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Epping Forest Centenary Walk: Manor Park to Epping walk

A walk along the length of an ancient royal forest in East London - Wanstead and Leyton Flats, Walthamstow Forest, Highams Park and Epping Forest. Can be done over two legs.

London

History

This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.

Date Option Post # Weather
Sun, 28-Jan-24 Sunday Walk - Reworked, rerouted and now with written directions: Epping Forest Centenary Walk (half-length options available) 9 blazing sunshine
Wed, 11-Jul-18 Wednesday Walk - Hide from the sun in the woods: Epping Forest Centenary Walk - Manor Park to Epping 8 warm overcast and muggy then sunny
Sat, 12-Nov-16 Saturday Second Walk: Leaf Colour on Oyster, with late start, but map-led 13 continous light rain
Thomas G
Length: 24.2 km (15.0 mi) [shorter options available; see below]
Ascent/Descent: 266/193m
Net Walking Time: 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10
Take the 09.48 Crossrail train (aka the Elizabeth Line) from Liverpool Street (Whitechapel 09.50, Stratford 09.53), arrives Manor Park 10.03.
[A Shenfield train from Heathrow Terminal 5, via Paddington and all Central London stations.]
Return:
Central Line from Buckhurst Hill and Epping: frequent (with journey times of 24 mins or 37 mins respectively, to Liv Street).
Overground from Chingford: every 15 mins on xx.10 etc, with 27 mins journey time to Liv Street.All possible start and end points are within Travelcard Zones 1-6.
Epping Forest stretches for 19 km from Manor Park in East London north to Epping, with the main body of the Forest being north of Chingford. It is never more than 4 kilometres wide, but is London's largest Open Space at 2,400 hectares. It lies on a low ridge between the Lea and Roding Valleys and is an area of ancient woodland which has been protected since the 12th century as a Royal Hunting Forest, though more recently it has been managed by The City of London after the passing of the Epping Forest Act of 1878.

The Epping Forest Centenary Walk runs the length of Epping Forest and it is the 100th anniversary of the Epping Forest Act that the Centenary Walk was devised to celebrate. An annual organised walk along the route - in September - keeps attracting well over 100 people, though many of those only join for parts of the route from alternative start points along. The Centenary Walk has never been waymarked but its (approximate) line has been shown on OS maps.
The Centenary Walk (now: the Big Walk) in the southern parts crosses some commons and public parks and travels along a few residential roads as well as going through woodland, but north of Chingford goes mostly through ancient woodland. The woods in the southern half of the route are well frequented and the paths here will be very muddy after prolonged wet weather, but the northern part of the walk is mainly on well-made gravel forest trails which despite some heavy usage by cyclists do not tend to get exceptionally muddy.

Due to the annual Centenary Walk/Big Walk attracting a very large group, it often choses wide gravel or tarmac tracks over more interesting lesser paths nearby and for the same reason choses to pass cafés and pubs with facilities even if that requires some road walking. These considerations are not that relevant for the SWC, so our route differs in places from both the Centenary Walk and the Big Walk. The route of the Big Walk is shown on our route map though and also available as a gpx (note: it finishes at a bus stop on the very busy High Street and away from any tea options).

Shorter walk: Walks of about half the length can be obtained by finishing or starting at either Chingford Overground (500m off route along a road) or Buckhurst Hill Underground (2.5 km off route, map-led). See the webpage and the route map for details.

Lunch & Tea: Lots of choice for elevenses, lunch, late lunch and tea, on or just off the route in cafés, bistros, a seafood bar and even a gastro pub, and a normal pub and more on a diversion into Epping. Check the webpage for details and the route map for their locations.

For walk directions, a map, height profile, photos and gpx/kml files click here. T=swc.259

  • 28-Jan-24

    6 walkers met outside Manor Park station in blazing sunshine , 4 of whom were first-timers or rare-timers. The walk poster 'led', seeing that he had just re-written the walk and route, and initially we encountered very little mud, not surprisingly seeing that we were crossing the commons and 'flats' of Manor Park, Wanstead and Leyton. Things got a bit more iffy (ie muddy) up Walthamstow way and on to Highams Park though. Still better though than a few weeks back when I did the recce...

    After that, a thoroughly deserved elenvenses break at Humphry's Cafe was spent outside in the sun at one of their benches.

