the land on the south of the site was sold. Today The Royal Gunpowder Mills cover an area of 175 acres of natural parkland. It is recognised as an Anchor Point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and boasts 21 buildings of major historic importance.
The church and the centre of Waltham Abbey are only a short walk from the Lee Navigation and there is a lot of history to see by making a slight detour. I think it's worth the mention I give it below.
The earliest
recorded history of the town at Waltham
Abbey dates back to the reign of
King Canute (d. 1035), when a member of the Royal Court,
Tovi the Proud,
brought a miraculous stone cross (the Holy Rood) from his estate in
Somerset. From this is derived the area's old name, Waltham Holy Cross. There are many
different versions of this story, but the general gist of it is as follows.
Legend has it the local blacksmith dreamt that on a hilltop at Montacute, 15
miles south of
Glastonbury,
a holy treasure was buried. Excavations uncovered a slate (or flint) cross. Tovi
at the time was standard bearer to King Canute and owner of the lands in the
area. He placed the cross on a cart pulled by 12 white and 12 red oxen. He
wanted to take the cross and put it on display at Glastonbury Abbey. However,
the oxen refused to go in the right direction. Instead they made their way
across country and didn't
stop till they got to
Harold was Earl
of East Anglia from 1044 and on the death of his father in 1053 also succeeded
to the Earldom of Wessex. He became the most powerful man in
The throne of
His army,
depleted and tired, marched to meet William. The two armies met near
William's
accession to the throne as King William I on
"By command of the Duke, you rest here as a King, O Harold, that you may be guardian still of sea and shore"
Later Harold's
body was taken to
"THIS STONE MARKS THE POSITION OF THE HIGH ALTAR BEHIND WHICH KING HAROLD IS SAID TO HAVE BEEN BURIED 1066",
The inscription
on the other is a bit more to the point,
"HAROLD KING OF
Under William
the Conqueror the power and wealth of the church which Harold had built at
Waltham Abbey
prospered during Norman Times. The
"Holy
Cross"
was a religious place for many pilgrims including Henry II who visited many
times. Other royalty and nobility also came to pray and pay their respect.
Eleanor of Castile,
Queen Consort to Edward I (aka Longshanks) became feverish at Harby in
Nottinghamshire on her way to
Eleanor's
funeral took place at Westminster Abbey on
When Edward I (1237 - 1307) died his body lay in state at Waltham Abbey for many weeks before his burial at Westminster Abbey.
It was at
Waltham Abbey during the early 16th Century where King
The ruins of
the old abbey, which are visible in the grounds of the
Abbey Church, contain the oldest Norman works in the country. The
Abbey was the last in the country to be dissolved by
There are many
other things of interest to see in the grounds of the Abbey (see informative
video at
YouTube). The Cornmill Stream flows through the
Abbey Gardens and this is crossed by a 14th Century stone
bridge, named "Harold's
Bridge".
There are walls and other remains of the Priory and Abbey, and the 14th
Century Lady Chapel and crypt have been converted to a visitor's
centre and shop. Each year in October a
"King Harold Day"
is held in Abbey gardens to remember the last Saxon king.
The town of
Waltham Abbey
has many old buildings with wooden frames, such as the Welsh Harp and Sun Inns.
In front of The Crown Pub in Romeland is a well dating from 1877. The Prime
Meridian Line cuts through the town and is marked by a mosaic in the Abbey
Grounds and by a plaque in Sun Street. The
Epping Forest District Museum is in Sun Street. The museum comprises of two timber
framed houses dating from 1520. It shows the history of the area from
Stone Age to present day, and admission is free.
Continue south along the River Lee Navigation footpath from
For the next
mile to the north tip of
Shortly after the Highbridge Road the towpath crosses a footbridge over the entrance to a small marina and continues south with a large industrial estate fenced off to the right and the canal to the left. Soon the route passes under the M25 (at 1.65 miles) and the industrial estate is replaced by the open greenery of Rammey Marsh. On reaching Rammey Marsh Lock look back to see the blue motorway bridge in the distance. Blue seems to be the standard colour to paint bridges carrying motorways over rivers. Maybe it's part of government policy - an election manifesto promise which has been adhered too.
A footbridge,
over the southern end of the lock leads to the
Narrowboat Cafe.
I've
never visited, but looking at their Facebook page, Jeremy Corbyn did in May
2020, so it could be a good place for a break.
