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This walk takes you on tracks and paths through the ancient woodland of Epping Forest (“the people's forest”). After lunch you go through open countryside and farmland passing close to Copped Hall a ruined country house currently being renovated. The walk ends in the bustling town of Epping at the end of the Central Underground Line.
Note: The directions were revised in February, see the comment below.
Travel: Get the Central line to Loughton, aiming to start the walk around 1030. It's around 40 minutes from central London.
Lunch
You first reach High Beach Visitor Centre where there is a refreshments kiosk (cash-only), toilets, café and the Kings Oak pub (0208 508 5000). There are also picnic benches nearby.
The Horseshoes pub (01992 712745 ) in Copthall Green is better placed, with friendly service and good food. Nearby, the entrance gate to St Thomas’ Church leads to a pleasant grassy area with wooden benches suitable for a picnic.
You first reach High Beach Visitor Centre where there is a refreshments kiosk (cash-only), toilets, café and the Kings Oak pub (0208 508 5000). There are also picnic benches nearby.
The Horseshoes pub (01992 712745 ) in Copthall Green is better placed, with friendly service and good food. Nearby, the entrance gate to St Thomas’ Church leads to a pleasant grassy area with wooden benches suitable for a picnic.
Tea: Various pubs and coffe shops. The recommended tea stop is the Verde Café at 88 High Street, Epping
4 comments:
Thanks for posting this - it's the first posting of this walk since I revised it in February. I’m not sure I will be able to get there myself because of the train strike, but it would be good to get some feedback, especially from anyone using the rewritten directions. Something seems to have gone slightly awry with the alternative routes on the map page, which I won't be able to fix before the weekend, so fingers crossed that the GPX also works
If you're into Summer FĂȘtes and Open Days, Copped Hall (passed near the end of today's walk) has an open day the following day (Sunday 4th). It's an easy stroll from Epping Tube Station and you can find details and where to buy tickets at https://www.coppedhalltrust.org.uk/index.php/services/22-guided-tours/119-open-days
I can recommend the topiary in the walled garden
Thanks for posting about events at Copped Hall. I’ve booked a Sugarcraft class on 10June and hope to check out the grounds. I last visited 50 years ago when it was a ruin with all the floors collapsed into the cellars. My boyfriend at the time took photos of me in the ruins whilst a nasty farmer shouted ’get off my land’. The house was privately owned then so it will be interesting to catch up with the latest developments. Glad to hear that the house is being restored which I was not aware of.
N=16 altogether, two of whom magically appeared in the forest, like Merry Men. The day started w=cool-and-cloudy-turned-hot-and-sunny
Approaching the pub, we took the more direct route. Some picnicked in the green space behind.
Pub portions were large and some had trouble finishing.
Buttercups were much in evidence. Also red campion. The fields between Copped Hall and the M25 were an amazing sea of yellow, all buttercups. Quite a sight. One or two butterflies sighted, mainly blue.
By then, the group had split into fast and slow, the slower group (who had waited on a bench for Mr Tiger to catch up) took the quicker route to the station.
Unbeknownst to Mr Tiger, the ‘slowies’ didn’t realise there were no refreshments near the station and he hadn’t thought to tell them. (There was, actually, a van but not one that satisfied a craving for ice cream)
So back they traipsed, up to the High Street, in search of ice cream, coffee, cakes and tea, all of which were found and procured. On the way up, they met the fasties on their way down who asked what they were doing. “Going to the High Street” they said, sheepishly.
Directions seemed fine,although Mr Tiger also deployed other navigational aids, like following the others and GPS.
Anyway, a grand day out.
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