Visit Epping Forest Places

Welcome to Visit Epping Forest Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Epping Forest

  

Epping Forest Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Epping Forest

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Epping Forest history

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Early history to 17th century

The name “Epping Forest” was first recorded in the 17th century . Prior to this it was part of the larger Waltham Forest, which gives its name to the present-day London Borough of Waltham Forest .

Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge

In 1543, Henry commissioned a building, known as Great Standing, from which to view the chase at Chingford . The building was renovated in 1589 for Queen Elizabeth I and is now known as Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge .

17th to 19th centuries

The forest was principally used as a source of shipbuilding timber for the Royal Navy . The timber was taken overland to Barking Creek and floated in rafts to the Royal Dockyards at Woolwich and Deptford .

Fighting enclosure

In the first decades of the 19th century, the Lord Warden of Epping Forest, William Long-Wellesley, acquiesced to the enclosure of 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) by the lords of the manors who held freeholds in the forest . The government was keen to enclose land for farming and building development and allowed the Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues to sell off further land . By 1870, the unenclosed forest had shrunk to only 3,500 acres .

“The People’s Forest”

Queen Victoria dedicated Epping Forest to the use and enjoyment of my people for all time in 1882 . The City of London Corporation still manages the forest in strict conformity with the Epping forest Act . The Conservators administer the forest from The Warren, modern offices built in the grounds of Grade II* listed Warren House, Loughton .

Epping Forest geography / climate

The present area of the forest occupies a ridge of higher ground, the Epping Forest Ridge, set between the valleys of the Rivers Lea and Roding. These valleys were formed by arms of the Scandinavian ice sheet during the last glacial period, around 18,000 BC. The ridge consists of boulder clay topped with loam, while towards its southern end it is overlain with glacial gravel.

You can visit Epping Forest places with Walkfo Epping Forest to hear history at Epping Forest’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Epping Forest has 40 places to visit in our interactive Epping Forest map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Epping Forest, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Epping Forest places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Epping Forest & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 40 audio facts unique to Epping Forest places in an interactive Epping Forest map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Epping Forest Places Map
40 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Epping Forest historic spots	Epping Forest tourist destinations	Epping Forest plaques	Epping Forest geographic features
Walkfo Epping Forest tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Epping Forest

  

Best Epping Forest places to visit

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Epping Forest has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Epping Forest’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Epping Forest’s information audio spots:

Loughton Hall The architect was William Eden Nesfield, and it is grade II listed with Historic England . It is now a 33-bedroom residential care home for elderly people .

Debden House Debden House is a residential adult education college, conference centre and campsite located in Loughton, Essex . The house is owned and operated by Newham London Borough Council .

Copped Hall Copped Hall, also known as Copt Hall or Copthall, is a mid-18th-century English country house close to Epping, Essex. It has been undergoing restoration since 1999 and is visible from the M25 motorway.

Loughton Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. It is the second most populous civil parish (after Canvey Island) and the second largest in the area. The town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and 12 miles northeast of Charing Cross.

Buckhurst Hill F.C. Buckhurst Hill Football Club are currently members of the Eastern Senior League and play at Roding Lane, Buckhurst. They are currently playing in the East Midlands Football League.

Visit Epping Forest plaques