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Favourite Walks around Buckhurst Hill

These walks have been provided by members of BHRS as their favourite walks to see the many varied parts of Buckhurst Hill and surrounding area. They are in ascending order of approximate duration. Some include possible refreshment stops at pubs. Start points may be varied to suit your own requirements. Walks are flat and on pavements unless stated. Please cross main roads safely by using Pedestrian Crossings where available.

50 Mins. Start BH Station, turn left Victoria Road, continue into Princes Road, turn left Forest Edge, turn left Station Way, pass Roding Valley Station and Roding Valley Hall, cross Buckhurst Way into Hornbeam Road, view St Elisabeth's Church on the corner of Chestnut Avenue, walk to end of Hornbeam Road, use footpath into Cascade Close, straight on along Cascade Road, turn left Lower Queen's Road, view conservation area of Albert Terrace on the right, cross Albert Road to shops. Use underpass to cross under the railway to Queen's Road, turn right Victoria Road.

50 Mins. Start car park by cricket ground on High Road by Hawsted. Walk next to Hawsted and follow path through forest to Epping New Road. Cross by the Warren Wood pub. Go through the gate and bear diagonal right towards Ranger's Road. Cross Ranger's Road to car park by Connaught Water. Walk around lake and return by same route. [Includes some forest and grass paths]. Previously a small swampy pool, construction of Connaught Water was begun in 1883. It was named after the Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, newly-appointed as first Ranger of Epping Forest.

1 Hr. Start car park by cricket ground on High Road by Hawsted. Walk next to Hawsted and follow path through forest to Epping New Road. Cross by the Warren Wood pub. Go through the gate and walk straight ahead down the wide green path towards Ranger's Road. Follow the path on the left of the road. Cross the road to visit Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and Butler's Retreat cafe. Re-cross Ranger's Road and follow Warren Pond Road to the right of the car park. Do not turn left into the Connaught Club. After passing Warren Pond on the left, turn left and follow the path to Brook Road via Whitehall Plain. Turn left at Brook Road, cross Epping New Road at the traffic lights, walk up Church Road passing St John's Church on the left and the duck pond on the right. Turn left onto the High Road and return to the start point. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

1 Hr. Start Roding Valley Station, north side. Turn right Station Way, past Roding Valley Hall and Monkhams Pub. Turn right into Buckhurst Way, cross under railway bridge. Turn left Bush Road, turn right Hawthorn Road, continue along Prospect Road all the way to Snakes Lane East. Turn right, cross St Barnabas Road to Woodford Station. Use underpass to reach Woodford Broadway. Turn right King's Avenue, continue along until turn left Worcester Crescent. Continue to end, turn left Beresford Drive, turn right Orchard Lane, turn right Monkham's Lane. Continue along Farm Way, cross Forest Edge, return into Station Way.

1 Hr. Start at the Roding Lane entrance of the Roding Valley recreation ground. Follow the path for 100m to the playground. Turn right onto a smaller path which crosses a small bridge over a stream. You have now entered a small Arboretum of varied trees. Keep following the path, walk straight up an open field with a cricket field on the right. Walk up the next field, which has a rugby pitch on the right, all the way up to the river. The lake and main path converge from the left. At the river the path comes to a bridge which crosses the river to the David Lloyd Club. Do not cross, but turn left and walk between the lake and the river. Carry on around the lake and cross over a small stream entering the lake from the houses on the right. Turn right and walk by the cricket pavilion. Keep diagonal left and come out of the entrance to the grounds at the junction of Boxted Close and Bradwell Road. Walk up Rous Road, cross it, and through the alleyway into Loughton Way. Cross the road going to Blackmore Road followed by Thaxted Road, keep left, cross the footbridge across the railway into the fields go straight up and enter the Linder's Field through the wooden gate .Then work your way to the exit on Roebuck Lane, cross Roebuck Lane into Russell Road. Walk straight up to the junction with the High Road, turn left and walk to the junction with Palmerston Road and turn left and continue down there until you get to the junction with Roding Lane and carry straight on until you get to the entrance on the left with the grounds of Roding Valley recreation ground. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths]. Linders Field was donated by Charles Linder in 1952, who lived at 1 Powell Road. It is now managed as a Nature Reserve by EFDC Countrycare.

