Wednesday Walk - Thames Valley: lovely Dorchester-on-Thames, its Abbey & Wittenham Clumps

SWC Walk 44 – Didcot Circular

Length:  22.1 km (13.8 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  120 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours

Toughness:  3 out of 10 

  

Take the 10.00 Paignton train from Paddington, arriving Didcot Parkway at 10.41

From Ealing take the 09.35 to Reading and change there.

(Fast) return trains: 15.29, 16.03, 16.16, 16.29, 16.47, 17.16, 17.29, 18.00…hours (from 44 minutes)

This walk takes in an attractive part of the Thames Valley south of Oxford, with a lunchtime stop in Dorchester-on-Thames. This handsome village is now bypassed by the traffic but used to be an important staging post between London and Oxford. It has retained a large number of coaching inns and other pubs, so there's plenty of choice for refreshment. You should be sure to visit Dorchester Abbey , one of the few large monastery buildings to survive the Dissolution; it now functions as an impressive parish church. In the afternoon the walk comes to the Wittenham Clumps, the name given to a pair of Iron Age hill forts set in a nature reserve managed by the Earth Trust.

The lunch pub will be any one of a handful in Dorchester-on-Thames (11 km/7 mi), for details see the walk directions. For tea in Didcot, the Prince of Wales, right by the station, is the obvious watering hole to spend the time waiting for a train.

                                                                                                               

For walk directions, map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here.

Next Week:  Book1 Walk 43 Otford Circular 12.4 km/7.7 mi, 3/10 T=swc.44

Sunday Second Walk - London's Green Belt

SWC Walk 177 – Chipstead to Kingswood

Length: 15.5km (9.6 miles) Toughness: 5 out of 10

09:54 Tattenham Corner train from London Bridge arriving Chipstead at 10:44.
or
10:02 Bognor Regis train from Victoria (Clapham Junction 10:08) changing at East Croydon (arr 10:17; dep 10:24) arriving Chipstead at 10:44.

The train from London Bridge makes numerous stops at south London and north Surrey suburban stations, so you might be able to pick it up en route if you live in that area.

Return trains from Kingswood to London Bridge are at xx:21 and xx:51 (journey time 59 minutes). Change at Purley or East Croydon for Victoria.

Both stations are within London Travelcard Zone 6

Just outside the London boundary, this undulating walk takes in a variety of ancient woodland, open downs and farmland. Leaf colour in Banstead Wood should be at its best just now.

The main route crosses over itself twice, so various shorter options are possible.

The recommended lunchtime stop is at an out-of-the-way pub, the Well House Inn in Mugswell (01737 830640). The suggested tea place is the Kingswood Arms, close to Kingswood station.


The Walk Directions can be adjusted to omit the sections you won’t need by clicking on “Main” below the map.

Sunday First Walk - A river valley and historic St Albans

Book 1 Walk 7 – Garston to St Albans

Length: 14km (8.7 miles) Toughness: 1 out of 10

09:54 Crewe train from Euston changing at Watford Junction (arr 10:09; dep 10:20) arriving Garston at 10:25.

There are four return trains an hour from St Albans City to St Pancras (fast at xx:23 and xx:53, and slower at xx:08 and xx:38). Return trains from St Albans Abbey to Euston are at xx:30, changing at Watford Junction.

Buy a Super Off-Peak Day Return to St Albans City, which is valid for both the outward and the return journey, so long as it is not marked ‘Thameslink Only’.

For the most part this pleasant walk follows the Ver Valley to the remains of the Roman town of Verulamium and the historic city of St Albans and its cathedral. The short journey time and relatively early start to the walk should leave plenty of time for exploring St Albans in the afternoon.

More information, including details of lunch and tea stops and the walk directions can be found on the Walk 7 main page .

Saturday Third Walk – Wine tasting in the Darent valley

Extra Walk 59c – Eynsford (Short) Circular
Length: 14 km (8.7 miles). Toughness: 4/10

10:12 Sevenoaks train from Blackfriars, calling at lots of stations in south London and arriving Eynsford at 11:00. Or take the 10:22 Ashford International train from Victoria and change at Bromley South (arr 10:38, dep 10:44) for the train to Eynsford.

Trains back are half-hourly, at 13 & 43 minutes past. You can change at Bromley South for a fast train to Victoria.