Just before the
lock, across the river, is
Rammey Marsh Cruising Club, and before and after the lock, on the
opposite side of the river, boats line the bank. This is one of the many small
communities of river-folk who have become so common on
The route continues along the Lee Navigation and after another 500 yards the Old River Lee goes off to the left and behind the old cottages of Government Row. Then 500 yards later we pass under a new road bridge providing access to the modern housing development of Enfield Island Village. This consists of just over 1,300 properties, has its own small shopping area, some green space and a boat basin in the middle. The housing was built between 1997 and 2003. The island is bounded by the River Lee Flood Relief Channel to the east and by the Old River Lee to the west. The basin was originally used for loading arms onto barges but is no longer connected to the river. In the centre is a solitary narrowboat, the Harold Turpin, named after the man who developed the Sten Gun. It was taken away to be repainted and returned in 2010. You can watch a video of its return at YouTube. For up to date information on the area visit the Enfield Island Village Trust website.
The old
cottages
of Government Row front onto the navigation from the opposite bank for the next
half a mile to
Enfield Lock.
The lock was built in 1811 to keep the water level in the canal navigable. The
adjacent
lock-keeper's cottage
was built at the same time and Government Row cottages were built to house local
factory workers in 1816. The row of houses is quite unique in having the canal
flowing past their fronts and the Old River Lee flowing past the bottom of their
back gardens.
Immediately
after Enfield Lock we part company with the Lee Valley Path by turning left to
cross over the canal. We also join the London Loop here and follow it for 1.8
miles. It is waymarked.
The Lee Valley
Path continues for 13 miles to the River Thames at Bow. On the way it passes
through the site of the
London 2012 Olympic Park
(now renamed
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park)
at Stratford
The
London Loop is a 150 mile path around Outer London. It was
pioneered by the London Walking Forum, was officially opened in 2001 and is
In front, where we crossed the canal, stood Rifles Pub, It closed in 2008, was derelict for a few years, then demolished, and is now flats. The pub took its name from the old Royal Small Arms Factory on Enfield Island. The factory began in 1816 and through the years produced swords, muskets and rifles for the British Armed Forces. It was privatised in 1984, and later bought by British Aerospace, but closed in 1988. It is famous for the Lee Enfield Rifle, designed by James Lee, and named after him and not the river. The main square around which the arms factory was built is also called after him and still retains his name today. There is a canal basin in the centre of the square and there are many other old listed buildings to see. Some have been converted to shops, cafes, workshops and a small museum. They provide a communal centre for the adjacent new housing development. For more information visit the Royal Small Arms Island Centre website or the Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield Apprentices Association "for all ex-Apprentices who "served their time" at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock".
Immediately over the canal turn right, signed London Loop, through a metal barrier, and onto the towpath. The canal is now on your RHS.
After 130 yards cross a footbridge, then immediately over, turn left on a footpath along the edge of Swan & Pike Pool leading to the entrance to a car park. Cross over the entrance of the car park onto a footpath, soon passed a metal gate, to your RHS, and onto a path, signed London Loop.
Swan & Pike
Pool is shown on an information notice board. It is a pleasant place to sit next
to the river as it widens to a large pool. It was named after a local pub of the
same name and was formally a basin for barges to turn and a Victorian bathing
pool. Today it is a popular place for
anglers.
The
path turns right with another branch of the river to your LHS. After 45 yards
stay straight on keeping the river to your left and ignoring the footbridge over
the river to Enfield Island.
Just before the
footbridge is an information board entitled,
"Enfield Lock
Heritage Trail Board 3 of 4".
It says how the bridge was originally built in 1915 to carry goods trains
serving the Royal Small Arms Factory and by 1917 was handling 70 trucks per day.
You can read the board by downloading the largest image at
Geograph.
Continue straight on along the towpath for another 350 yards to where the path veers right and then turns left to cross a footbridge over a branch stream used as an intake for the nearby reservoir - you can see the huge wall of the reservoir to the right.
All the while to the left the opposite bank is lined with trees and behind them are modern houses and open spaces on Enfield Island.
Once
over the footbridge (at 3 miles) the path continues next to the river for 230
yards then turns left to cross the river via a
footbridge
and onto the southernmost part of Enfield Island. Once over the bridge follow
the path to another footbridge after 60 yards - this time over the Flood Relief
Channel.
On crossing
this third bridge to the right is a tall and long grassy bank. This is the
King George V Reservoir,
the largest within the Greater London boundary, covering an area of 420 acres.
Adjacent and immediately south of it is the
William Girling Reservoir,
covering an area of 334 acres. Collectively they are known as the Chingford
Reservoirs and provide a large percentage of the capital's
water supply.