1 Hr. Start at Cascade Close, go up alley way at junction of Cascade Close and Cascade Road. Cross Buckhurst Way and take footbridge over railway line. Turn right onto Forest Edge then left into Lords Bushes/Knighton Wood before reaching Princes Road. Take 2nd footpath on left and follow a circular clockwise route around the woods including around pretty man-made lake/ponds where there are some convenient benches. At the entrance to the woods at the top adjacent to car park continue on the path inside the woods, following the route to emerge near the play park at King's Place and the Three Colts pub. Turn down Princes Road and use the underpass to cross the railway. Walk down Lower Queen's Road and turn right into Cascade Road. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

1 Hr. Start at the entrance to Linder's Field on Roebuck Lane. Walk down through Linder's Field to the gate that enters into the wide open fields. Walking straight on you start to see the railway line and the bridge over it. Do not cross it but turn to your left and keep walking through several fields and eventually you reach a gate into the top of Spring Grove. Follow Spring Grove until you meet the High Road, turn left then right up Warren Hill until it meets Nursery Road, take the footpath on the left and walk uphill crossing Manor Road and finally reach the cricket pitch. Cross the High Road and walk down Roebuck Lane to the start point. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

1 Hr. Start BH Station, turn left Victoria Road and continue up Princes Road to where it joins Queen’s Road, turn left and left again into Knighton Lane.  Follow the road round and turn left into BH High Road and walk towards Epping New Road.  Turn left into Epping New Road and walk to pedestrian lights just past Bancroft School.  Cross into Whitehall Road.  Walk along Whitehall Road until you reach Whitehall Lane, turn right and walk back to Epping New Road.  Turn left and walk to traffic lights on Epping New Road, turn right into Church Road and up to the High Road. Turn right onto the High Road, then left down Palmerston Road. [Includes uphill sections].

1 Hr. Start BH Station, turn right Victoria Road. Cross Palmerston Road at the pedestrian crossing and go down Stradbroke Grove. Turn left at the Meadway and right onto Roebuck Lane. Walk past Forest Place to the entrance to Linder's Field. Walk down the narrow footpath and turn left on reaching Linder's Field. Walk across the top and across the next wood in the direction of Loughton until you reach a main footpath. Turn left which emerges at The Stables. Walk up The Stables and turn left and walk along North End. Turn left onto the High Road. Walk to St John's Church and turn right down Church Road. Turn left onto Trent Road and right onto Hills Road. Turn left along Epping New Road and turn left up Stag Lane. At the High Road turn left then right onto Queen's Road and walk down back to the start point. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

1 Hr 20 mins. A Walk of most of the Hills in Buckhurst Hill.

Start Roebuck Green in front of Roebuck Heights flats (on opposite side of High Road to car park by cricket ground). Walk down North End with the cottages on the right and follow the road out onto High Road.  Turn left back up the hill. At the top turn left back into North End and then right into Luctons Avenue. At the bottom turn left into Russell Road and right into Roebuck Lane.  Walk down Roebuck Lane, cross Palmerston Road and turn diagonal right and walk up Westbury Lane.  At the top turn left down Queen's Road walk down to Waitrose.  Turn right and walk back up Princes Road and then Queen's Road. Turn right onto the High Road and return to the start point. [Includes uphill sections].

1 Hr 20 mins. Start BH Station, turn left Victoria Road, turn left Queen's Road. Use underpass to cross under the railway to Lower Queen's Road, cross Albert Road, continue down Lower Queen's Road. View conservation area of Albert Terrace. Turn right Cascade Road, turn right just before Cascade Close through footpath. Recross Albert Road, continue on footpath crossing the railway by the footbridge. Turn right at Forest Edge, turn left Princes Road, walk all the way up to the High Road, turn right. View duck pond and St John's Church. Continue along to North End, Turn right, then right into Roebuck Lane. View horizon towards Loughton. Follow Roebuck Lane beyond where it curves right at the junction with Powell Road and view the gates at the entrance to Linder's Field. Turn, cross the road and go along Russell Road. At Westbury Road turn left. View Bedford House Community Association building half way along on the right. Cross Palmerston Road. Continue along Westbury Road. Cross Westbury Lane into the footpath. At Queen's Road turn left, and continue back to the Station. [Includes uphill sections].

