Some people come to the city for London breaks away from home, to get a buzz from all the activities and stimulation on offer. And London is great for all of that, even if you live here, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes the noise and heat gets too much and you need a break FROM London instead. If you live anywhere near the city of London, the Old East End, the new Silicon Roundabout, Hoxton, Hackney Shoreditch etc or even in one of the Outer London Boroughs on the East side such as Newham, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, then the quickest route out of London is to take a train from Liverpool Street Station heading towards Shenfield of Gidea Park, or to get on the Central Line to Epping. Don’t stay on all the tube all the way to Epping though, get out at Theydon Bois, a charming little Essex village with a village green a duck pond. From there it’s only a short walk up into Epping Forest itself, where the woodland provides a cooling shade and pleasant walks on a hot summer’s day. On the way back to the tube, if you have a substantial appetite, then a visit to the Bull is called for. It’s a nice enough pub, that really cares about good old fashioned quality British food such as Steak and Kidney Pudding and fish pie.
Via Flickr:
Epping Forest Theydon Bois
One of my favourite spots for quick breaks away from London.