This walk follows the course of Cripsey Brook from its source to the river Roding. Part of the route near the beginning is very challenging and it may be easier to pick the route up at further points so I have included an alternative starting point as well (marked with a dotted line on…
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Wintry Wood or the Lower Forest is part of Epping forest which is owned and managed by City of London Corporation. It sits in isolation from the main body of the forest to the North of Epping town, between Thornwood Village and Coopersale. This land is an important historical area which has seen a lot…
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The Roding valley park is managed by Vision Redbridge. Although now surrounded by fast flowing traffic and modern infrastructure, at one time much of this land was within the Royal forest of Essex and subject to forest law. The river Roding runs through an ancient landscape peppered with areas of archeological priority and the Redbridge…
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Are you a believer or a sceptic? Either way most people like a legend or two and Epping Forest has its fair share to tell, from Highwaymen to Hangman’s Hill there is a fable or two about most parts of the forest and here we will share some of the popular…
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Previously a part of the ancient Forest of Essex, Wanstead Park was once a deer park. The land was acquired by Henry VII in 1499 and In the grounds was Wanstead Hall, a fine 15th century hunting lodge where a young Henry VIII lived. This was later developed into Wanstead House, which was completed in…
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This walk takes me to the far east of the Epping Forest District to Chipping Ongar, at the end of the Epping Ongar Steam Railway line. The more modern 14th century name of Ongar was thought to mean ‘Grass Land’, with the pretext Chipping coming from an old English word refering to ‘Market Place’. Ongar…
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Highams Park is a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This was once an area of woodland pasture believed to have been cleared by the Saxons and there have been a number of manor houses here, the original of which was nearer to the river Lea. After this was demolished…
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The area known today as the newly planted Theydon Bois Wood to the East of Theydon Bois and alongside the M11 is believed to have once been part of Epping forest. As far back as the 18th century this piece of land appears on maps to be divided into separate fields and was once referred…
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