Loughton: Epping Forest and Living Cultural Heritage

Loughton combines the distinctive landscape of Epping Forest with traces of a long local history. Those choosing a holiday apartment in Loughton for their stay can combine nature, paths and cultural heritage in a variety of excursions: from ancient earthworks and historic churches to meadows, ponds and woodland.

Between woodland paths and historic earthworks

Loughton Station is served by bus routes 20, 167 and 397 and is a 15-minute walk from Epping Forest. Loughton is connected to the forest, which lies west of the town, by paths, cycling routes and bridleways. Visiting Epping Forest is free. Accessible parking spaces and easy-access paths throughout the forest area are also available for planning a day in nature.

Epping Forest is of great importance for nature conservation. The forest is home to more than 50,000 ancient pollarded hornbeams as well as 100 lakes and ponds. Loughton Camp, one of two Iron Age earthworks, lies within this landscape; both are designated as Scheduled Monuments and were probably built around 500 BC. Loughton Camp is a lightly fortified, univallate hillfort on a south-west-facing slope below the ridge that runs through Epping Forest. Cycling and horse riding are not permitted there. The Beech Trail leads from Loughton Camp towards Pillow Mounds.

Paths, meadows and a diverse landscape

Staples Hill is characterised by pollarded oaks and hornbeams. You can explore Staples Hill and Loughton Brook on foot, by bicycle or with a dog; both are 1.6 km on foot from Loughton Station. Another option in the area is Roding Valley Meadows Nature Reserve. On the Loughton side of the river, several access points lead from Roding Valley Recreation Ground to footpaths and wheelchair-accessible paths. The nature reserve forms a mosaic of species-rich meadows, hedgerows, wetlands, ponds, scrubland and woodland.

This allows different day plans to be considered when choosing where to stay: one excursion can focus on woodland and ponds, another on shorter paths or Loughton's historic sites. The different landscapes give the trip more than a single theme without requiring you to commit to a particular way of exploring.

Buildings and stories from Loughton

The townscape also offers many points of interest. Lopping Hall was built as a community building and funded by the City of London Corporation as compensation for the loss of lopping rights. The building opened in 1884 to a design by local architect Edmond Egan. Above the original entrance is a terracotta frieze showing the loppers at work.

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist was built in 1846 by Sidney Smirke in the Neo-Norman style and extended in 1877. St John the Baptist Church in Loughton reflects the town's rapid development in the 19th century. St Mary's Church dates back to the 13th century and preserves sections of the original medieval masonry. At the entrance to Loughton Burial Ground there is also a Funeral Chapel, a timber-framed building from the late 19th century.

Since 1997, a cultural heritage plaque programme has marked the former homes of people and important landmark buildings in Loughton. In addition, Loughton has three conservation areas on the western edge of the town's forest. The National Jazz Archive in Loughton holds written, printed and visual materials as well as oral histories; its collection dates back to the 1920s.

Discover more destinations

For further searches at the same destination level, you can also find Basildon, Thaxted, Harlow, Chigwell, Colchester, Little Hallingbury, Burnham-On-Crouch and Chelmsford.

For the higher-level travel overview: Essex.