This was a circular walk of 8 miles from Chingford station, NE into Epping Forest, then return SW to Chingford.

The usual stats:

• Event led by Andy A.
• Attendance: 24 men.
• Distance: 7.78 miles (12.5 km).
• Altitude per GPS: low 311ft (94.8m), high 580ft (176.8m), climb 1381ft (420.9m), descent 1348ft (410.9m).
• Time: start 11:07, end 14:59 (sunset 18:14), lunch 27 minutes, other breaks 16 minutes.
• Speed: moving arithmetic average 2.49mph (4kph).
• Weather: overcast then sunny, temperature up to 16°C, north-easterly wind ~4mph (6.4kph).
• Number of sewage works: 0.
• Number of churches: 0.
• Number of golf courses: 1.
• Number of Waitroses (London only): 0.

Points of interest:

• Trees. Lots and lots of trees.
• Epping Forest is a managed woodland that claims to have ~55,000 ancient trees within its 6,000 acre (2,428 hectare) site. Two thirds is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, cited as a large-scale example of ancient wood-pasture in lowland Britain with has retained habitats of high nature conservation value including ancient semi-natural woodland, old grassland plains and scattered wetland. Most is characterised by groves of over-mature pollards of beech-oak, hornbeam-oak and mixed oak. The Forest plains are also a major feature and contain a variety of unimproved acid grasslands which have become uncommon elsewhere in Essex and London.
• The designation of the forest that we recognise today originates from the Epping Forest Act 1878, which appointed the Corporation of London as the forest’s Conservator. Previously, the land was a royal hunting ground, as evidenced by C16th hunting lodge for Queen Elizabeth I. Earlier history is also understood in the context of land and tree management, for which the Epping Forest Heritage Trust has written a page of history. In essence, the Saxon common land was seized by Norman royalty for hunting game, severely curtailing the presumed (inalienable?) rights of commoners, a situation that remained until 1217, at which time some rights to cut and collect wood were returned to the commoners. This resulted in lopping, pollarding and coppicing.
• As the day progressed, the clouds disappeared, a warm autumnal sunlight bringing out the colours of the forest. Most trees were still green, with only the occasional leaf starting to yellow.
• Lunch was at the Strawberry Hill Ponds, whose water levels were markedly below the apparent highest level earlier this year. The ducks were quite happy with the water that remained. This was a superb lunch spot, offering both sheltered and unsheltered spots, the latter being ideal for the sun-worshippers amongst us.
• A tea stop at the Original Tea Hut was more-or-less compulsory, because it was there. The tea hut is akin to a greasy-spoon cafe, serving good value sausage, egg burgers and chips in buns, some cakes, builders’ tea and fresh coffee (including instant for those who partake). The hut is frequented by all sorts of people, notably motorcyclists. And large numbers of motorcyclists, too.
• The final leg of the walk was across the Chingford Plain, walking behind the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge. The Plain is likely originally a water meadow – a flood plain – for the River Ching, perhaps used to assemble hunt parties back in the queen’s day. Today, it is parkland.
• Chingford itself is today a suburb, consumed by urban sprawl of prior decades, with little of the Old Chingford surviving. Station Road is the equivalent of the High Street and it contains all of the essentials for suburban living, including charity shops, dentists, supermarkets, cafes and restaurants.
• For more about Epping Forest (and source for some of the text above): https://efht.org.uk/discover-epping-forest/about-the-forest/
• For more about Old Chingford: https://www.chingfordhistory.org.uk/old-chingford.html

Golf courses:

• Chingford Golf Course, whose land is owned by the Corporation of London. The related golf club is Royal Epping Forest Golf Club, whose membership fees are £494pa (plus £50 “bar levy”), with some discounts for younger members. The green fees range from £11/day for twilight games to £30/day in peak hours, or £815 for a 7-day season ticket. The golf course was originally established in 1888, with much of today’s golf course laid in the in late 1950s. The club is a company limited by guarantee, incorporated recently on 06Feb2025.

8 members attended the optional pub stop at The Windmill pub, Chipperfield.

More pictures to follow.