Ahead of this year’s Epping Forest Centenary Walk, West Essex Ramblers’ David Evans explains the background to the event and invites local residents to join them on all or part of the 14-mile trek
Next time you’re walking in Epping Forest – the largest open space in London – tip your hat to the shades of Thomas Willingale and a host of like-minded philanthropists, whose perseverance in the face of rapacious landowners resulted in this wonderful walking area remaining accessible to the common people – that’s you and me. Their efforts over more than a decade led to the passage of the Epping Forest Act in 1878, ending unlawful encroachment and enclosures on Forest land. Today, it has more than four million visitors each year.
Stimulated by the opening of a railway line to Chingford, the Forest rapidly became a magnet for East Londoners keen to alleviate the hardships of inner-city industrial life with the Forest’s pastoral tranquillity. Indeed, throughout the first half of the 20th century, it became almost a holiday destination, supplying (relatively) clean air, access to a natural environment and peace and quiet.
In 1978, two members of West Essex Ramblers – Harry Bitten and Fred Matthews – devised a Centenary Walk to acknowledge the debt owed to the architects of the Epping Forest Act. Since then, West Essex Ramblers have each year (excluding Covid times) organised the Centenary Walk, following the same route. It runs from Manor Park in the south, finishing at Epping in the north. The Centenary Walk follows well-established footpaths (they’re even named on the OS map) and is easily accessible by public transport. The total length is 14.5 miles, which will be within the capability of many walkers. “Our intention is to make the walk as inclusive as possible, so we’ve also built in a series of joining and dropping-off points that make the walk suitable for families and you can tailor your participation to your own walking range,” said David Keane, project leader for this year’s walk.
West Essex is a very active group within the Ramblers’ Association with over 600 members, including many living locally. We enjoy walking in a variety of locations. Epping Forest is on our doorstep, but our programme includes walks in the Essex countryside, the Lea Valley, London, along the Thames and further afield, including national trails. We are very keen to welcome new walkers of all ages.
This year is the 49th iteration of the Centenary Walk. From little beginnings, it has grown in stature and we now attract walkers from many parts of London, Essex and Hertfordshire. The passing of the Epping Forest Act was, for many Londoners, a moment as significant as the Peak District’s Kinder Scout trespass in the 1930s. Willingale and his colleagues would no doubt be delighted to see just how successful their efforts have been in opening up Epping Forest. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.
This year’s Epping Forest Centenary Walk will take place on 6 July. For full details and for more information on the West Essex Ramblers, visit swvg.co.uk/wer