Before leaving the River Lea, for the final time, there's a very appropriate song by Adele about the river. Though I'm not sure if it's the River Lea, Lee, New River Lee, Old River Lea, Small River Lea or some other version of the Lea or Lee.
Immediately over the footbridge, follow the path as it veers left towards some
trees and to and through a wooden kissing gate. Stay straight on
past a grass path going left and at fork stay right
following the signs of
the London Loop.
The path veers right and then through some trees. Soon the path widens to a lane and eventually leads through metal bollards to a road with a small parking / turning area to the right.
Stay straight on along
the pavement staying on the LHS of the road (Godwin Close) until it reaches a
T-junction with a main road - the A112 (Sewardstone Road).
The parkland we
passed through from the last footbridge to Godwin Close is Sewardstone Marsh.
This is a
nature reserve
and is part of the Lee Valley Regional Park. and is an open green area for
wildlife, for people to enjoy and greatly used by locals to walk their dogs.
Just before exiting the park to Godwin Close we cross the
Prime Meridian Line
for the third time. However, when I last visited there was not a marker for this
next to the path.
Sewardstone
takes its name from "Seward's
ton (farmstead)".
It was first recorded in 1177 when Henry II made a grant of lands here to the
canons of Waltham Abbey. Although, not within the boundary of Greater London it
still falls within the London post code area as E4 and thus has a section on
Hidden
London.
At the end of Godwin Close turn right along the main road (A112) for 100 yards.
On
reaching Sewadstone Close (to your RHS), cross the road to climb a stile, to the
right of a metal gate and into a field. There are two paths, one goes straight
on along the edge of the field, the other goes diagonally across the field at an
angle to the right and is signed
On Sunday
mornings, and some bank holidays, you may encounter a car boot sale in this
field and will have to find your way through it.
At the
opposite corner exit the field via a stile. Then straight on along a farm track
towards a tree covered hill.
The climb up
through the fields is a pleasant one. On clear days there are great views over
the
King George V
& William Girling Reservoirs to London.
After
320 yards follow the track right,
then after another 170 yards left.
Look out for
a stile on the right (it's easy to miss this). Cross the stile
to follow a path through a
narrow wood.
At the end of the wood
cross a stile and follow the fence on the left to reach another
stile. Immediately bear to the left. Walk up the sleeper steps and over the
track to the stile in front. Follow the way-marker directions across the field
to the next stile. Cross this stile and track to the path on the other side.
We are now in Epping Forest and again look right for the
view
over the reservoir and beyond.
On entering a wood (and just before reaching a road - Daws Hill) turn left and onto path through the woods and eventually out onto a lane.
At this point
we depart ways with the route of the London Loop as it turns right on its
journey to Chingford.
Just a few
yards south of here, across
By 1919 the house and grounds had fallen into great decline. However, that year,
due to a generous donation, it was purchased by the Scouts and became their
first outdoor camping park. During World War II it was used by the War Ministry
as a local command centre and training camp. After the war it was handed back to
the Scouts. Since then the Scouts Association acquired surrounding lands to
enlarge the park to its present size of over 100 acres. Today it is the Scouts
Headquarters, is used for their training, for both outdoor and indoor activities
and also as a
conference centre and place to stay. Gilwell Hall still stands as a large
house in the centre of the park and is just now aptly named The White House. The
name Gilwell seems to originate from the original name and means
"meadow spring" or
"meadow well".
Many sources claim Gilwell Park was once the home of Baden-Powell (1857 - 1941), the founder of the Scout's Movement. However, although he came to stay and camp many times, he never lived here.
Turn
left along the lane for 280 yards to just past some isolated houses. A few yards
after passing a metal barrier and immediately past the last house turn right at
a junction of bridleways, signed Lippitts Hill. Follow this east for 200 yards
to a golf course (West Essex Golf Club).
On
reaching the golf course veer left to follow the bridleway across a fairway to a
line of trees. Follow the bridleway along the line of trees for another 570
yards and out onto a road (Lippitts Hill).
NOTE:
Be careful
crossing the golf course as sometimes the route can be diverted. Also be
wary of golfers playing as you could get struck by a ball or put golfers off
their game.
Through the
fence, to the right of the bridleway, is the Metropolitan Police Training Centre
and their firearms training centre. It was home to the
Met Police Air Support Unit
until 2017, when it was moved to North Weald Airfield. As you
walk
along here you may
hear some gunshots, but I wouldn't
worry as it's
just the firearms officers training.
During World
War II this was used as a
military base
by the US Marines and towards the end the wars as a prisoner of war camp by the
British. Also, shortly before the road is the
EAAGA memorial.
