Epping Forest Centenary Walk

Follow the Epping Forest Centenary Walk fom Manor Park to Epping on this pleasant 15 mile walk. It's an accessible route with train stations at either end.
You start near Manor Park train station, just east of Ilford.... The route then heads north west through the lovely Wanstead Flats and then on through Leyton Flats to Higham's Park. You then pass Connaught Water and Great Monk Wood in Epping Forest before finishing at Epping.
It's a lovely peaceful walk, with lakes, ponds, small hill climbs and attractive woodland throughout. The route is also known as the Epping Forest Big Walk.
Pubs and More Info
On the route you'll pass the Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach. At the centre you'll find a wealth of useful information including maps, a forest exhibition and a gift shop. There's also a nice cafe here where you can stop for refreshments before continuing your walk. You can find it at the Kings Oak Cafe, High Beech with a postcode of IG10 4AE for your sat navs.
Near Chingford look out for Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge. This Grade II listed former hunting lodge, is now a museum, on the edge of Epping Forest. It was built in 1543 for King Henry VIII and now provides an insight into the Tudor history of the forest. It's well worth exploring with the additonal bonus of some lovely views over the forest from the top floor of the building. You can find it next to the Chingford Visitor centre at a postcode of E4 7QH.
The circular Theydon Bois Oak Trail can be picked up on the eastern side of the forest at Theydon Bois underground station. The challenging trail visits Ambresbury Banks Iron Age Fort and a Deer Sanctuary near the village.
The rhododendron, oak and ash woodland of Knighton Wood can be found in the Buckhurst Hill area of the forest. The River Roding Walk can also be picked up in this area.
The Three Forests Way runs through the forest. This long distance trail will take you to Hatfield Forest and Hainault Forest.
The circular walk from Loughton explores the area from the nearby town's London Underground station. It's an attractive place worthy of exploration with dozens of historic listed buildings and three conservation areas. The route also visits the Roding Valley Meadows nature reserve on the River Roding.
The Green Link Walk links with the route on its western fringes at Upper Walthamstow.

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Nearby Routes

Connaught Water Wanstead Flats Theydon Bois Oak Trail Knighton Wood Three Forests Way Green Link Walk

Photos

Lake and wood in Wanstead Flats. Whilst most of Wanstead Flats is grassland and Epping Forest woodlands, waterfowl may be found on this large pond.

Horse Riders pictured on the Epping Forest Big Walk. This is the green ride (shown on maps as the Centenary Walk) near Furze Ground, a gorse covered slope, which rises from the Tippa Burn and Hangboy Slade.
Some of the old beeches here have fallen and birch is taking over in a few places.
This is a good place for children to tip-toe along fallen tree trunks.

Centenary Walk near Epping Thicks. The Centenary Walk is a broad path, running for many miles through Epping Forest. The photo was taken on the descent from Ambresbury Banks towards Epping. This area has many old beech pollards, coppards and other variations on mature beech. This is an unusual tree; it doesn't look like most old pollards, but I don't know how it came to be this way.

Highams Park Boating Lake. The trail passes through this pretty park located near Woodford and Chingford.

Waterlilies and Coots on Connaught Water. Just east of Chingford you'll pass this lake where you can look out for wildfowl on the water

Epping Forest: Blackweir Pond. One of many small ponds in the forest, this one is a short distance off the main track (Green Ride). There is a sign saying that fishing is free provided one has a rod licence.

The Epping Forest Information Centre, part of the Epping Forest Field Centre complex, at High Beach. There's a cafe here which makes for a nice pit stop.

High Street Epping

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