The Sewardstone Road Hills

 

This walk goes in a loop from Bury Road across Lippitts Hill to Avey Lane & down to Sewardstone Road, before going back up through farmland towards Bury Road for some fantastic views over North London and West Essex. Part of this walk follows some of the paths used in a previous walk titled ‘The Western Slopes Of The Forest’.

 

 

I start this walk on the bend of Bury Road and Dawes Hill outside the entrance of Carrolls Farm. Keeping the farm to my right I walk North East along a track called Green Lane in front of the farm & continue past the farm down this straight track for around 320 yards, going past a few houses on my right before I reach a gate going onto a grassy bridleway which is a continuation of Green Lane. I go through the gate and continue for another 15 yards , taking the first right turn heading East which goes steeply uphill for around 180 yards before coming out onto West Essex Golf Course. 

 

Here I continue East then follow the path as it goes North then arcs North East along the perimeter of the Lippitts Hill Metropolitan police helicopter base. This bridleway is marked with arrows & as I follow the hedgerow round the police headquarters, wide views over North London open up to the West on my left. After around 450 yards the path comes out onto Lippitts Hill where I turn right and then immediately left into the entrance of Days Farm where I follow Arthurs lane, keeping to the right on the path I follow the fenceline on my right until the pathway opens out onto a grassy bridleway heading North East with telegraph poles along it. 

 

After around 300 yards I reach a fork in the path, I take the left fork which takes me up onto the grassy plateau of Aldergrove Hill, where I keep to the right following another tall fence which heads North. After around 100 yards keeping right there are further views over the Lea Valley before the path goes steeply downhill to my right through a wooded area, still keeping the fence to my right I follow the path downhill to a style which goes into a horse paddock.

 

I walk across this paddock keeping right until I reach the style at the other end. The horses in this field really are incredibly friendly and always approach me for a stroke. I go over the style out of this paddock & turn right onto Mott Street before turning left down the driveway of Elmwood. Again I keep to the right going past the first house then turn right following the path North East along a grassy hillside. This hillside gives some of the most spectacular local views over West Essex and North London. From here there are panoramic views and I can see for miles & across the countryside. This walk really is worth it just for these views alone.

 

The further I walk along this hillside the better the views get. The path goes down into a dip then back up, giving spectacular views over Galley Hill and Epping Green beyond Waltham Abbey. The path then goes steeply downhill along a wooded track to Avey Lane. Directly opposite the exit is Hangman’s Hill where I cross over the road. I walk North East along Pynest Green Lane for Just over 200 yards before following the footpath through a gap in the hedge to my left opposite High Beach Riding School, which takes me into Avey Lane Farm.

 

From here I walk North West downhill between a field & a hedgerow for around 400 yards before going through a gate then continue ahead going over a style into two paddocks which I cross keeping to the right before going over another style. The track then bends right & then left going through the centre of two very long fields for around a quarter of a mile. At the end of these fields I follow the grassy path as it bends right and then curves left again heading North West. I pass a small footbridge on my right & stay on the path which although well trodden gets more narrow past the bridge. Around 300 yards after the footbridge I come out through a gap in the hedge by a bus stop onto the A112 Sewardstone Road, where being careful of traffic I cross over turning left and heading South.

 

I walk past the entrance of Gunpowder Park and after around 200 yards go past a pedestrian gate into the park on my right, then after around another 15 yards I turn right to pick up the footpath again. I keep heading west in this field keeping the hedge to my right for around 60 yards before turning left heading South along the long hedgerow through the centre of the field heading South, again keeping the hedge to my right. After heading south for around 375 yards I turn right heading West & keeping the hedge to my left for approximately 100 yards before turning left heading South again following the hedge for 350 yards until I come out onto Hawes Lane, where I turn left out of the gate and then right onto Sewardstone Road.

 

 

I continue south along Sewardstone Road for just over a quarter of a mile going past Netherhouse Farm on my left & turning left into the field immediately after the farmhouse, directly opposite Ashbrook Court Care Home. From here after crossing the style I head diagonally South East across the first field to a rough track where i continue straight ahead uphill through the next field, then the path goes right heading South before bending South East again over a style in the hedge on my right. I cross this style through a small strip of woodland & emerge into a small paddock. I am now almost at the top of a wooded hill called Barn Hill. I cross one last style into the South west corner of the woods and turning around to look behind me there are fantastic views over North London to the West & continuing South East past the wooded area i can see wonderful countryside views to the North and East.

 

From here I cross one more field following the path South East after the woods until I reach a gap in the hedge to my right which I go through and then turn left heading East for a short distance until I find myself at the starting point of this walk back on the bend of Bury Road and Dawes Hill outside the entrance of Carrolls Farm. For a good local walk with brilliant views over the town and countryside this one really  is hard to beat. It has a bit of everything from farmland & woodland to open countryside and quiet bridleways. This was one of the first parts of the forest I explored and is a location I often return to when it gets more difficult to visit the Uplands in winter as the views here really are the next best thing.