I've Neglected Epping Forest

Many of you are no doubt very familiar with the delights of Epping Forest. I've dipped into its fringes before now, but hadn't fully appreciated its beauty until I visited yesterday. If, like me, this is a part of nearby London you've not yet explored, I'd recommend it. 

We drove and parked up just past Hollow Pond on Whipps Cross Road (a twenty minute drive from Harringay, going through Walthamstow and past the William Morris Gallery).

Our walk started off past Hollow Pond with its rowing boats and then on through almost savannah like heathland with some striking burnt patches.

Carrying on northwards, we crossed the Snaresbrook Road and entered some spectacular natural woodland made up up great oaks, hornbeam and beech. From this point on, I think we met six people.

We particularly liked this pig tree:

Further north, via a network of paths, tunnels and bridges, we crossed the other world of the busy-busy North Circular Road.

Passports in hand, we ventured beyond the 'pale' and ambled on for another kilometre or so. In parts the ground was littered with attractive bunches of seed that I didn't recognise (I've since identified it as coming from the European Hop Hornbeam. Have you ever heard of this tree?).

Just before we turned back, a little to the south of the Epping Forest Public Open Space, deep in the woods, there's an incongruously sited memorial to Gypsy Rodney Smith who was born in a bender tent close to where the stone now stands. (You can click the close-up of the marker to better read the inscription).

So, something of a toe in the water of Epping Forest for me. I'm sure I'm late to the party, but for those of you similarly placed and potentially interested, I thought I'd share these few words and pictures.

Here's the route we took on MapMyWalk - But I'm sure you can find an even better one.

More about year round activities and walks at:

friendsofeppingforest.org.uk

cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/epping-forest

Guided Walks

Enjoy!