Bluebells in the Evening - Chingford Circular: Varied undulating route through commons, ancient woods and wildflower meadows, with fantastic views of London Skyline and Lea Valley.

Length: 7.6 km (4.7 mi) 

Ascent: 109m 

Net Walking Time: 1 ¾ hours

 

Take the 17.59 Chingford train from Liverpool Street (all stations via Bethnal Green, Hackney Downs and Walthamstow Central [18.14]), arrives Chingford at 18.26.

Return trains are every 15 minutes on xx.08 etc.

A varied and undulating route through commons, ancient woods and wildflower meadows, with plenty of fascinating trees as well as fantastic views to Central London and across the Lea Valley.

You leave Chingford into the Chingford Plain, heading for the main body of Epping Forest, where you cross Cuckoo Brook, the main tributary of the River Ching and then the Ching itself, before rounding most of the artificial lake of Connaught Water. Follow a meandering route along forest paths, tracks and rides through the very interesting ancient treescape, dominated by ancient, often pollarded oak and hornbeam, including stretches along the Upper Ching River and through the valley of the meandering Cuckoo Brook.
You bypass Sewardstonebury and the Hawk Wood to walk up the sloping, south facing Yates’ Meadow, from where fine far views open out to the close-by wooded hills and into the Lea Valley with its large reservoirs, across it to North London’s higher ground and also providing for panoramic views of the London Skyline.
Descend from Yates’ Meadow and rise again along Daisy Plain into Hawk Wood and then initially skirt the wooded Pole Hill along the edge of the Chingford Plain, before turning up to Pole Hill’s summit obelisk and trig point. From nearby, a residential road takes you back to the station and some tea options, while a longer alternative leads past some more tea options, including the only pub in this end of town.

Walk Options: various shortcuts and extensions, see the webpage or the pdf for details.

Tea Options: several options near the station, plus a pub and a wine bar on a loop through town. See the webpage or the pdf walk directions for details. T=short.58