Area Guides

BUCKHURST HILL

Buckhurst Hill is part of the Epping Forest district of Essex, bordering Greater London and has a lovely village feel. It is served by two Central Line stations – Buckhurst Hill in zone 5 and Roding Valley slightly further to the south in zone 4. There are also several bus routes serving local towns and travelling towards London.

The main retail area of Buckhurst Hill is Queens Road, a one-way road with a wide choice of boutique shops, jewellers, a dance and fitness studio and plenty of coffee bars and restaurants as well as a large Waitrose.

There are a wide variety of public houses in the area, most notably the Three Colts with its stripped floors and exposed beams and The Monkham’s, a convivial tavern providing sports on TV and outside seating who both provide food as well as the standard ales and spirits. There’s also the Toby Carvery for a good old Roast Dinner.

Chigwell

Chigwell is a historic town in the Epping Forest district of Essex located approximately 12 miles from Central London. Together with Loughton and Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell forms part of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Essex with many period properties and new developments. Brook Parade is the main shopping area with a selection of boutique and coffee shops situated opposite the well-manicured village green with children’s play area. There are plenty of restaurants offering European, Indian and Chinese food, the pick of the bunch being Sheesh, a Turkish restaurant set in the former ‘Ye Old Kings Head’ public house. Originally built in 1547 it was England’s second oldest public house and now offers quality food and drink. The King William IV gastro pub and the Two Brewers also offer some great dining and tipples.

Chigwell has two stations, Grange Hill and Chigwell, both are on the Central Line with connections to The City and the West End. There are also bus routes connecting local towns.

DEBDEN

Debden is located close to Loughton, Chigwell and Theydon Bois. Like many of the surrounding areas Debden is bordered by green belt and Epping Forest with a mixture of period and modern properties. There are a wide range of shops and restaurants located on The Broadway as well as the Epping Forest Retail Park that offers the likes of Boots, JD Sports, TK Maxx & Next with a Costa coffee shop to boot. Langston Road Industrial Estate is situated alongside it housing car dealerships and the Bank of England paper money printing site. There is also the boutique ‘Crate’ self-contained work spaces which houses various local businesses and services.

Debden is served by the Central Line with journey times of 30 minutes to the City and 50 minutes to the West End. Many bus routes to the local towns and towards London.

Ideally located next to the M11 and a short distance to the M25.

EPPING

Epping is a market town with an active street market dating back to 1253 which opens every Monday, together with a vibrant high street of boutique shops, coffee bars, traditional pubs and restaurants along with two large supermarkets, Marks & Spencer and Tesco.

Located about a mile north of Epping Forest and close to junction 25 of the M25. Connections to London are excellent via the Central Line offering journey times of 30 minutes to the City of London and around 45 minutes to the West End. There are also a number of bus routes, serving many surrounding towns and villages including Thornwood Common, Harlow, Abridge, Waltham Abbey, Ongar and Brentwood.

The forest is incredibly popular with horse riders, cyclists and walkers due to the miles of bridle paths and tracks offering an escape from the busy city. Typical homeowners in Epping tend to be professional couples/families who move here with the intention of staying long term, meaning that properties are highly sought after.

LOUGHTON

Located to the south west of Epping Forest. Loughton is a busy town with a mix of tree-lined avenues and busy streets that offers much to its residents including a busy High Street that features a variety of eateries and coffee shops including Gails, Bishops and Molen’s as well as the larger chains of Starbucks, Costa, Café Nero, Pizza Express and Nando’s. There is also an array of shops like Space N.K, New Look, Superdrugs and Boots as well as Gastro pubs like The Standard and The Gardeners Arms (with skyline views across London) and Organic shops; Woodstock & Organico. There is also a well-established library and brilliant leisure centre including a swimming pool.

There are fantastic transport links with both the M11 and M25 within easy reach and Loughton Underground station (zone 6) on the Central Line offering a journey time to the city of London of 30 minutes and 45 minutes into the West End.

There are many bus routes in Loughton, which are either London bus routes, commercial routes or Essex County Council contract routes. Services operating to destinations south of Loughton are mostly frequent.

THEYDON BOIS

Theydon Bois is a beautiful village forming part of the Epping Forest district of Essex, bordering Greater London. An ancient woodland and former Royal Forest borders it. The Theydon Bois & District Rural Preservation Society was founded to preserve the rural character of the countryside in and around the town.

There is a lovely village feel to the area with a large green and pond, some great public houses including The Bull serving a wide selection of ales and The Queen Victoria serving traditional pub food and several fabulous restaurants of which The Indian Ocean is one of, serving contemporary Indian cuisine and is very popular with the locals and residents from surrounding towns. There is also a lovely Italian restaurant called Il Bacio and family butchers ‘Quality & Excellence’ offering award winning pies and fresh meats.

Theydon Bois is served by a Central Line station in the heart of the village. There is also bus routes serving local towns. Both the M25 and the M11 are within easy reach.

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