The Essex Anglo-American Goodwill Association commemorates the work here of the
US Army 184th anti-aircraft artillery battalion in defending London
during WWII. You can read more at the Lippitts Hill entry on
Wikipedia.
Turn
right along the road for 70 yards, then turn left, onto a gravel drive, signed
"Bridleway,
Mott Street 0.5 m"
(this is the drive to Day's
Farm) at 5.3 miles.
Lippitts Hill
is an interesting and secluded place with only a minor road running through it.
A short distance further along the road is the pleasant pub
The Owl,
behind which sits Pipers Farm and the
Willows Rustic Camping and Caravanning.
The area was a popular place for poets and you can read more about the local
Poets' Walk
(see
map).
Three houses at Lippitts Hill made up the "lunatic asylum" run by Dr Matthew Allen. Springfield House is just a few hundred yards south west of The Owl, Lippitts Hill Lodge is just past this and Fairmead House was 500 yards further along on Church Road. They were all near to the, now demolished, old High Beach Church of St Paul. Springfield House was for the more difficult patients, Lippitts Hill Lodge was for the men. A blue plaque, overlooking the road, states "John Clare The Famous Poet lived here in Lippitts Hill Lodge 1837 - 1841". Fairmead House was for the women. It was demolished and a large house, named Suntrap, was built on the site in 1894. Originally this was a children's tuberculosis sanatorium. In 1967, the London Borough of Waltham Forest bought Suntrap for 500 pounds to create a centre to provide environmental education for children in the borough. It is now The Hive in the Forest.
John Clare
(1793 -
1864), the "peasant
poet"
was admitted to the asylum in 1937 suffering from delusions. Whilst here he was
allowed to walk freely around the forest, and wrote some of his best works. He
most likely had a few encounters with
Alfred Tennyson, later Lord and Poet Laureate, who lived with his
mother at the nearby Beech Hill Park between 1837 and 1840. Tennyson became
friendly with Dr Allen and often visited the asylum.
Tennyson's
mother was a nervous person and he didn't
like not to be with her at night. He would often travel to London to meet with
his friends, but would always return home by evening. It was in St Paul's
churchyard where he wrote part of the poem "In Memoriam".
This area is
still very like it was then with many large houses occupied by the wealthy. Many
of these would have financed the church and paid a yearly fee to have their own
seat. Tennyson and his mother were
"seat-holders"
at St Paul's.
However, High Beach Church history suggests Tennyson seemed to prefer those in
the asylum to some of the gentry:
"Tennyson visited the Asylum and was reported as being "delighted with the mad people ... the most agreeable and the most reasonable persons he has met with". He was "greatly taken" with Dr Allen, but not enthusiastic about his other neighbours. "Large set dinners", he wrote, "with stores of venison and champagne, are very good things of their kind, but one wants something more; and Mrs Arabin seems to me the only person about who speaks and acts as an honest and true nature dictates". The venison and champagne dinners must have been at the Manor House, Captain Sotheby as Lord of the Manor having an entitlement of Forest deer."
In July 1841,
Clare decided to make his escape and walk 80 miles home to his birthplace of
Helpston in Northamptonshire. The walk took three and a half days and he later
wrote about it in his book
"Journey
Out of Essex".
His walk home to freedom, happiness, and to a long lost love would turn out to
be a sad one and many years later was revisited by
Iain Sinclair
in his book "The Edge of Orison".
In December 1841
Clare
was committed to a lunatic asylum in Northampton and continued to produce great
works until his death in 1864. There is no one link which really sums up
John Clare, so in 1981 the
John Clare Society
was founded "to promote a deeper knowledge of this
remarkable poet".
Although a
pleasant and scenic place, there is a dark story to the area. In 1970 Lippitts
Hill was in the news due to a case which became known as the
"Babes in Woods"
killings. Two local children from
After
50 yards and just before the lane turns left, turn right onto a narrow track /
bridleway (Pepper Alley). Follow this past a derelict barn and across an area of
scrubland. At the far end of the scrubland, at a junction of tracks, turn right
and past
High Beach Cricket Club
to your RHS.
Pepper Alley
is
enclosed
along here and
leads
to a road (Mott Street).
Turn
right along the road, soon past
Wallsgrove House to the right (it's a big house behind a big
wall and was once home to the Baring family, owners of a
bank
of the same name).
Follow
Mott Street as it veers left and past Church Road to your RHS (at 6 miles).
The entrance to the
Manor House is to the left.
