Chingford to High Beech Circular Walk

On Saturday 6th September, with a start at the Holly Trail café on Bury Road in Chingford, 8 members started this circular walk along the edge of Chingford Plain via the London Loop to meet up with the Boundary Walk Somewhere near Cuckoo Brook some of us strangely did actually have a discussion about Cuckoo's, which started with sighting of a woodpecker-holed dead tree. Passing the oddly named Catacombs Corner junction with Lippets Hill we continued on the Boundary Walk Trail through the forest to cross over Avey Lane and make our way through to High Beech. We dropped into the Visitors Centre and had a break for lunch while awaiting the arrival of Brian who had not managed to make the start of the walk.

Now with 9 members, we joined a path from High Beech which took us through to cross the Epping New Road at Mount Pleasant, this path then joins up with the Green Ride. We were admiring a nice new wooden signpost that has appeared, however, we all questioned one of the signpost arrows pointing to 'BroadStrood' which we did not recognise - Brian looked this up to find it was the car park on Goldings Hill (learn something new every day!). Passing by Loughton Camp we continued along the Green Ride and down the big hill and on to stop by both Earls Path Pond which had lots of water lily plants and some still in flower and Strawberry Hill Pond which had lots of ducks, mainly Mallards and Moorhens.

Crossing back over the Epping New Road at Lincolns Lane we took the path immediate left that crosses a green path to join up with the Fairmead (disused) road and then taking the straight gravel path route that led through to Connaught Waters. Admiring some of the of the wooden Brambley Hedge sculptures on our way around, we left Connaught waters to walk back through to Chingford Plain. Brian & Kathy left us to visit the Vue and the rest of us returned across Chingford Plain to the Holly Trail café for end of walk refreshments. A six and a half mile walk according to the distance counter on my phone. We had a lovely walking day with good company and ideal walking weather.

Sue S., 7th September 2025

River Lee Walk – Tottenham Hale to Chingford

Having moved the date and route of my planned walk to avoid clashes with Weeley Music Festival and the Notting Hill Carnival, seven of us met at Tottenham Hale station at 11 o’clock on Bank Holiday Monday, 25th August 2025, for a walk along the River Lee. Sue arrived first, with Cathy, Richard and myself soon after, followed by Eileen, Louise and Madeleine. Asking about the Weeley Festival, it become clear from both Eileen and Louise that the walk there had been a “bit of an adventure” to put it kindly, hopefully today’s walk would be less traumatic (unlikely with me leading it!).

At Stonebridge LockAfter a short walk along the road we turned left onto the canal tow-path at Tottenham Hale locks, passing the locks as we headed northwards, with the river on our right. There were plenty of narrow boats moored up by the tow-path, some looking splendid, and others not quite so.

After a while we reached Stonebridge Lock, where we crossed over the river via a footbridge, continuing with the river now on our left. We went to the footbridge over a stream leading to Tottenham Marshes, where a heron was patrolling the stream. Re-tracing our steps, we continued along the River Lee, spotting a little egret (or was it large egret far away?) passing under the North Circular Road and the construction works for a new energy recycling plant on the opposite bank.

Chinese GooseAfter a while we reached our lunch stop at Picketts Lock, where there was a handy table, although I decided to lunch just downstream of the lock so I could watch a swan family, with six cygnets on the river. Finishing lunch, a couple of boats were in the lock and so I just had to help in closing the lock gates. Passing Picketts Lock, we spotted two large unusual looking geese, which Sue helpfully later found out were Chinese geese.

After a mile or so, we reached Ponder End locks where we turned off the river onto the road which runs between the William Girling and King George Reservoirs (thanks spell-check!) leading to Kings Head Hill. Fortunately, there is a pub part way up the hill, so we decided to refuel there before our final assault on the summit of the hill. Suitably refreshed we continued up the hill to arrive at Chingford, where we said our farewells and headed for buses home.

It was a very enjoyable walk of 6 miles, mostly level, except for the hill at the end with plenty of wildlife along the river, certainly a good replacement for the walk I’d originally planned.

Trev Eley,  28th August 2025

A visit to Castle Hedingham and a short walk

On 19th August 2025, eleven of us went in 3 cars to Castle Hedingham where we regrouped at the café within the castle – seated on what felt like medieval chairs at medieval tables. Unfortunately, they only had cakes, not savoury food. After refreshments we spent some time exploring the Norman castle, of which only the Keep remains, then met up again outside to do the walk.