    On then along some more mud-soaked paths through enchanting woods and along the meandering Ching River to Chingford, where we met walkers 7 and 8. One of them (a local) had started at Hollow Ponds but was always way ahead of us, and he had met the other (his partner) at the Butler's Retreat out in Chingford.

    The pm part of the route is virtually mud-free, in comparison, on account of recent investments in wide gravel forest tracks and rides. But it's more undulating, which kept the 5 of us honest (3 of the first- and rare-timers had bailed out at Chingford).

    We got to The Forest Gate Inn precisely 2 minutes before cutoff time for last food orders, which was just as well, as one SWC stalwart would have otherwise started a riot, I think.

    On to Epping Station, just beating darkness to the much reduced Central Line service (about a third of trains are out of service due to engine problems in the ageing fleet). On the train we got chatting to a chef who had just finished his shift at some rich person's house and was tubing it home, and also saw a group of hooded suburban youth (all-white, before you ask), acting very suspiciously.

    Walker 9 had overslept, started half an hour behind, never caught up, and bailed out at Chingford.

Thomas G
Length: 23.8 km (14.8 mi) [much shorter walk possible, see below]
Ascent/Descent: 315 m; Net Walking Time: ca. 5 ½ hours
Toughness: 5 out of 10

Take the 09.40 Shenfield train from Liverpool Street (09.47 Stratford, then Maryland and Forest Gate), arriving Manor Park at 09.53. Manor Park is on the boundary of Zones 3 and 4.
Return: Central Line from Epping, departing every few mins. Epping is in Zone 6.
A map-led walk originally created by the Friends of Epping Forest.
The Epping Forest Centenary Walk runs the length of Epping Forest, an area of ancient woodland in north east London. It has been protected since the 12th 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 forest lies on a low ridge between two rivers, The Lea and The Roding.
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 and Buckhurst Hill stations 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 Harry Green Restaurant en-route in High Beech and then a number of pubs, cafés and restaurants in Epping High Street including The George and Dragon, The Black Lion and The Duke of Wellington, together with various chain cafés and the Verde Café.
For walk directions, map, height profile, and gpx/kml files click here. T=3.259
  • Anonymous
    06-Jul-18

    Hi. Is there a link so we can print the route? Thanks.

  • 07-Jul-18

    Yes, in the same place as always: click on the 'here' in the last sentence of the posting, which gets you to the webpage for this walk, and there click on the 'OS Map' tab.

  • Anonymous
    09-Jul-18

    Yes, but is there a typed guide to the route, please, as in paragraphed instructions? Thank you.

  • Anonymous
    09-Jul-18

    Just saw the referencec to this being a map-led walk.

  • 09-Jul-18

    There are some basic written directions for this walk but you will still need a map or gps. See http://www.walksandwalking.com/2013/09/walks-walking-epping-forest-centenary-walk/

  • Anonymous
    11-Jul-18

    Central Line. Severe delays.

  • 11-Jul-18

    6 at Manor Park station, 1 at the Green Man Roundabout in Leytonstone, 1 more joining in Chingford at the lunch destination, so 8 in warm overcast and muggy then sunny weather.

    Wanstead and Leighton Flats looked like the Serengeti and were quiet (i.e. devoid of football teams, it being a weekday). We got to Chingford for 12.30. The men went to the pub, the women for a picnic or to the Butler's Rest cafe. One of the men then headed home to watch the tennis and start his preps for tonight's big match. 2 of the others went to the Butler's Rest cafe for a post-lunch coffee and later explored alt. routes to the gpx route, wherever the OS map has the Centenary Walk take a different route. We therefore 'discovered' lots of narrow paths through lonely parts of the forest, interesting.

    All remaining 7 were soon enough re-united and paid a visit to the remnants of Ambresbury Banks Iron Age hillfort, just a few metres off route. Then we took the direct route to the tube station, foregoing the village route past the pubs and cafes. 16.17 train.

    May the best team win.

  • Anonymous
    12-Jul-18

    Hi. New to group. Turned up on time (I think) but no one there, which was no surprise given Central Line trouble. Waited for a while, then invented own walk as unsure of route. When did you 6 start walking? Thank you.

  • 12-Jul-18

    Anonymous 11:33:00 BST: We met on the platform at 09.53 (the train was on time), left the station via the temporary overbridge to the side road and walked up to the main station hall on the main road to check whether anyone was waiting there. Sorry to have missed you.

