If you live in East London or anywhere near the central line this is the easiest and quickest walk you can do, but even if you don’t, this walk is well worth the trip.
Taking a meandering path through London’s closest forest – Epping Forest – its beautiful at any time of year, but comes into it’s own in Autumn. As the nights draw in, you can be sure you’ll be safely at the pub by the time it gets dark, even if you’re up late.
If you do the route in the Summer though, you can make use of the beautiful beer garden at the Victoria Tavern, or take your pond dipping net/picnic to any of the small forest pools you’ll find towards the end of the route.
How to extend the route
If you’re up early, or you fancy a slightly longer route you can carry on after your trip to The Queen Victoria Tavern to Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge. It’s another 45 min walk and a short train back to Liverpool Street or Bethnal Green from Chingford overground station (a further 10 walk from the lodge).
Station Liverpool Street, Bethnal Green, Mile End, Stratford
Time of walk 1hr 30
Time on train 20 mins
Time end to end 2hrs
Cost £6
Places to stop
Queen Victoria Tavern
The Queen Victoria is a perfect little pub with a beautiful beer garden in summer, and two log fires in the winter. Lunch is served untill 3pm, and dinner starts at 6pm.
Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge
Queen Elizabeth’s hunting lodge, or ‘the Great Standing’ as it was called in the 1500s, was originally built by Henry the 8th as a place for noblemen to sit and shoot deer from the comfort of a nice warm building as local folks drove the deer out of the forest.
Walks near London 