Epic Epping: Exploring London’s ancient woodland by bike

Epping Forest has always been shrouded in mystery for me. Growing up in the commuter belt town of Chelmsford, the place was synonymous with stories of gangland murders and tales of paranormal activity which involved parked cars rolling up hills and defying the laws of gravity.  

Despite it being on my doorstep since moving to London, my preconceived ideas of Epping meant I’d never thought to go and explore on my bike – opting instead to complete mindless laps of Richmond and Regent’s Park or venture north into the lanes of Hertfordshire. That was until last March, when my world – and everyone else’s – got that bit smaller. And, after my first visit, I was hooked.

London’s very own patch of ancient woodland, Epping Forest is a near-6,000 acre patchwork of grass plains, wooded commons and ponds that stretches from Forest Gate in the East End to the Essex hinterlands. It’s had a varied history over the years – from Iron age settlements to royal hunting grounds – but today its vast network of traffic-free trails makes it a mecca for outdoor activities.  

While two-wheeled explorers of the forest’s trails are best saddling up on mountain bikes and gravel bikes in the winter, come summer it’s an ideal space for all breeds of cyclists – be they nervous newbies who were swept up in The Great Bicycle Buying craze of 2020 or those with little ones in tow. Plus, with good transport links and on-site bike hire at Go Further Cycling, you don’t even need to be a signed up member of the club to get a taste of the action.

My regular go-to route is a 13.5-mile loop that covers the majority of the forest. Starting at Chingford Plains, it skirts its boundaries as I make my way to within a stone’s throw of the M25 before turning back in the direction of the city. But today, as I set out on my journey, I’m determined not to chase Strava segments. Today, I’m going to try life in the slow lane and stop to appreciate the sights that pepper these paths.

After a brief spin along the edge of the deserted golf course and a short, sharp rise, I’m at the first stop on my tour – the Obelisk atop Pole Hill. Sitting at exactly 0 degree longitude, it was installed in the early 1800s by geographers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich to accurately set their telescopes. Although a couple of centuries of population and vegetation growth mean you can’t see as far as the Meridian Line, you can still glimpse the latest additions to the city’s jagged skyline on a clear day.

Astronomy lesson complete, it’s time to get back to riding. Cutting through the bare winter woodland, the fallen leaves of last autumn have turned the trails into a soft, loamy carpet that meanders its way through a corridor of skeleton-like branches.  

As I make my way northwards, loosely following the forest’s ‘Main Path’, I’m struck by how quiet it is. Since entering England’s third national lockdown, most of London’s outdoor spaces are once again crowded as the capital’s residents get their legal dose of exercise and fresh air. But thanks to its sheer size, it’s possible to enjoy exploring Epping Forest without the need to encroach on anyone else’s socially-distanced space.

A third of the way in, after tackling the undulating up-and-down of the appropriately named Hill Wood, it’s time for a pit stop at High Beach’s Oyster Shack and Seafood Bar. Hidden around the corner from the Kings Oak Hotel, the takeaway has a real East End charm – the sound of crackling deep fat fryers only broken by the shouts of orders that are ready. The spot serves up a mean line in hot and cold seafood between Thursdays and Sundays, and if you only try one thing, make it the scallop and bacon bap – the perfect antidote to a frosty winter’s day.

Engine refuelled, I’m back on the Main Path, whizzing my way along Claypit Hill’s gravel-lined roads and stopping only to take in the views across the Lea Valley from the forest’s lofty heights.  

Furthest point reached, it’s time to make my way back towards Chingford, but not before a surprising history lesson en route. The Green Ride path I’m following south was built especially for Queen Victoria’s visit to the Forest in 1882 (although she stayed firmly in her horse-drawn carriage). Meanwhile, the mounds flanking my left-hand side are in fact ‘Tank Traps’ built during the Second World War by the local Home Guard as part of the perimeter defences surrounding London. And that’s before you get to Loughton Camp – a collection of banks and ditches that were once the site of an Iron Age fort.

Although not obvious to the naked eye, the past is ingrained into the fabric of this ancient woodland. It’s only now, with travel restricted to two wheels and my local area the extent of my world, that I’ve taken the time to truly appreciate it.

Charlie Allenby is author of ‘Bike London: A Guide to Cycling in the City’, which is published in March 2021