After
another 100 yards, at a crossroads, turn right signed High Beach Church. Then
after 160 yards, turn left into Church Lane.
As you turn into Church Lane the graveyard is to your right and High Beach
Church is in front. Holy Innocents Church was built
in 1873 to replace the older St Paul's. It was designed by
Arthur
Blomfield at a cost of 5,500
pounds,
which was paid by
Thomas Baring of Wallsgrove House and named after two children of the
Baring family who had died in infancy. Although, nestled in the woods, the spire
is 125 feet and sticks out above the tree-line, as you can see from this
video.
Nothing, above ground, remains of St Paul's Church. It was about a third of a mile southwest on the east side of Church Road.
Turn
right through the lychgate and straight on along the path past the
church.
If time permits and Holy Innocents Church is open, then why not have a look inside. There is a lot of information on the church website and a detailed histories on both of the High Beach Churches.
Just
past the church, veer left onto a path through the trees. After 230 yards the
path leads out onto a road. Turn left along the road.
You can walk along the road or use the grass verge. The road is named Paul's
Nursery Road, but on some maps is labelled as High Beach. The name comes from an
old plant nursery, to our right as we walk. I'm
not sure how old it is, but it is shown on an 1895 map at
Francis Frith. According to City of London:
"Paul's Nursery, once a famous plant nursery, is now a span of mixed woodland and grassland; but the exotic plants once grown here can still be found. Rhododendrons, azaleas and numerous other flowers offer bright colours in the summer."
Soon to the left is a large pond and shortly after this is
Beech Hall
Studios. The white house next to this used to have two blue plaques
on its front wall. One is to Frank
R Clark (artist & goldsmith) and the other to
Fred Speakman,
20th Century naturalist and author.
Soon we
approach
The King's Oak
to our right, with the openness of High Beach Green across the road to our left.
The present hotel / pub building dates from c1887 and was built on the site of
an older inn of the same name. The building has a lot of stories to tell. The
name seems to come from an ancient tree, named King Harold's
Oak which sat on the green opposite the hotel, but is no-longer there (see
link).
The pub is said to be haunted, I'm
not sure by how many ghosts, one is said to be the ghost of a young girl who
reportedly drowned nearby. Behind the King's
Oak is a 100 ft long
swimming pool, built in the 1930s, the King's
Oak Lido, and behind this was the
High Beach Speedway. According to the link, the speedway was
originally a cinder athletics track, dating back to at least 1909 and in 1928
hosted the first motorcycle speedway event in the UK. It became very popular and
although, in the early days could only cater for 2,000 spectators, at times,
tens of thousands would attend (see
old video).
High Beach
Green is a popular film and TV location over the years. Even
"The
Only Way is Essex"
has filmed by the King's
Oak. According to the pub website, an
unexpected visitor, during October 2016, was singer Justin Bieber
after a walk in the forest.
Next to the pub
is the King's
Oak Cafe
with its
outdoor seating, behind this is an Oyster Snack & Seafood Bar and there is also
a public toilet block. Across the green, at Pillow Mounds Car Park, is
The Acorn Tea Hut (also known as Carl's
Kiosk). This area is situated on a ridge in the centre of the forest and
provides great views looking northwest to Waltham Abbey and west over London.
Dominating High
Beach Green is the
red
oak tree. The
Queen's Oak was planted on 6 May 1882 on the occasion of the visit of
Queen Victoria to High Beach in Epping Forest, when she declared that "the
forest be dedicated to the use and enjoyment of the public for all time". A
contemporary newspaper report stated that on the day of the visit East London
was deserted as up to half a million people made their way to the forest for the
day.
A
road, to the right of the oak tree, leads behind the King's Oak pub to the
Epping Forest Visitor Centre and
Epping Forest Field Centre. It's in this area where the High Beach
Speedway was sited. Looking at
Google Earth you can see a well-defined ring of trees around the
buildings that probably shows the outline of the track.
Epping Forest
covers 6,000 acres and is all is left of the Royal Forest of Waltham, which in
1641 was recorded as covering an area ten times as large. Two thirds of the
forest is woodland the rest is grassland, heath, rivers, ponds and swamp. It is
the largest open space in the
Most of the
history of the forest may have been lost with time. However, there is still
evidence of "Iron
Age"
forts; stories of Iceni Warriors; Roman battles; Saxon saints; Norman invaders;
Tudor hunting grounds; notorious highwaymen; a place to escape war and plague,
and a retreat for famous artists and writers.