As we were passing a vineyard last month a fellow-walker encouraged me to look for walks with the opportunity to taste some English wines. I'd noticed a new vineyard in the pretty Kent village of Shoreham and the website for The Mount Vineyard could hardly be more welcoming: “why not pop in for a drink mid-walk?” it says, stating that its tasting room is open every Saturday afternoon until Christmas.

This short version of the Eynsford Circular has its lunch stop in Shoreham, so now you've got an extra choice for some mid-walk refreshment. The vineyard isn't (yet) mentioned in the Walk Directions but look for its entrance on the right as you go down Church Street; it's just beyond Ye Olde George Inn, the first of the village's three (or is it four?) pubs. The walk author has carefully made navigation on the afternoon stretch relatively undemanding, so you can afford some thorough research into the wines on offer. And why not buy a bottle or two for Christmas?

There are cafés and tearooms along the afternoon route to revive you, and more pubs too. If you're running out of daylight at the end (sunset is at 4pm) there are a couple of shorter endings you can take.

You'll need to print the walk directions from the Extra Walk 59 page. Clicking 'c. Shorter Circular Walk' under Walk Options will hide the directions for the longer variations via Otford. T=swc.59.c

Saturday Second Walk - Heaths, commons and woods of metropolitan Surrey

SWC Walk 178 - Oxshott to Ashtead
Length: 15.3km (9.5 miles) or 19.6km (12.2 miles)
Toughness: 3 out of 10

10.03 train from Waterloo (10.12 Clapham Junction, 10.19 Wimbledon) to Oxshott, arriving 10.37.

Buy a day return to Effingham Junction, which will also cover your return from Ashtead

For walk directions click here.

This walk just beyond the south west edges of London has not had an SWC outing for more than two years, or a Saturday outing for three years. On the latter occasion the walk creator famously got lost on the morning section. Others of us reached the lunch pub without trouble, however, so the directions do work (or did in 2013) if you pay close attention to them.

This is a very woody walk and so will be a good opportunity to catch the last of the autumn colour (of which there still seems to be quite a bit despite last Sunday's gales). Another plus point is that you are on sandy soils, which should be less muddy than usual (though I wouldn't turn up in open-toed sandals even so).

The full walk is 12.2 miles but you can cut out a loop on Epsom Common at the end for the 9.5 mile version. There is a further 2 mile shortcut possible at point 11 in the directions, though this misses a nice river section.

Both lunch and tea pubs still seem to be active, if their websites are anything to judge by. Benya's Coffee Shop in Ashtead is now Shakespeare & Co (Isn't that a famous bookshop in Paris? - Ed) and according to my good friend Dr Google is open until 9pm.

Trains back from Ashtead are very frequent 08, 14, 27, 37, 44 and 57 past the hour

Saturday First Walk Shiplake to Henley via High Wood

TOCW1 walk 9:  Shiplake to Henley via High Wood T=1.9

You need the instructions for the High Wood option for the start of the walk here.
"This walk has plenty of variety, with riverside legs and paths through bluebell woods and beech woods. In addition, as soon as you are more than a few feet up, you have magnificent views over the unspoilt Thames valley."

Length: 9.1 miles (14.7km), 4 out of 10, walk time 3:50 hrs.

Trains: 0950 Oxford train from London Paddington (Ealing Broadway 0958). Change at Twyford (1042) for the train to Henley at 1050, arriving Shiplake at 1057.
Return trains are xx24.

Lunch is at the Maltsters Arms (tel 01491 628 400) in Rotherfield Greys, serving food daily from 12.00 to 3.00pm. This pub is halfway in the walk. If coffee & desserts tempt you, then there is a shortcut from the pub.

If you would like to do a longer walk, you could get the 0855 train and do the standard walk with or without the Lashbrook Thames tow path option (an extra 3 or 4km), which in theory, would result in meeting the others at the pub.

Lazarus by David Bowie

After a sellout run in New York, this musical co-written by David Bowie arrives in London. It is directed by the world most in-demand Belgium director Ivo Van Hove. The musical contains three songs written by the artist just before he died.  A must see for Bowie's fans. To book, please click here.  Ticket from £15 to £150.  Expect cheaper tickets to sell out near the time.   Please note the booking site said that arriving 45 mins prior the show starts and the named ticket holder needs to bring a PHOTO ID for security check at the theatre.  Meet from 6:15pm at The Parcel Yard (inside King's Cross Station, just off the new concourse) for pre-show F&B

Free lunchtime concert near Beckenham Junction

Invite to a free lunchtime concert on Friday 25th November 12.30 -13.10 at st George's church Beckenham. The closest station is Beckenham Junction - this is just a few minutes walk from the church. The programme is Hoffmeister duo for violin and cello ( this is a very tuneful piece, rather like mozart) and Ravel duo for violin and cello. Cellist is Eliz parker ( a saturday walker) and violinist Stephen Stewart.
You are invited back to my house for some nibbles!

