efog-blog
Recent outings and activities...
Castle Hedingham
On Tuesday 19th May, 9 of us in two cars travelled to Hedingham Castle, arriving there just before 11.30 am. Whilst paying admission we were informed of a guided tour at 12 noon. We therefore had drinks etc. at the café and then met with the guide. Being a rather wet day to start, it was just us and about 3 others. It was an interesting tour, learning a few things we’d not picked up on during our last, unguided visit.
EFOG'ers eating in the garrison room of Castle Hedingham. Photo by MadeleineWe then ate our sandwiches in the warmth of the café before heading off on the walk at 2 pm, by which time the sun was just showing its face. We started with a detour by the lakes in the grounds before heading down Bayley Street, Nunnery Street and Kirby Hall Road to then follow a footpath to cross the Colne Valley Railway line beside an old signal box. Back on Nunnery Street we were slightly puzzled by a bus stop sign headed ‘Memories’, but a google search revealed that was the name of a pub/Chinese restaurant at the road junction, but which now just looks like a regular, albeit large, house. We then used footpaths roughly following the River Colne to Sible Hedingham, spotting a muntjac deer on our path en route. We turned left at a large house complete with its own tennis court, and crossed a couple of fields back to Castle Hedingham. We were hoping to finish in a pub, but The Wheatsheaf, which we used last time was now up for sale and The Bell was closed between 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm. Tea Rooms also close very early so it was basically a quick tour of the village, with quaint thatched and other cottages plus a sighting of a red kite above a play area with a sign –‘No Kite Flying’ - and back to the cars. The walk itself was around 3 miles, but with the castle tour as well we covered a bit more and it felt even longer.
Richard 20th May 2026
Hastings Holiday 2026
Bank Holiday Monday, also Star Wars Day (May the 4th), and I arrived at London Bridge Station early and met up with Louise and Jinan, who had both booked the same train, which was good as it’s one of South East trains finest!
We arrived at St Leonards Warrior Square Station (great name) and together with Marian, who was on the same train, got a cab to the camp-site where Madeleine, Frances and Parviz had just arrived. We had 4 caravans in total, for the 10 of us, dotted across the site. After checking in, some of us headed to the supermarket to buy the provisions which were split between the caravans. In the evening, we met in the Mash and Barrel, the camp’s traditional pub style restaurant, and afterwards sampled the delights of the live entertainment and amusement arcade.
On Tuesday we went for a group walk around Hastings Country Park, a few miles away, and Cathy and Richard came down to join us for the day. After some classic Efog faffing about sorting out cars, we set off to the Park’s visitor centre where Cathy & Richard were already waiting. From the centre, we headed eastwards along the cliff-top towards Fairlight, with views over the countryside and the channel. Just as I was thinking we might be lost, we found a convenient footpath through a pretty wood and luckily found a couple of tables and benches, perfect for our lunch.
After lunch, we returned back along the cliffs to the visitor centre, where some departed to visit Hastings Pier (which was unfortunately shut) whilst others explored a bit more of the park, seeing a group of Exmoor ponies and Sussex cattle, before returning to the campsite, for the evening meal at the restaurant, after which Cathy and Richard departed for home.
On Wednesday morning, some of us went swimming at the site’s indoor pool, after which we headed off to explore Hastings for the day. On arrival we headed to a nice fish and chip restaurant for lunch, before splitting up and exploring the Old Town, with it’s narrow streets and passages, and seemingly a million antique shops.
I bumped into Jinan and Jill and we enjoyed an ice-cream before meeting up with the others on the sea-front for a game of crazy golf, which was won by some distance by Frances (well done). Returning to the camp-site, most people didn’t need an evening meal so they pretty much did their own thing in the evening, I headed to the sports bar to watch the football, although sadly for me, it was a poor match.
On Thursday, which was Jill’s birthday, Jinan had to return home early, so the rest of us went to Rye to look around this historic and picturesque town. Jill, Louise, Madeleine and I soon found a tea shop, before exploring the town and visiting the old church, a wonderful scented candle shop and the Rye Castle Museum Ypres Tower, part of the town’s old defences.
After lunch, we visited Rye Nature Reserve and walked along the beach and through the reserve, spotting lots of different birds including terns and avocets. Back at the camp-site we went for a last meal at the Mash and Barrel, after which everyone returned to our caravan, which we had lavishly decorated (10 balloons and a banner!) for the birthday girl, and the odd glass of wine or fruit cider.