The forest was
given its royal status by King
The Epping
Forest Act of 1878 may not be particularly well known today, but this crucial
piece of legislation turned a royal hunting ground into a public forest and
ensured this priceless piece of woodland would remain accessible to Londoners
for generations to come. Today the
City of London Corporation
(previously known as the Corporation of London), as the
"Under
the terms of the Act, the purpose of the Forest is to provide an open space for
the recreation and enjoyment of the public and this is to be achieved by
conserving the Forest in all its vegetative forms and doing it in such a way
that the Forest feels to the visitor to be a natural place. It is this natural
aspect that distinguishes the Forest as an open space and gives to the Londoner
visiting the
The quote above
is taken from the City of
The
One of the main
tasks of the Forest Management Team is the conservation of the natural habitats
in which the
forest's
wildlife and plants
can continue to flourish.
Although deer hunting is no longer allowed as a sport, there are still many other recreational activities taking place here. To list them all would probably not be possible, but some popular ones with local clubs in brackets after are: walking on your own or with a group (The Ramblers Association); cross-country running (Orion Harriers); horse riding (Epping Forest Riders Association); mountain biking (Epping Forest Mountain Biking); fishing, usually with a permit; orienteering (Chigwell & Epping Forest Orienteering Club); camping (Willows Rustic Camping and Caravaning); scouting (Gilwell Park Scout Centre) golf (there are a few courses), and conservation volunteering (Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers). There is no definitive list of all the activities going on here, but you can visit the City of London website to read more about sports events and activities and wildlife in the forest.
As well as
Tennyson
and John Clare, many other well-know people lived in this area over the years. Admiral George Cockburn
(1772 -
1853), who ferried
Napoleon
to his exile in St Helena, also lived in the village, ironically as did the
emperor's nephew
Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte
(1813 -
1891).
Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917), writer and poet, and Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918), war poet, were both based at High Beach during World War I. They both died during the war, whilst fighting in Europe.
Dick Turpin
(1705 -
1739), probably the world's
most notorious highwayman, as a fugitive he lived for many years in a cave at
High Beach. Previously he was a member of the notorious Essex Gang, but then
went out on his own. According to an article from
Britannia.com
(link broken) he wasn't
very successful until he made a major error in trying to rob the wrong person.
The quote below is from the Britannia website.
"One
day, on the road to
The
dandy was 'Captain'
Tom King, one
of the best-known highwaymen of the day and the kind of swashbuckling,
devil-may-care character into which legend would later transform Turpin."
The two highwaymen became friends and partners in crime. They would lay in wait in their cave hideaway at High Beach from where they had a good view of the road and rob almost anyone who passed. The phrase "Stand and Deliver" is associated with Turpin. There have been many book and songs written about him, and movies based on his exploits. Listen to one song by Horrible Histories at YouTube. Through time Turpin has been glorified into a hero, but on researching it's a wholly different story as he appears to have been a real scoundrel.
On 4th
May 1735 a local gamekeeper named
Thomas Morris
came across Turpin in the forest at Fairmead Bottom near Loughton. He recognised
the highwayman and tried to apprehend him. Turpin drew his pistol and killed
Morris. Shortly afterwards Turpin stole a distinctive black mare, at gunpoint,
from a man called Major. Turpin named his new horse Black Bess. However, with
Major wanting his prize mare back, this resulted in the capture of Tom King and
almost that of Turpin. With things not going his way and now a huge bounty on
his head, Turpin rode north on Black Bess at speed to York, a place where he
thought he would not be known. He changed his name to John Palmer and became a
horse dealer and breeder and bought properties in
There are ghost
stories about
Hangmans Hill
is where many years ago convicted criminals were dragged up to be hanged. It has
a reputation of being haunted and is now popular with vehicles as apparently,
like the convicts, the hill pulls them up when their engine is turned off. There
are so many videos on this. Here are two from
YouTube1 and
YouTube2
- they also link to others. Whether it's an optical illusion, or not, you can see it's a scary experience for the drivers. Sometimes
people find it difficult to locate the exact location of Hangmans Hill as it
does not often appear on many maps, so I've marked it on
StreetMap.
In 1973 the
rock band Genesis included a track on their album
"Selling England by the Pound"
entitled "The Battle of Epping Forest".
The
song
goes on for over 11 minutes and tells about a fight for territory between
During
Medieval Times
and even before and later, people who lost everything would have no choice but
to find refuge -
there were no state benefits in those days and just staying alive was a feat.
