Welcome to Epping Forest District
Welcome to our district, an area that includes cosmopolitan towns in the south and rural villages and hamlets in the north. Bordering London, the twin green swaths of Epping Forest and the Lee Valley provide natural routes into the district and access to its history and heritage as well as shopping and café culture. We are also easily accessible via eight tube stations on the Central Line plus four exits on the M11 and M25 motorways. Those exploring further into our district will find unspoilt countryside with delightful towns, villages and hamlets plus hidden treasures, such as the oldest wooden church in the world, the CAMRA pub of Essex, the place they made the nation's gunpowder and explosives, and the closest heritage steam railway to the Capital – plus a whole lot more.
Explore this website and discover more information about history and heritage, events and attractions, fine food and drink and places to explore, stay and relax.
Epping Forest forms a direct green link between London and rural Essex and lends its name to a market town and surrounding district that never fails to surprise and delight visitors who discover its many attractions. And all just a walk, ride or tube journey away from the Capital.
Immersed in history, the ancient market town of Waltham Abbey is the resting place of King Harold and home to the District Museum where you can learn about the district's rich heritage, and the Royal Gunpowder Mills were you can discover the secret history of gunpowder production and rocket development. Just a few minutes away, the world class Lee Valley White Water Centre offers adrenaline-pumping white water adventure. Alternatively, for a gentler taste of the outdoors, head for Epping Forest, with ancient trees, sunlit glades and a host of events throughout the year. Visit Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge or explore the remains of two large Iron Age forts.
Alternatively, enjoy English countryside at its best along the Essex Way which begins right outside Epping Station at the end of the Central Line. Lee Valley Regional Park, running along the western edge of the Epping Forest district, offers much to the leisure visitor and Lee Valley Park Farms plus Ashlyns Farm at North Weald are popular family days out.
Just outside Ongar, Greensted’s 11th Century Church is famed as the oldest wooden church in the world whilst at Copped Hall, Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream was first performed. Combine your visit with lunch in the leafy market towns of Epping or Ongar, two destinations linked by the Epping Ongar Heritage Railway, who can take you even further on one of their classic double-decker buses. Bargain hunters head for North Weald Airfield, host to a weekly outdoor market held Saturdays and Bank Holidays on a former Battle of Britain site, still active today with historic aircraft in the skies and events throughout the year. The Airfield Museum is another must-see for enthusiasts. For the ultimate retail therapy, especially if bling’s your thing, head for Loughton and Buckhurst Hill where you’ll find shops full of the fashion and designer goods that inspired the TOWIE look. You’ll also find plenty of café’s and bars to relax and admire your purchases or plan your evening at top night spots or fine dining in one of the district’s many acclaimed restaurants.
Make Epping Forest the centre for your stay and when you've exhausted the attractions of our district, explore further. London is the obvious attraction but there's also lots to see and do in neighbouring Broxbourne which shares a border with Epping Forest along the River Lee and the Lee Valley Park.
Highlights
Highlights
Premier Inn Waltham Abbey
Close to the natural wonders of Gunpowder Park and Waltham Abbey Gardens, with easy links to London.
Premier Inn Buckhurst Hill
Loughton/Buckhurst Hill hotel. Hit the tracks in Epping Forest or in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic...
The Fox Inn at Matching Tye
The Fox Inn at Matching Tye - an 18th Century inn with luxury accommodation in a peaceful country...
De Vere Theobalds Estate
De Vere Theobalds Estate offers guests with exceptional service in a beautiful parkland setting.
Premier Inn Chingford
Admire the leafy views of nearby Epping Forest - or hire a bike and hit those woodland tracks.
Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel
Waltham Abbey Marriott Hotel welcomes you with elegant accommodation, helpful amenities and stylish...
The Old Forge Studio
Stylish luxury apartment offering comfortable space for 2/4 people in the grounds of a C16th Forge....
Debden House Campsite
Debden House Campsite is over 50 acres and has attracted thousands of visitors since its opening in...
The Blue Boar
Welcome to The Blue Boar, an established beautiful Boutique Hotel nestled in the village of...
Down Hall Hotel & Spa
The best way to understand the rich past of Down Hall is to stay there. Each of the hotel’s 99...