Wednesday Walk - The North Downs: Wye Circular

Length: 17.7 km (11.0 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  395 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 4 ½ hours

Toughness:  5 out of 10 

Take the 10.08 train to Margate from St. Pancras, (10.15 Stratford I’nal), change at Ashford (arr. 10.46, dep. 11.05) arriving Wye at 11.11.

The train you are changing on to is the 09.22 from Victoria to Canterbury West.

Return trains: xx.21 hours to Victoria, xx.51/2/3 to Charing X (shave off 30-40 mins in each case by changing at Ashford onto a High Speed train to St. Pancras). 

This walk goes high up on the Crundale Downs (“crun” in Old English meant chalk, and ‘dala’ meant dell or valley), with breathtaking views. The walk comes to an isolated Norman church at Crundale, then on to a fifteenth century inn for lunch. The walk then passes Crundale House and the manor of Olantigh, crosses the River Great Stour and returns to Wye through its churchyard, for tea at a teashop at the bottom of Church Street or at a pub next to the railway station.

Lunch will be at The Compasses Inn in Crundale (8.8 km, food to 14.30). A table has been booked for 13.15 hours.

For walk directions, map, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here.

Next Week: SWC 44  Didcot Circular  22.1 km/13.8 mi, 3/10 rating.

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Sunday Walk 2 Epping Forest : stepping to Epping

Loughton to Epping SWC walk 197
13.4km (8.4miles)
Difficulty 3/10
Through the ancient woodland of Epping Forest, to lunch at one of two pubs in Upshire. After lunch you are in open countryside with good views around Copped Hall Park.
The forest is renowned for its ancient pollarded trees which support a wealth of rare insects and fungi. Deer are commonly seen in the more open areas and, in the afternoon, you may see English Longhorn cattle.
Transport
The walk starts from Loughton Underground Station at 10.30am. Meet outside the main entrance.
Loughton and Epping are both in Travel Zone 6 on the Central Line. The frequent service takes about 40 minutes from Oxford Circus to Loughton. Use TfL's journey planner to calculate the time from your station.
Lunch 
You could have an early lunch at High Beach Visitor Centre where there is a kiosk, toilets, café and the Kings Oak pub (0208 508 5000).
The recommended lunch pub is the Good Intent in Copthall Green (01992 712066), friendly with a good range of reasonably priced food.
Alternatively, try the Horseshoes pub (01992 712745) friendly service and good food.
80m before the Horseshoes, St Thomas’ Church has a pleasant grassy area with wooden benches, suitable for a picnic.
Tea
The recommended tea stop is the Verde Café, 88 High Street, Epping (01992 571476). Tea in china cups and delicious cakes. It closes at 4pm on a Sunday. If you're too late, there are any number of pubs, cafes and restaurants in Epping High Street (see text)
Walk Directions here
You can shorten the walk to about 5 miles by staying on the Three Forest Way in paragraph 7, rejoining the main walk at the end of paragraph 30. No lunch stop for you, though. (see "Walk Options")
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Sunday Walk 1 Surrey Hills: walking to Dorking

Effingham Junction to Dorking Book 2 Walk 14 (use online version)
14.8 km, 9.2 miles
Difficulty 5/10

