Welcome to Capital Walkers, the friendly London Ramblers group for people aged 40+. We walk every weekend and usually at least once during the week.
Discover Epping Forest on this 13 mile circular walk from Loughton tube station on the Central Line.
10 minutes after leaving the station we are on forest tracks where the trail takes us past a number of picturesque ponds before reaching Loughton Camp - the first Iron Age camp of the walk. We'll then make our way to the "Lost Pond" before continuing onto Iron Age Ambresbury Banks. From here we'll walk to Copped Hall (famed for being the first place a Midsummer Night's Dream was performed) where we'll stop for lunch (there are no facilities at Copped Hall so please bring a packed lunch).
After lunch we'll loop around the Hall on an old farm track, and under the M25, before taking a path that follows the route of a neolithic trackway which will take us safely across a bog which dates back more than 4,000 years and is now a site of scientific interest. Picking up the Three Forest Way, we'll make our way to High Beech (where there are public loos) before heading to High Beech Church where we can stop for tea and cake in the grounds of the church (a loo is also available at this point). Tea is £1 a cup and the delicious homemade cakes start from £2 (please bring cash in case they're not cashless).
From the church we'll retrace our steps to High Beech before descending back to Loughton where those who wish to stay for a drink will end the walk at the Gardeners Arms in Old Loughton (or Little Cornwall as it's locally known). For those who want to head straight to the tube, Loughton tube is about mile from the pub (just follow the lane to the the High Street, turn right and then turn left at Gails bakery).
There are no drop out points.
No booking required.
The estimated finish time is 4.30pm (at the pub).
The finishing time is an estimate only and will be dependent on a number of factors such as, weather, the speed at which the group walks and the number of breaks taken.
Travel
You will need a Central Line to Loughton, Debden or Epping (don't take a train saying Hainult or Newbury Park).
As anyone who lives on the Central Line knows it's been "playing up" recently, so build in 15 minutes extra for your journey as there have been long gaps recently.
Loughton Underground Station
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