Epping Forest from Chingford
Seven kilometres of proper woodland, half an hour from Liverpool Street. Walked and written by the editor. https://walkwalk.org/london/walks/epping-forest-chingford

1. Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge
A 1543 timber-framed lodge at the edge of the forest. Free entry. Climb to the top floor for the sense that the city is genuinely behind you now.

2. Butler's Retreat
Tea room in a nineteenth-century barn, next to the lodge. Start with a flat white, pick up a cake for the walk.

3. Connaught Water
The first proper bit of the walk: a small lake ringed by broadleaf trees. Swans if you're early, dog-walkers if you're late.

4. Hawk Wood
Beech, hornbeam, the kind of woodland that makes you forget which century you're in. The paths are well-marked but the real thing is to just wander.

5. High Beach
The high point of the walk, literally. A view east over the Thames estuary on a clear day; a pub called the King's Oak for a mid-walk pint.

Epping Forest from Chingford