Exiting the castle grounds past the ornamental lakes, we turned left to the end of the village, then left out of the village and a short way up the road turned onto a footpath behind the castle.

The original walk was to be 3.75 miles, but that hadn’t factored in visiting the castle, which has limited opening days, but being a circular walk basically on footpaths/fields around the perimeter of the village there were places to cut it shorter, so it was about 2 miles. We did cross the tracks of the Colne Valley Railway, next to an old signal box, before following a meadow path between the railway track and the River Colne. On reaching a road we turned left back into the village to find a tea-shop or pub, settling for the latter as the tea-rooms shut around 3.30pm.

The village itself is a lovely mix of medieval houses, including the Old Moot House (currently a tea-room/restaurant but up for sale as a private residence), thatched cottages and more modern houses, plus two pubs and a small gallery/tea-room.

Including walking around inside the castle we covered over 4 miles and having left Eagle Lane at 10am we were home at around 6pm after an enjoyable trip.  

Richard, 21st August 2025

Photos by Madeleine

We were all in agreement that the grounds of the Castle were beautiful

 What a super day we had at Castle Hedingham. Here are some us enjoying the lovely grounds around the Keep.This photo was taken from the Minstrels Gallery at Castle Hedingham

Photos by Lorraine

Hitchin Lavender Fields

Given that I had sent an email out describing the planned outing to Hitchin Lavender as basically a convoluted journey to visit a field of wilting lavender, it was lovely to have a group of ten people – or eleven if you count the temporary What’sApp group set up for the occasion, which seemed to take on a life of its own – join in with the trip on 2nd August 2025.

Jill, Val, Claire and her friend Diane travelled up by car, with the rest of us making our way by public transport, which amazingly seemed (seemed) to be running fine for a Saturday.

I’ll hand over to the What’sApp group messages to provide a flavour of the journey to Hitchin.

• We’re at Kings Cross, journey going well. 

• We got here early so see you at Paul’s Coffee Shop opposite the Eurostar ticket office. [wish I’d had a doughnut] 

• Just when we thought it was going so well, the train has been cancelled, so we’re stuck at King’s Cross for the next hour

[At this point the picnic site changed from a lavender field to a bench at King’s Cross Station, as there was little else to do, and the general mood dipped somewhat.]

• Jill: Try St Pancras, there should be trains every fifteen minutes

[Rather frantic group dash to St Pancras…will they make it??]

• We’re on the train, Jill you’re a star for suggesting that! 

• Car 1:There’s quite a bit of traffic 

• Car 2: I’ve got here…where is everyone?

• Train: Nearly there 

• Car 1: If you’re driving the postcode on the website takes you to a care home 

• Train: I’m in need of one after the stress of the journey 

Don’t ask me how, but amazingly everyone arrived at the lavender farm within a few minutes of each other, and were greeted by wafts of lavender and the sun showing itself through the clouds. 

I can’t think whose ridiculous idea it was to carry the picnic chairs Jill had very kindly brought along up the long slope to the top of the field, have lunch, and then lug the chairs all the way down again, but I was swiftly talked out of it, and we set up what was left of our picnic in a very nice spot, and had a lovely long and relaxed lunchbreak.

While the farm essentially comprises one main field, it is a very lovely field; and although the lavender was beginning to fade, it was still pretty abundant, and I think the recent rain had pepped it up a bit. About a third of the field is given over to sunflowers, and these had just come out, and were really lovely too. We all had a good walk up and down the field, enjoying the purples and golds, and taking plenty of photos.

After that, a cup of tea from one of the outlets called, although we drew the line at the posh chips, with their posh price tag of £7 a portion.

Tea drunk, it was time to make our various ways home, which included an optional two mile walk back to Hitchin station, kindly worked out and led by Trevor. A nice walk back it was too, with some woodland, open fields and a river, before we reached the town and the station came into view.

Thank you to everyone who came along, and additional thanks to Mad for navigating King’s Cross; Jill for coming to the rescue with alternative train times and for bringing picnic chairs and rugs; and to Trevor for leading the walk back to Hitchin, and for stoically being the token bloke. A very nice day, with the unforecast sunshine being an added bonus.

Louise, 8th August 2025

Madeleine's 'Sunflower with Ladybirds'

 Photos by Jill and Madeleine