1 Hr 20 mins. Start BH Station, turn right Victoria Road, turn right Roding Lane. After Rous Road turn left into Roding Valley recreation ground. Follow paths along River Roding to Charlie Moule's bridge (about 30 mins). Cross bridge, bear diagonal right, follow paths through Roding Valley Nature Reserve to David Lloyd centre, pass between it and the river. Turn right at the car park to recross the river. Follow paths back to Roding Lane. [Includes some forest and grass paths]. [Walk may also be started from public car park by David Lloyd centre]

1 Hr 40 mins. Start at the car park at entrance to Lord's Bushes/Knighton Wood on Knighton Lane (or any point on the loop). Walk straight down through the woods following the main path. The path follows an old Anglo-Saxon boundary between the Manors of Chigwell and Woodford. On the left is Lord's Bushes (Buckhurst Hill), part of ancient Epping Forest. On the right is Knighton Wood (Woodford), previously a private garden added in 1930. At the bottom turn left into Farm Way. Cross Forest Edge and continue down Station Way. Pass Roding Valley Station and Roding Valley Hall, cross Buckhurst Way into Hornbeam Road, turn left into Chestnut Avenue. View St Elisabeth's Church. Continue along Chestnut Avenue and Chestnut Close. At the end turn left along the footpath. Cross Buckhurst Way and take footbridge over railway line. Turn right onto Forest Edge then left into Princes Road. Walk up to the top where it joins Queen's Road. Turn right and walk down Queen's Road and after 100m turn left into the footpath just after the last restaurant. Cross Westbury Lane and go down Westbury Road. Cross Palmerston Road and continue down Westbury Road. View Bedford House, the home of BH Community Association on the left. Turn left onto Russell Road, then right into Gladstone Road. At the top, cross the High Road, and enter the woods. This is an area known as the Wilderness. Half way down on the left is a stone plaque where in the 1930's there was a house occupied by local artist Walter Spradbery. One of his paintings hangs in Bedford House. Continue down to reach Epping New Road. Turn left and then left again at the traffic lights and walk up Church Road. View St John's Church on the left and the duck pond on the right. Turn right along the High Road. Continue along to Knighton Lane. Turn left to the start point. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

1 Hr 40 mins. Start car park by cricket ground on High Road by Hawsted. Walk along the car park with the cricket ground on the left and follow the main footpath through the woods. Cross Manor Road and continue along the wide path to the junction of Warren Hill and Nursery Road. Take the path into the woods which bisects the entrance to The Warren and Nursery Road. After 200 yards the path forks. Take the left fork which reaches a car park on Epping New Road. Cross the road and take the gravelled path straight ahead. After 150 yards this reaches the old Fairmead Road, now a metalled footpath. Turn right and continue straight along for about 1 mile. You will reach the Bikers' Tea Hut just before the path reaches the road to High Beech from the Robin Hood roundabout. After refreshment, return by the same path along Fairmead Road. Continue along beyond where you joined it, to a point 50 yards before it reaches Epping New Road, and from where you can see the gate at the end. Take the path to the right, which is the second of two, which goes to Connaught Water and walk down the eastern side to the car park. Cross Rangers Road, take the path opposite up through the woods to emerge at Epping New Road by the Warren Wood pub. Cross the road and take the footpath opposite up through the woods. This emerges at the cricket ground and the start point. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths]. The walk can be extended by continuing to the Kings Oak pub at High Beech, or by walking around Connaught Water or taking various paths on Chingford Plain.

2 Hrs. Start at the Roding Lane entrance of the Roding Valley recreation ground. Walk into the park past the playground until you reach the lake. Turn left and follow the path with the lake and then the river on the right hand side. Walk over a small bridge over a stream which flows from the houses into the river, keeping to the right of the field.  Follow  this until you have a good view of Debden and there is another childrens’ playground.  On your right is a concrete bridge with scaffolding poles as handrail.  (Charlie Moule's bridge). Go across the river and take the path straight in front of you, cross the M11 and eventually you will come to Grange Farm in Chigwell.  Follow the road and you come out at the small roundabout by Chigwell Infant/Junior school turn right and walk down into Chigwell.  Follow the High Road and turn right at Chigwell Rise which continues into Roding Lane and the start point.  Perhaps pause at the King William IV pub in Chigwell. Suggest you don’t turn into Roding Lane at the Church in Chigwell as the footpath disappears. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

