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Leytonstone to Loughton Walk

Epping Forest

Easy 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
Wed, 26-Feb-25 Leytonstone to Loughton or newly written up continuation to Epping
Sat, 26-Aug-23 Leytonstone to Loughton 4 sunny intervals
Sun, 02-Oct-22 Leytonstone to Loughton 15 sunny with cloudy intervals
Sun, 05-Mar-17 – Epping Forest 5 much better than forecast with high cloud and some sun
Sat, 23-Jan-16 Saturday Third Walk – Epping Forest 19 mild some sun dry
Sun, 26-Apr-15 b Leytonstone to Loughton Walk
Sun, 26-Apr-15 Leytonstone to Loughton Walk 4

Wednesday 26-Feb-25

Sandy

13.5km (8.4 miles) 1/10 or 20.4 km/12.7 miles 2/10

Leytonstone to Loughton makes a short walk covers the southern part of the ancient woodlands of Epping Forest, starting in London’s East End and heading generally NNE to Loughton in Essex. You have to cross some busy roads but apart from the urban start and finish, it is an outing through open woodland and more densely forested areas. Recommended as a winter walk and this part of the forest shouldn't be as muddy as more northern sections. Mid-walk, you pass Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, a unique timber-framed survivor from Tudor times (free entry, open 10-4).

On the approach to Loughton, there is the option of continuing to Epping along the Centenary Walk. This is not the longer Loughton-Epping route sometimes done as a day walk (you could try that but the underfoot conditions won't be great) but the more direct “evening” walk variation of walk 197), all on good tracks, adding 7 km/4.3 miles to give a total walk of 20 km/12.7 miles.Although this is route is fairly frequently walked by the club, I've only just added proper directions and a GPX for it to this page, so a check would be useful.

Travel: The whole walk is within TfL zones 3-6. Get to Leytonstone underground station (Central line) for a 1045 start. Loughton and Epping are also on the Central line with about 9 trains an hour back towards central London.

Lunch: The Larder at Butlers Retreat 12 Rangers Road , Tel 020 7998 7858. Originally a 19th century barn, it is now an up-market licensed café doing good lunches as well as more snacky options (the Royal Forest Brewer's Fayre pub is closed).

Tea: In Loughton High Road, off the direct route to the station, there are a number of cafés and pubs; the Wagon Boulangerie 174 High Road was nice on the last visit. Similar choice in Epping where the walk route goes past the Forest Gate Inn and the High Street (slightly off route) has more pubs and cafés.

Shorter option: You could finish the walk at Chingford (London Overground Weaver line), about 10 minutes walk from the lunch stop, giving a walk of about 10 km/6 miles.

For walk directions, map and GPX click here.

T=swc.241




Saturday 26-Aug-23

Mr M Tiger
12.8km (8.0m) Difficulty 1/10.
Explore the southern part of Epping Forest’s ancient woodlands, mostly a site of special scientific interest. The walk takes you past Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, a unique timber-framed survivor from Tudor times (free entry).
Travel Start and finish on the Central Line (Zone 6). Meet outside Leytonstone Central Line station at 10.30
It takes about 30 mins to travel from Central London to Leytonstone. Plan your journey here
Walk directions here
A shorter 5.8 mile option would involve ducking out at Chingford rail station just 10 mins from the Hunting Lodge (if trains are running). Otherwise, there's a half-hourly 397 bus from there to Loughton at xx:11 and 41.
Longer option: for a 14.4 mile walk combine these directions with Loughton to Epping walk 197 and finish at Epping (also on the Central line). Link-up details in the directions.
Lunch: there are two establishments near the Hunting Lodge
The Royal Forest (a Brewers Fayre pub) 4 Rangers Road, Tel 020 8523 7246. Open throughout the day at weekends.
And, (recommended) the Larder at Butlers Retreat 12 Rangers Road , Tel 020 7998 7858. Originally a 19th century barn, it is now an up-market café.
Tea: There are places in Loughton High Road: The Wagon Boulangerie at 174, Costa Coffee 230, and a Wetherspoons, the Last Post, at 227.
There are toilets at Loughton station before the ticket barrier. t=swc.241
  • Sun, 27-Aug-23

    Just4 on a day of sunny intervals (the rain didn't reach me till I was nearly home). Not much to report. We had a pleasant lunch stop on the tables outside the Butler's Retreat; service was attentive. We finished before 3 but most didn't linger in Loughton, being keen to avoid transport issues and/or get back for an evening outing.