A Surrey Hills walk through hidden valleys, pretty woodlands, gentle pastures and the estate of Polesden Lacey. Although we would usually finish in Westhumble, the Dorking ending is suggested today, it being less reliant on Southern trains.
Lunch:
The main walk visits the National Trust tea room at Polesden Lacey for lunch. It is accessible without paying the entrance fee. (If you do want to visit, prices are £8.50 for the gardens, £13.60 for house and garden, free for NT members. Remember though, it gets dark not long after 4.)
For a pub lunch, branch off at point [2] and follow option (a) to the Sir Douglas Haig 01372 456886. This adds 1.2 miles onto the walk.
Tea:
The Visitor centre at Denbies Vineyard does tea and is suitable for both endings. Denbies is open till 5 in winter.
Finishing at Dorking:
The Lincoln Arms is next to Dorking Station.
Finishing at Westhumble:
Pilgrim Cycles' shop at the station has a cafe (closes at 4 but may stay open later by arrangement 01306 886958). There's also a nearby pub, the Stepping Stones.
Trains: 
Get the 9:32 Guildford train from Waterloo, arriving Effingham Jct. at 10:24. Intermediate stations include Clapham Jct. 9:42, Wimbledon 9:49.
Returning from Dorking:
South West trains return to Waterloo from Dorking at xx:07. 
Southern trains only return as far as Clapham Junction today. There's an xx:15 and xx:45 from Dorking. The xx:15 connects at Claphan Jct. for Waterloo.
Returning from Westhumble:
The same Southern trains call at 'Box Hill & Westhumble' station at xx:18 (change at Clapham Jct. for Waterloo) and xx:48 (change at Leatherhead for Waterloo).
The walk's start and finish are on divergent train lines. Your best combination is probably a return to Effingham Junction plus a single for the short hop from Dorking to Leatherhead where the lines re-join. (You could try getting waved through Dorking's ticket barrier with an Effingham return but, if it's not accepted, you risk missing your train).
Directions: Use the online version, available here. (Access to Polesden Lacey has changed since the book, causing some route changes). There is a shorter route from Polesden Lacey to the stations on the "Alternative Afternoon" button. Saves 1.2 km. 0.8 miles.
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Third Walk

CW2 Walk 4 - Chesham to Great Missenden
Length: 15.5 km (9.6 miles). Toughness: 3/10

Catch the 9:50 Metropolitan line train from Baker Street (Aldgate: 9:32), arrives Chesham 10:44.
Return from Great Missenden xx:29 xx:59 until 22:29 T=2.4

Saturday Second Walk - Short, scenic, colourful (hopefully)

SWC Walk 196 - Wadhurst to Tunbridge Wells
Length: 13.8km (8.5 miles)
Toughness: 5 out of 10

9.45 train from Charing Cross (9.48 Waterloo East, 9.53 London Bridge, 10.10 Orpington) to Wadhurst, arriving 10.47.

Buy a day return to Wadhurst.

For walk directions click here.

Every now and then a SWC walker picks up their quill pen, takes a fresh sheet of parchment and writes to say "Why, oh why can't we have more SHORT walks?"

Well, today is your lucky day, since this walk is modest in length, but a gem in terms of scenery, particularly in the morning. After sharing the first 1km as other Wadhurst walks, it turns westwards through very pretty scenery, with a fair bit of upping and downing, the occasional view, and some nice woodland en route to Frant, where two very fine pubs await your attention (The George Inn is so fine it is probably worth ringing to book a table when you set off).

I recall some good autumn colour on this route in years gone past. Mud too - this is the Weald, after all - but cross fingers it has not had time to get too gloopy yet.

After lunch things go downhill a bit - literally and scenically (it is not horrible, just not as beautiful as the morning) - but never mind, because it is worth rushing on to Tunbridge Wells to try and get a seat in the lovely Juliets tea room (though if you could have arranged to have your name put down at birth, that would have been useful). Otherwise, TW does not lack in tea options, and if you are in a pubby mood, seeking out the surreal Opera House (a real opera house, now a Wetherspoons) is worth the effort.

Trains back from Tunbridge Wells are very frequent 09, 21, 39 and 51 past until at least 19.51: after that, look on your smartphone, but there are still lots.

Saturday First Walk - Greensand hills and woodlands

SWC Walk 63 - Oxted Circular
12 miles / 19.25 km

This walk explores the woodlands of the Greensand hills.  Lunch is at Westerham (a possible drop-out point) after 5.5 miles, so make sure you leave enough time to return to Oxted before darkness falls and the cakes sell out,

Trains: Take the 10:08 Uckfield train from London Bridge (10:23 East Croydon), arriving at Oxted at 10:37.  Return trains are at xx19 to London Bridge, xx24/54 to London Victoria.  Westerham has buses to Oxted and Bromley South.

Lunch: Westerham has many places to eat - three large and central pubs are the George & Dragon (01959-563071), the Kings Arms Hotel (01959-562990), the Grasshopper on the Green (01959-562926)

Tea: Pass through Oxted station to reach Café Papillon at 54 Station Road West, open til 5pm.  Also on the same side and right next to the station is the Oxted Inn, a Wetherspoon's pub.