  • Anonymous
    12-Jul-18

    Thanks, Thomas. See you next time.

Thomas G
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 12th 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.
T=3.259
  • 06-Nov-16

    I lived 8.5 years in Leytonstone and used to do a version of this walk regularly. You can walk all the way out of London in the forest, but in the early stages you have to do some ingenious threading in and out of the housing. But it is a cracking day out and at this time of year the tree colour in Epping Forest can be spectacular.

    Give my regard to Wansted Flats, my very own African Savannah, and the Whips Cross ponds!

  • Sue
    07-Nov-16

    I haven't walked with the SWC before so just want to check there will be some fellow walkers to join at Manor Park?

  • 08-Nov-16

    The walk poster himself is going: see first comment. And I would be surprised if there is not a fair sized group

  • Anonymous
    09-Nov-16

    I have never walked with this group before. I wonder how can I identify you guys? I'll be joining at Manor Park.

    Patricia

  • 09-Nov-16

    We usually meet on the platform and 'do names', so join us if there are no barriers at the station, else we'll meet you at the barriers.

  • Anonymous
    10-Nov-16

    Great! Thank you Thomas

    Patricia

  • 10-Nov-16

    I did this walk in September with the Friends of Epping Forest and joined at the Green Man Roundabout. This has a nice oasis under the roadways and is easily reachable from the Central Line Leytonstone Tube Station (famous for it's Alfred Hitchcock mosaics).

    The walking time from Manor Park to the Green Man Roundabout is about 40 mins (say 30 mins at a brisk pace - so a rendez-vous at about 10:45 am should be possible).

    Perhaps Thomas you could look out for folks who may wish to start from there?

  • 10-Nov-16

    Sure will do. Another SWC regular has already 'threatened' to join in L'stone...

  • 12-Nov-16

    6 walkers off the train, 4 more outside at the barriers (the barrier being a fierce-looking man), incl. one of the two pre-announced first-timers, set off in what turned out to be continous light rain . We negotiated our way through/between the football pitches on Wanstead Flats, part-guided by the white-topped poles that we were told would be our best guide along the route, apart from the gpx file on the site.

    We then picked up 3 more walkers at the Green Man roundabout in Leytonstone, so were up to 13 walkers. While Wanstead Flats was basically semi-wild parkland with sports fields, Leyton Flats were just semi-wild. After negotiating a few road crossings, usually on bridges, the character changed again to proper woodland, leading to our dear map-and-compass leader taking a wrong fork and forcing the group a little further along to regain the route by wading through 100m or so of low-hanging tree branches.

    Nevermind, spirits didn't drop one bit, as the whole group was quite a chatty lot and very distracted, so he got away with that error. We then picked up the Ching River and basically followed it to lunch, again through some lovely woodland, considering this was still in completely urbanised areas.

    At Chingford 2 people went to the Butler's Retreat Cafe (very good reports), while the rest (minus 1 retiree) chose the Royal Forest pub. Initial scepticism caused by the chain pub offerings were largely dispelled, as the food was quick in delivery and pretty decent in quality.

    3 more walkers bailed out after lunch ('it's too wet', 'I got a plumber coming in'), but we were joined by one other walker, so went on as a group of 10.

    Now the afternoon was Epping Forest at its best: not many people (the rain), very little mud (the main drives are almost entirely gravel now), leaf colours galore, mist descending from the treetops, droplets falling even when it wasn't raining, and nicely undulating in character on top of everything. Splendid indeed.

    En route we had a good look at the Ambresbury Banks Iron Age Fort, just off the track, supposedly the site of the last stand by Boudica against the Romans in the year 61, but in any case probably the best preserved bank-and-ditch earthworks of this size so close to London?

    On to Epping and - despite some people's stamina waining - at Epping Station for 16.45, in gloomy conditions, and too late for any cafes, but with everyone happy.

    3 took the tube there and then, 7 went on to the nearest pub, which turned out to be a walk in itself: what felt like 15 minutes of uphill strut to the High Street. The George & Dragon was decidedly upmarket (the dining area twice as large as the bar area) and packed, so it took a while and a drink just for a table to become available.

    All in all a great day, and maybe, just maybe, the perfect walk for the weather?