Sunday 02-Oct-22

Mr M Tiger
Mr M Tiger

12.8km (8.0m) Difficulty 1/10 Longer and shorter options available.
Trains may still be suffering the after effects of Saturday’s strike so I’ve played safe and chosen a local walk, reached on the Central line. It’s another exploring the ancient woodlands of Epping Forest, (most of which is a site of special scientific interest). Mid-walk, you pass Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, a unique timber-framed survivor from Tudor times (free entry, open 11-1 and 2-4)
Travel Meet outside Leytonstone Central Line station at 11.00.(It takes about 30 mins to travel from central London). Plan your journey here. .You would need a ticket covering Zone 6 to finish at Loughton (4 to finish early at Chingford).

Walk directions here . GPS recommended. The white posts, mentioned as landmarks may not all still be visible. Mr Tiger got lost in those woods once, in pre-GPS days, and still has nightmares.
Shorter option: 5.8 miles. this involves ducking out at Chingford rail station just 10 mins walk from the hunting lodge, where trains should be back to normal. About 4 an hour.
Longer option:: for a 14.4 mile walk, combine these directions with walk 197 (Loughton to Epping). Link the two using the details at the end of this walk. Epping is also on the Central Line.

Lunch there are two places near the hunting lodge.
The Royal Forest (a Brewers Fayre pub) 4 Rangers Road, Tel 020 8523 7246. Open throughout the day at weekends.......
...and (recommended) the Larder at Butlers Retreat 12 Rangers Road, Tel 020 7998 7858. Originally a 19th century barn, it is now an up-market café.
Tea: there will be places in Loughton High Road, though the list in the directions may be out of date. Costa is definitely still there, as is the Wagon Boulangerie.174 High Road, both open till 6. There are toilets at Loughton station before the ticket barrier..t=swc.241

  • Sun, 02-Oct-22

    14 and a small dog at the station plus one catcher upperer makes 15 and a small dog. A day sunny with cloudy intervals

    Slightly muddy in places but not too bad. White topped posts still white topped. We set off at breakneck speed, not always following the exact route, but we got to the lunch place for 1.20. The walk checker arrived later. The L word was mentioned.

    Most opted for the Butlers Retreat, one or two for the pub. After lunch, one or two headed for Chingford, at least one intending to visit the Hunting Lodge first. The rest zoomed off, reaching Loughton by 15:30.

    Some went to the tearoom, the Wagon (?) Unfortunately, yours truly fell into bad company and was lured into the Last Post ( a Wetherspoons) where he was made to drink not only a pint of Old Rosy (7.3%) but also a pint of Wobbly Bob(6%).

    A good walk with plenty of majestic trees and a few butterflies.

Sunday 05-Mar-17

Sean
Extra Walk 241 – Leytonstone to Loughton
Length: 12.8 km (8 miles). Toughness: About 3/10

Take a Central line tube to arrive at Leytonstone (TfL Zones 3/4) by 10:45 (a 25-minute journey from Oxford Circus). Turn left outside the station and meet on the pavement outside Le Parisien café.

Loughton (Zone 6) is also on the Central line. Buy a Zones 1-6 Travelcard or use your Oyster card.

This walk picks up the Epping Forest Centenary Walk just north of Leytonstone tube station and follows its course through a succession of green spaces (remnants of the original forest) to a lunch stop in Chingford. The shorter afternoon section goes through the more familiar part of Epping Forest before dropping down to Loughton. Although not exactly a country walk (with plenty of main roads to cross) there will be some muddy stretches, so wear appropriate footwear.

For lunch the walk author recommends Butlers Retreat, an up-market café, with the nearby Royal Forest for those preferring a traditional (Brewers Fayre) pub lunch. There are several pubs and coffee shops for tea in Loughton High Street.

You'll need to print the walk directions from the Extra Walk 241 page. If you also bring the directions for Extra Walk 197 (Loughton to Epping) you could extend the walk to Epping. T=swc.241
  • Anonymous
    Sun, 05-Mar-17

    5 walkers.

    Sunny weather, with one light shower.

    Thank you to Mike for a great walk.