Click here for walk directions (pdf)

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Wednesday Walk - the Chilterns, a Windmill, Monkton Wood and Bryant's Bottom

Book 1, Walk 45 - Princes Risborough to Great Missenden

Length: 15.1 km (9.4 miles)
Toughness: 6 out of 10 (but see below)

London Marylebone: 10-13 hrs - Aylesbury train
Arrive Princes Risborough:   10-59 hrs

Return: Great Missenden to Marylebone: 15-59; 16-29; 16-59; 17-26; 18-01 & 18-32 hrs.

Rail ticket: as the two Chilterns stations are on different branch lines, the safest bet is to buy a day return to Aylesbury all routes permitted.

This is my favourite Chilterns walk, and the best time to do it is in late autumn (today !) when there should still be some leaf colour in Monkton Wood ( a beech wood).

Please do not be put off by the Toughness rating. There is a short, steep incline just before lunch (which can be avoided by some road walking) and, per usual, an incline immediately after lunch. Otherwise, the walk rates no more than 3 out of 10.

Leaving Princes Ris you walk along a short section of the Upper Icknield Way, then over open farm land to Monkton Wood and onwards to your lunch stop, the usually reliable Gate Inn in Bryant's Bottom. Your e.t.a is 13-30 hrs, and best 'phone ahead with numbers.

After lunch your afternoon leg ( one and a half hours) is equally nice - a mixture of open spaces, lovely views and woods. It's easy to get lost in the woods after you pass the Polecat Inn, so please follow the directions with care.

Entering Great Missenden via some final woods, you should head for the Cafe Twit, the suggested tea stop and part of the Roald Dahl museum. The cafe is "swizzfigglingly flushbunkingly gloriumptious " - so its got to be good, then, hasn't it ?.

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Walk Directions: L=1.45

Next Week, Wednesday 23 November: Book 1, Walk 53-Wye Circular

Hiking the Balkans

Three SWC walkers went with Hiking the Balkans to Southern Albania, a few weeks ago.... meeting with the organisers of Hiking in the Balkans, in the Devereuax pub on 14 November? Happy to endorse them as they are just the sort of hiking holiday outfit that would suit SWC peeps, http://www.meetup.com/Hiking-the-Balkans/events/235300381/ -- Pauline
Monday, November 14, 2016, 7:00 PM, The Devereux Pub, 20 Devereux Court, Essex St, The Strand, London, WC2R 3JJ

Sunday Walk 2 – Autumn colours in the High Weald

Extra Walk 112 – Stonegate to Robertsbridge
Length: 13.7 km (8.5 miles). Toughness: 4/10

09:55 Hastings train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 09:58, London Bridge 10:03, Orpington 10:21, Sevenoaks 10:30), arriving Stonegate at 11:07. Buy a return to Robertsbridge, two stops further down the line.

Return trains from Robertsbridge are hourly at 14 minutes past.

This walk promises “plenty of fine autumn colour” and I'm hoping that the River Rother won't have begun its seasonal inundation of some fields you have to cross in the morning, which has spoilt one or two attempts to do this walk in winter. A comment last year also warned that the paths across these fields (between the railway line and the river) weren't marked out, so you might find it easier to go around the field edges.

The possible lunch stops on this walk come very early. If the going's good you'll reach Burwash around noon, where the most recent feedback favoured the Bear Inn over the Rose and Crown. The alternative is to carry on for another fifteen minutes to the National Trust's Bateman's, where visitors to the property can get a light lunch in its tea-room. As sunset is at 4.15pm and it's another 9.2 km to Robertsbridge, I suggest leaving Bateman's by 2pm to avoid finishing in the gloom.

You'll need to print the walk directions from this pdf document. T=swc.112

Sunday Walk 1 – Views from the North Chiltern hills

Extra Walk 229 – Leagrave to Harlington (with Shortcut I)
Length: 17.3 km (10.7 miles). Toughness: 4/10

10:08 Bedford train from St Pancras (Kentish Town 10:12, West Hampstead Thameslink 10:17, etc), arriving Leagrave at 11:02. Buy a return to Harlington.

South Londoners can pick up this Thameslink train at East Croydon (09:34), Blackfriars (09:58), etc.

Trains back from Harlington (one stop further out on the same line) are half-hourly, at 20 & 50 minutes past.