2 Hrs 30 mins. Start Cascade Close, take footpath to Hornbeam Close, turn left through the garages, and turn left at the river. Follow river to BH Community Primary School (until a few years ago you could then walk adjacent to school across a field and across Buckhurst Hill football club pitches however this is no longer a right of way). Go up Lower Queen's Road, turn right into Alfred Road. Turn right at Fayers into Roding Lane. After Rous Road turn left into Roding Valley recreation ground. Follow paths along River Roding to Charlie Moule's bridge (about 30 mins). Do not cross bridge, but keep walking to Roding Valley Nature Reserve meadows-main gate is closed but access open for pedestrians- carry on appx 1m -Debden Sports club and pitches on left-exit Nature Reserve -Cross Chigwell Lane (main road) turn left and right into Langston Road and Loughton Retail Park. Can return by underground or 20 bus from Debden, otherwise return by same route but turn left over Charlie Moules Bridge, bear diagonal right, follow paths through Roding Valley Nature Reserve to David Lloyd centre, pass between it and the river. Turn right at the car park to recross the river. Follow paths back to Roding Lane and turn left down Alfred Road and left down Lower Queen's Road. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

3 Hrs plus stop half way. Walking entire Parish Boundary of Buckhurst Hill.

Start Roebuck Green in front of Roebuck Heights flats (on opposite side of High Road to car park by cricket ground). Walk to the left down The Drive and turn left down the footpath directly opposite the flats. Follow the footpath as it curves to the right and walk all the way through the fields to the railway. At the railway turn right towards the footbridge. Cross the railway into Thaxted Road. Turn left. After Blackmore Road, turn right onto the footpath. Follow the footpath and cross Loughton Way. Again follow the footpath until it reaches Bradwell Road. Cross, and enter the Roding Valley recreation ground. Walk to the lake, turn right, and walk to where the lake meets the River Roding. At the river the path comes to a bridge which crosses the river to the David Lloyd Club. Do not cross but turn about and walk back across the recreation ground to its entrance on Roding Lane near Rous Road. Turn right onto Roding Lane, turn left at Alfred Road, turn left at Lower Queen's Road. Walk all the way to the bottom, turn right onto the footpath next to the River Roding. Follow the footpath all the way past the Allotments to the railway bridge at the bottom of Luxborough Lane. Just beyond the railway bridge is a footbridge over the river leading to Luxborough Lane, Chigwell and Woodford. Do not cross but go back under the railway bridge, turn left, and with the railway on the left, walk up to Hornbeam Road. Cross Buckhurst Way and pause at the Monkham's Pub. Turn right and walk up Station Way, cross Forest Edge, and continue along Farm Way. Just beyond Farm Close is the entrance to Lord's Bushes / Knighton Wood. Take this path and walk up through the Forest to reach Knighton Lane. Cross the High Road, turn right then left into Beech Lane. Cross Epping New Road, turn right then left into Tuttlebee Lane. Continue along the footpath through the Forest to reach Brook Road. Cross, follow the path across Whitehall Plain to reach the small stream, the Ching. Turn right, follow the path with the Ching on your left towards Ranger's Road. Just before the road, turn right and walk up the broad green walk towards Epping New Road at the Warren Pub. Cross Epping New Road and follow the path up through the Forest to reach the cricket ground on the High Road and the start point. [Note – part of the Parish of BH is south of the railway line at Roding Valley, but it is impractical to include in this walk; in 1993 it was transferred from Essex to Redbridge]. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

3 Hrs plus stops. Enter Lord's Bushes/Knighton Wood at entrance in Forest Edge just before Princes Road. Walk straight up passing the play park at Kings Place on right, exit the wood onto Knighton Lane. Turn right towards Queen's Road. Turn left to the High Road then turn right, cross the road, and walk about 400m to the car park next to the cricket field. Walk along the car park with the cricket field on the left to enter the woods. Carry straight on along a very hilly path crossing Manor Road and Warren Hill to Loughton- Possible to turn off to right in many places and return to Buckhurst Hill by tube from Loughton, or carry on past Staples Hill, Loughton Camp ,Baldwins Hill, Jacks Hill ,Amesbury Banks, skirt Epping cricket club , to Forest Gate Inn which is a favourite pub. Further mile or so across Bell Common into Epping High Road -Right down to Epping Underground for return tube to Buckhurst Hill. [Includes uphill sections]. [Includes some forest and grass paths].

We would like to hear if anyone else has their favourite walks. 

(c) BHRS April 2020