  • Anonymous
    Sun, 05-Mar-17

    5

  • Mon, 06-Mar-17

    5 congregated outside the Leytonstone Tube with the weather much better than forecast with high cloud and some sun . Some troublesome mud which was slippery rather than deep resulting in two falls and a submission. In a "Corrour" moment one walker (you know who he is) managed to emerge from the Forest at the wrong pub. To avoid a yellow card he swiftly corrected his mistake and a few minutes later all left the Forest in front of the Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge (coming up for it's 500 year anniversary). This was open and the 5 took advantage of a visit and a presentation by the curator there. All visited the Premier Inn next door where on jumped ship and another joined. Much easier underfoot in the afternoon with mostly gravelled tracks. One walker continued on to Epping while the remainder set forth to Loughton.

    All in all a nice day out with much better weather than expected despite the mud.

  • Mon, 06-Mar-17

    3.5 hours from chingford to Epping, the footpaths were not well maintained towards the end, I had to climb over a padlocked gate at one point and I wish I'd had the written instructions for the bit that said "don't attempt the broken stair stile" ...but no bones were broken and the rain only let loose as I reached the station.

    There's a longer route starting at manor park, through Wanstead flats, which might make a nice summer's day out.

Saturday 23-Jan-16

Sean
Extra Walk 241 – Leytonstone to Loughton
Length: 12.8 km (8 miles). Toughness: 1/10

Take a Central line tube to arrive at Leytonstone (TfL Zones 3/4) by 10:45. Turn left outside the station and meet on the pavement outside Le Parisien café.

Loughton (Zone 6) is also on the Central line. Buy a Zones 1-6 Travelcard or use your Oyster card.

From a cursory glance at the map you might assume that Epping Forest lies between Chingford and Epping, but a remnant of the original forest stretches much further south into London's urban sprawl, marked by the Epping Forest Centenary Walk. This walk picks up this waymarked route just north of Leytonstone tube station and follows its course through these green spaces to a lunch stop in Chingford. The shorter afternoon section goes through the more familiar part of Epping Forest before dropping down to Loughton. Although this is not exactly a country walk (with plenty of main roads to cross) there will doubtless be some muddy stretches, so wear appropriate footwear.

For lunch the walk author recommends Butlers Retreat, an up-market café, with the nearby Royal Forest for those preferring a traditional (Brewers Fayre) pub lunch. There are several pubs and coffee shops for tea in Loughton High Street.

You'll need to print the walk directions from the Extra Walk 241 page. T=swc.241
  • Stephanie
    Wed, 20-Jan-16

    Hello,

    It's my first time and wondering if anyone will be joining this walk?

  • Thu, 21-Jan-16

    Hi Stephanie, I'm planning on joining this walk - weather permitting!

  • Stephanie
    Fri, 22-Jan-16

    Hi Hannah, that's great! See you :)

  • Ian T
    Sun, 24-Jan-16

    mild some sun dry Anyone needing to top up their winter mud quota would have been delighted with this walk. There was plenty and I think I saw most of it twice. Wrong turns, missed turns, right turns that felt wrong – you name it, I took it. I don’t know if it was me or the directions. 15 turned out including a late starter who overtook me. (The others were ahead by then). I bailed out at Chingford.

  • Mon, 25-Jan-16

    Actually Tigger, it was more like 19 as 3 slightly late starters caught a couple of us up before lunch on the golf course just as we were veering off-course (see what I did there). Arrived at the pub to find the walk poster and author already esconsced by the window in his usual 'guest star appearance' in-time-for-lunch mode although I believe he did deign to muddy his boots and walk the last third.

    Two of us had tea after we'd turned left on Loughton High Street at the very inexpensive and walker/extras friendly Lounge Cafe (?) run by a lass from North Loughton aka Scotland.

  • Mon, 25-Jan-16

    The walk poster (not the walk author, incidentally) would like it to be known that by the time he was spotted in the lunch pub his boots had already picked up impressive quantities of mud from the second half of the morning route, a late start from Highams Park being more suited to his sluggish lifestyle. From this vantage point a good few walkers were clocked heading straight for Chingford station, a shame really as the afternoon section was distinctly easier underfoot. The morning route had its attractions but in future I will take the walk author's advice and avoid it at this time of year; I suspect a Chingford Circular using the partly-surfaced paths through the more familiar parts of Epping Forest would make a better winter walk.