Many would relocate to dense forests where they could live off the land and
hide. However, this was breaking laws as the Norman lords would hold claim to
the ground they slept on and the wildlife and plants they lived off. These poor
people were classified as
outlaws
as they were forced to live outside the law. They would have to compete with
others who were forced into the same situation. They would often fight and kill
for a meal -
sometimes they had no choice. If caught by the landowners, they would be
imprisoned or executed
-
prison was the less harsh of the two, but it still meant their death sentence.
Prisoners didn't
get three meals a day, have their own cells and weren't
able to watch Sky TV in those days
-
they were piled on top of each other, diseases were rife and any food was a
luxury.
Epping Forrest was a place (as mentioned above) where destitute people went to live and it must have many stories to tell of the poor people who were forced into crime and sought shelter here through thousands of years. You can read later in this stage how even before the Romans, ancient Celtic tribes used the forest to build forts to protect themselves and their livestock from enemies and how eventually these great forts became unoccupied because of the overpowering force of the Roman legions.
In Ken Follett's
epic book "The Pillars of the Earth"
he gives a great insight into how during early Norman Times dense forests were
places to be avoided. On reading the book the only woodland I could keep
thinking about was
The paths through the forest are pleasant, but can be very hilly in places. However, there are many things to distract your attention from these hills. Stay on course, enjoy the scenery passed, yet still beware of riders on horseback and cyclists on their mountain bikes.
After 300 yards and
as you pass the King's Oak Hotel, veer left onto High Beach Green,
but stay along the RHS to reach Queen Victoria's
Oak. Turn right to cross over the road and
into
a road signed Epping Forest
Centre. Almost immediately, at the Corporation of London sign, turn left onto a
footpath.
In just
a few yards the path divides, veer right with the main path as it gradually goes
away from the road.
Follow
for 160 yards, just past a
pond,
to a T-junction with a wide track/bridleway. Turn right along the bridleway and
into the forest. Stay straight on for 300 yards, ignoring paths leading away on
both sides. Immediately before the bridleway turns right, turn left onto a path
/ bridleway heading north-east. The path is well-defined and after 370 yards
leads to the busy A104 (Epping New Road at 7.05 miles). Cross straight over onto
another wide sandy bridleway with a car park and picnic area to the left.
The road
although busy and fast is very straight in both directions with good visibility,
decide when to cross with care.
The area around this sandy path is named Little Monk Wood. It takes its name from the monks of two abbeys, Waltham Abbey and Stratford Langthorne Abbey, being given permission in the 13th Century to take wood from this area. It was a long way to cart wood from, but that's how things worked in those days.
Follow this wide and sandy bridleway as it goes slightly uphill, before descending gradually and eventually to a fork (after 600 yards). Take the left fork, and after just a few yards, at a T-Junction of paths turn left. The route has now joined Centenary Walk and also Green Ride.
Loughton Camp is an ancient earthwork, an Iron-Age camp, dating back to around 500 BC. It is 300 yards south west of the T-junction of paths. If you wish to divert to visit the camp turn right at the T-junction and after 450 yards turn right onto another path to reach the camp 200 yards later. This all may sound a bit contradictory, but the last path does go northwest to the southern side of the camp. The camp covers an area of 10 acres and is built on a hill. It is surrounded by high earth mounds and was originally defended by a wooden wall - only the earthworks still remain. The main enclosure is believed to have been used as a place to hold livestock for a local Celtic tribe (named the Trinovantes) whilst they fought off invaders from the boundaries of the fort. The last invaders were the Romans, but their huge legions were too much for the local tribe, thus the camp no longer proved much of a fortification and hence was abandoned.
The route is totally surrounded by trees and we are now very deep into the heart of the forest. It's peaceful and beautiful and it remains like this for the next few miles. Our route along Centenary Walk crosses a few roads. These are mainly flat as they cut through the forest. However, unseen by the motorist our route follows a roller-coaster ride of steep climbs and descents through this ancient woodland.
Centenary Walk
is one the main paths / tracks through the forest and stretches for 15 miles
from Manor Park to Epping Station. It was founded in 1978 to celebrate the
centenary of the Act of Parliament which saved the forest. It joins up many
ancient tracks to form a continuous path. Each year in September there is an
annual walk organised by the
Friends of Epping Forest
along the full distance of the path. We follow Centenary Walk for just over four
miles to Epping Station. Three miles of this is in the forest and for this
distance the "Walk"
also joins up with another major path called
"Green Ride"
which was opened 100 years earlier by Queen Victoria, who rode along it in an
open top carriage. At points along the path there are benches to rest on and
even some well-maintained
"coal posts"
where many years ago merchants were taxed for transporting their commodities
along this route.