On Friday, people departed for their homes. Louise, Madeleine and I had a walk along the river at the bottom of the camp-site but couldn’t find the nature reserve shown on the site map, although we did hear a cuckoo very clearly. On returning we got a cab to the station and departed on our train home.
It had been a good holiday, the caravans were clean and comfortable and I’d like to thank everyone for coming and helping to make it the good break that it was. Where will we go next year?
Trev Eley, May 2026
Arkesden to Clavering Walk
Strangely, I’d first done this walk on 25th April 2015, but had then also done a recce a couple of weeks before today. So it was that on a beautiful sunny April 25th 2026 that 14 of us (12 current EFOGers and 2 former ones) assembled outside The Axe and Compasses in Arkesden at 11.30 (EFOG time) to traverse the hills and fields to Clavering, a distance of about 5 miles. This included a path called Coleshill Road, which wasn’t anything like a road, but where we were passed by 3 motorcyclists. En route we spotted a couple of red kites and a rabbit’s foot (obviously not the lucky one).
At Clavering we stopped for lunch by the crenellated 14/15th Century church of St Mary & St Clement. We also had a look at the site of Clavering Castle, next to the church. It was an old Motte & Bailey castle, now more motte than bailey. Some EFOGers also found ‘The Cake Shed’ a short way down the road.
After rounding everyone up, we then headed past thatched Tudor cottages, through a ford (or over a bridge for those who preferred), and up a narrow footpath to the rolling Essex fields, through Stickling Green around a copse where I’m not sure who was startled the most, but we saw two groups of fallow deer which went bounding through the crop of oats.
We then arrived back at Arkesden for a welcome and refreshing drink at the pub.
It was a shame that the stream in Arkesden had dried up as it is a pretty village with thatched cottages/houses, some accessed by bridges across the stream.
Richard, 28th April 2026
Clavering Ford, crossing the River Stort
The village sign at Clavering
The 'Cake Shed'
At the Axe and Compasses in Arkesden
Epping Forest Outdoor Group - 70th Birthday Party
The Group celebrated its 70th birthday on Saturday 20th June with a party at our regular meeting place in the ROVSCO Scout hall at Snaresbrook.
Our group, which enjoys a wide range of social events, including walks, cycle rides, theatre visits and sports events as well as a weekly Thursday night social evening, was started in 1956 in Walthamstow, and has been going successfully for 70 years. Originally affiliated to the Youth Hostel Association, it is now run by and for its members. The group’s current program has something on every week and most weekends, as well as midweek events.
The party was from 2pm until 5pm, and about 40 current and former members met up to celebrate and reminisce, with food and entertainment provided by the group and its members. Group vice-chairman Peter Gamble - who was a member from the early days of the group - said, “It was a very enjoyable party and was good to catch up with former members and old friends.”
The group meets socially on Thursday evenings at the ROVSCO Hall (the scout hall) in Snaresbrook from 8 to 10 p.m. Further details are available on our website at efog.org.uk.
Through Epping Forest from Theydon Bois to Loughton
Nine members of the Epping Forest Outdoor Group - Trevor, Jill V, Cathy, Parviz, Lynne, Nigel, Louise, Marion and myself - met at Theydon Bois Station for this walk on 12th April.
Heading up to enter Epping Forest via Theydon Plain, we took the main path up through Genesis Slade, taking a right onto Wormleyton Pits Ride and a left to the Four Wantz. These names always amaze me - I just call it ‘The Theydon Loop’. We then took another left, walking past Ambresbury Banks. Passing by the Thames Valley Bog, the path becomes The Green Ride for a short section before crossing over Coppice Row at Jacks Hill and becoming The Ditches Ride. On taking a right fork, the path turns back to being called The Green Path. Crossing over Goldings Hill we continued on The Green Path unil we took a right turn just before Sandpit Plain, towards Mount Pleasant, crossing the Epping New Road and on through to High Beech for a lunch stop. Luckily no one wanted oysters, as the queue for the oyster shack was very long.
After lunch we dropped into the Epping Forest Visitors Centre before retracing our steps back to Sandpit Plain and rejoined The Green Path down the ‘big hill’ (that’s what I call it). At the bottom, we left the main path to take a forest path down to Loughton Brook and through to the Reservoir, leaving the forest at Staples Road and into Forest Road to head to Loughton Station for the end of the walk.
According to my step counter It was a 7 mile walk (apologies to Louise, as I only put 6 miles!). It was a lovely day, with a chill wind at the start but sunny most of the time, and the April showers held off. The forest looked splendid with lots of new green growth coming through.
Sue S. 12th April 2026