When this walk was last posted on a Saturday a few off us spotted the magic word ‘shortcut’, caught a later train and enjoyed a leisurely walk while the main group were whizzing round the full course. Although apparently missing “the best part of the walk” (the Barton Hills) I wasn't disappointed with the splendid views which this variation offers, along the delightfully-named Sharpenhoe Clappers. I remember a good-value lunch pub in Streatley (after 9 km) and another nice pub in Harlington for refreshments at the end.

With sunset at 4:15pm there won't be enough time to do the full 23 km walk in daylight (unless you catch an earlier train). However, if you forget to break off from the main walk after 6 km then Shortcut II would come to your rescue later on.

You'll need to print the walk directions from this pdf document. T=swc.229.a

Saturday Third Walk – Undulating Hills Along the Thames with Autumn Color

SWC Walk 17:  Goring Circular with possible Extension to Pangbourne or Tilehurst T=3.17
Distance:  10.9 Miles or 17.5 km for those more metrically minded (or 16ish miles/26ish km with full extension)
Difficulty:  4 out of 10

Train:  Take the 10:00 AM Penzance train from London Paddington (changing at Reading to the Oxford train -- arriving in Reading at 10:28 and departing 10:53), arriving at Goring at 11:06. For those early birds not wishing to change trains at Reading (or those joining from Ealing), you can take the Oxford train at 9:37 directly from Paddington (9:45 Ealing Broadway). Return trains from Goring are at XX:12 and 42, until 21:12 and roughly 5 and 10 minutes later, respectively, at Pangbourne and Tilehurst. Buy a day return to Goring & Streatley. 

This is a lovely walk along the undulating hills near the Thames that has not been done for a spell.  With any luck, we should hopefully be able to catch some nice tree color in the woods en route and possibly a glimpse of a near full moon reflecting from the Thames later in the afternoon/evening (one good thing about the Great Darkness, being the ability to have a full moon walk in the early evening)!  Following on from our successful moonlit outing last month, should conditions merit, it is possible to extend this walk (after appropriate refreshments in Goring) with a moonlit promenade along the Thames by following the Thames Path to Pangbourne (an additional 3ish miles (4.5 km)) or Tilehurst (an additional 6ish miles (10 km)).  You can find more information about the walk and download the walk instructions here.

The recommended lunch spot is the Bell Inn (01635 578 272) in Aldworth (4.6 miles/7.5 km into the walk) – it is a very traditional pub serving real ale and only light meals.  However, I have noted that there is a full-service pub, The Four Points Inn (01635 578 367), about 400-500 meters off-piste and, for research purposes, I thought that for those interested we would make a reccie excursion to this pub for lunch to assess whether it makes sense to include as an option for this walk.  Tea and other late afternoon refreshments can be had at Pierreponts Café (open until 5pm) or various other establishments near the river in Goring.    

Enjoy the walk!

Saturday Second Walk: Leaf Colour on Oyster, with late start, but map-led

SWC Walk 259 – Epping Forest Centenary Walk: Manor Park to Epping

Length: 23.8 km (14.8 mi)

Ascent/Descent:  315 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours

Toughness:  5 out of 10 

               

Take the 10.00 Shenfield train from Liverpool Street (10.07 Stratford, then Maryland and Forest Gate), arriving Manor Park at 10.13.  
Return: Central Line from Epping, departing every few mins.

                                          

This is a map-led walk without any written directions. For a shorter walk in the same area (and with full written directions) check next Sunday's postings.  
 

First outing of this walk originally created by the Friends of Epping Forest in 1978. 
The Epping Forest Centenary Walk runs the length of Epping Forest, an area of ancient woodland in north east London on a low ridge between two rivers, The Lea and The Roding. It has been protected since the 12^th century as a royal hunting forest, though more recently (1878) it has been managed by the City of London, and to celebrate this anniversary this walk was devised. The walk is mainly wooded and the southern half of the route mainly paved, but the northern part of the walk on unpaved forest trails can be muddy after prolonged wet weather. The route passes close to Chingford Station about halfway for an easy dropout. 

Also at the halfway point lie the lunch options: the Royal Forest pub (Brewers Fayre), and the Butler's Retreat café in a restored barn, both part of the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge/Epping Forest Visitor Centre  complex. For tea there is the Duke of Wellington  en-route in High Beech and then a number of pubs, cafes and restaurants in Epping High Street, incl. The George and Dragon, The Black Lion and The Duke of Wellington, and various chain cafés. Recommended is the Verde Café at 88 High Street.

For map, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here.

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