By reading a map when travelling through this area of the forest some place names passed give us a clue to its history. Names like "Bellringers Bay", "Pig Corner", "Lost Pond", "Great Monk Wood" and "Hangboy Slade" must have some stories to tell. A book by Ken Hoy, entitled "Getting to Know Epping Forest", can be bought at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and provides lots of information of the different areas of the forest and where some of the place names originate from.
Follow
this
main track
(Centenary Walk) through the forest for 0.8 miles to then cross over another
main road (A121) at a picnic area named the
"Broadstrood"
(at 8.25 miles), where once again the road is straight with good visibility in
both directions.
Once over follow
the main path as it first goes
right of the picnic area then turns left and behind the picnic area.
After
another 0.4 miles, at a T-junction of paths, keep left and staying with
Centenary Walk. In a further 0.4 miles the track reaches a third road (B172) at
"The
Ditches"
and "Jack's
Hill".
This time take a lot more care crossing as there is a blind bend. However, once
safely across it's
easy to keep straight on along the main path ignoring a track off to the right.
After another 350 yards go straight on avoiding a wide track to the left.
Centenary Walk is a wide and beautiful track, but it can be very hilly in
places. Here are links to a few photos to give you a taster.
Photo1,
Photo2,
Photo3,
Photo4,
Photo5.
By now if you think you have seen enough hills, I have to apologies as it does not get any better. Also, at some points along the route, you maybe tempted to divert onto a path off to the right or left, please don’t.
Half a mile
after crossing the B172 and just off the path in the woods to the left is
Ambresbury Banks,
an
Iron Age encampment and now signposted as an ancient
monument. This is where
Boudicca,
the
Iceni
warrior queen, is sometimes said to have made her last stand against the Romans
in AD 61. In defeat she poisoned her two daughters and herself so as not to be
captured. An
obelisk,
just 1.5 miles northwest of here, at Warlies Park, is said to mark the spot
where she died. However, other places also hold a claim. Some believe her ghost
haunts the forest.
There is
nothing left of the wooden fort, but the
high banks
on which it stood and the ditch around it are both still very visible. To walk
around the ditch will take a while as it encloses an area of 4.5 hectares. The
link to the source above also suggests it may have been re-used by
King Arthur
in his fight against the Danes.
From
Ambresbury
Banks continue straight on along the main path. After 600 yards, as
the path divides,
stay left
(at 10 miles).
After
another 0.45 miles, where the path turns 90
degrees
right, veer left through the trees onto an
open grassy
area (Bell Common). Once through the trees turn right along the worn
grassy path and to a road (Theydon Road)
Turn
left along the road, staying on the LHS. After 150 yards and just before the
road turns left, cross over to the RHS, staying right in front of the Forest
Gate Inn and into a narrow road named Bell Common Take care crossing as it is a
blind bend and can be busy.
Bell Common
is where the route appears to leave the forest. The inviting looking 17th
Century
Forest Gate Inn,
set back from the road and fronting onto the green, also helps to endorse this.
However, officially the route continues through the forest for over another half
a mile to the eastern edge of Bell Common where it enters
Bell Common is
believed to have been the site of an ancient beacon and is now a designated
Conservation Area.
Following the narrow road after the pub, the open area of the common is to the
left and to the right is lined with interesting old houses dating from the 16th
Century to the 20th Century, many of which are listed buildings.
Follow
the road through
On
reaching an opening in a line of trees turn left on a bridleway between the
trees (which for some reason is named Western Road on maps. It is also still
Centenary Walk).
Follow the path straight on between trees for 350 yards, and then out onto a
residential road (Western Avenue).
Turn
left along the pavement, which gradually veers right and to a T-junction with
Centre Drive. Turn left along Centre Drive (cross over as soon as possible) and
follow the footpath for 400 yards to just past
"Woodland
Grove".
Here turn right onto an
enclosed
footpath, signed by an underground symbol. This cuts between houses
and leads downhill. The path turns left, then right around a large car park and
leads to
Epping Station.
On approaching the station, the entrance is to the right. However, if you intend
to continue, veer slightly right across the road to a footbridge and cross it
into Hill Crescent Way.
For such a
small town, Epping Station is a busy one with over 6,000 passengers a day. The
car park you just walked around is the largest on the London Underground system
with 519 spaces.
On the front
wall of
Epping Station is a
plaque
which commemorates the opening of the
Essex Way
in 1972. This is a long distance path which stretches for 82 miles across the
county and finishes by the coast at Harwich. We will follow it, in the main,
until just after Chipping Ongar.
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