Connect Loughton with Slow Ways

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Loughton

Essex


Slow Ways linking Loughton and Chigwell, Enfield Town, Epping, Stapleford Abbots, Waltham Abbey, Walthamstow

England / Essex / Loughton

Loughton’s six Slow Ways are 67% checked

Drawn: 6/6
reviewed: 6/6
verified: 3/6
and surveyed: 2/6

Help connect Loughton

Many Slow Ways have several route options. Some will be better than others, or good for different reasons.

Our goal is for each Slow Way to have at least one route that is verified and surveyed. To be verified – and get its snail badge – a route needs at least three positive reviews.

Give a hike and help get a for every one of Loughton’s Slow Ways.

Walk to Loughton from further afield

Slow Way Route To do
Enfield Town—Loughton
Enflou one

Double check Distance 12km/7mi Ascent 123m Descent 119m
Enfield Town—Loughton
Enflou two Verify me Distance 12km/7mi Ascent - Descent -
Loughton—Chigwell
Louchi one Review me Distance 4km/3mi Ascent 39m Descent 24m
Loughton—Chigwell
Louchi two Verify me Distance 4km/3mi Ascent - Descent -
Loughton—Epping
Louepp one Review me Distance 9km/5mi Ascent 82m Descent 135m
Loughton—Epping
Louepp two

Survey me Distance 9km/6mi Ascent - Descent -
Loughton—Epping
Louepp three Survey me Distance 9km/6mi Ascent - Descent -
Loughton—Stapleford Abbots
Loustap one Pioneer me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 105m Descent 61m
Loughton—Stapleford Abbots
Loustap two Review me Distance 11km/7mi Ascent - Descent -
Waltham Abbey—Loughton
Wallou two Enjoy me Distance 9km/5mi Ascent - Descent -
Walthamstow—Loughton
Waltlou one

Double check Distance 11km/7mi Ascent 133m Descent 130m
Walthamstow—Loughton
Waltlou two

Enjoy me Distance 12km/7mi Ascent - Descent -

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Loughton and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

Collective progress

67% of Loughton’s six route options are drawn, reviewed, surveyed and/or verified

12/12

drawn

11/12

reviewed

5/12

surveyed

4/12

verified

13 people have contributed to Loughton’s Slow Ways

3 people have pledged to walk and review a route

5 people have surveyed a route in Loughton

102km out of 113km have been walked and reviewed

275km of reviews have been shared in Loughton

Latest Updates

Soon out of the recreation ground over very wet (River Rodding flood plain) riverside paths, good boots required. More field edges and footbridges bring you to a road, cross by the bus stops and take a short cut-through to the church at Stapleford Abbotts. A damp walk with mud and puddles and ditches, lots of narrow footbridges and some invisible paths....

Strider

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Loughton—Stapleford Abbots

Strider added Loustap two, a new walk from Loughton to Stapleford Abbots

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Highlight was the River Roding and surroundings, plus some good walking on quiet roads. The lane eventually crosses the M25, ending at a fortress-like but unlocked gate with a cheaply laminated You Are Entering The Roding Valley Meadows sign. Next comes the good bit: first an unmade and slightly muddy track between trees, then across the River Roding flood meadows....

Daisy C

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Loughton—Stapleford Abbots

Helen Gough added Loustap one, a new walk from Loughton to Stapleford Abbots

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Loughton—Chigwell

Josie Parkinson pledged to walk Louchi one

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However an easier option is to walk onto a small car park on Beechfield walk then turn right toward Lodge Lane and then right onto the footpath and back on route over the M25....

Tim Ryan

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There is roadside walking, all paved, particularly between Enfield and Ponders End....

Tim Ryan

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There is roadside walking, all paved, particularly between Enfield and Ponders End....

Tim Ryan

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Walthamstow—Loughton

Peter van Tongeren pledged to walk Waltlou one

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From Chigwell Tube Station there is a dip past the shops then a long uphill (about 1km at 10%) following the London Loop signs. Turning left there is a quiet road past a building site down past a stables where the quiet road turns into a quieter track, over the M11 on a foot bridge to a woodland path....

Strider

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Loughton—Chigwell

Strider added Louchi two, a new walk from Loughton to Chigwell

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Starts off along roads but then through beautiful open fields and through Epping forest...

Michael Deas

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This is a great route, especially in the middle section when you are off road. It can be muddy and there are a few stiles to get over as well as footbridges with stairs. A couple of sections of path were a little overgrown between Waltham Abbey and the M25....

Dan Barron

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Slow Ways Darren took this photo on Louepp three

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Fred and Dougs cafe in Epping had amazing cakes, great coffee and a warm welcome....

Slow Ways Darren

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Slow Ways Darren took this photo on Waltlou two

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In the depths of Winter this was quite a muddy route, although it wasn't ever very deep....

Slow Ways Darren

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I walked this from Loughton to Epping in the snow on 17/12/2022, it was a really lovely walk and still easy enough to follow through the forest especially once you reached the bridleway. The roads at either end were icy in places though. Easy access to the Central Line at each end as well as shops to get some supplies for the walk....

Dan Barron

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Excellent route, making the most of Epping Forest and a fantastic way to approach London if walking from Epping towards Loughton....

Jane Taylor

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From Loughton station the route takes you through some alleyways, before leading you alongside a busy residential road....

Derick Rethans

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Derick Rethans took this photo on Louchi one

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There is a turn to the south a little before the drawn route shows you, towards an empty building side, and along the back of some gardens. Most of the rest of the route is through there, and it is really lovely. A lovely route, even on a cold December afternoon....

Derick Rethans

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Finding the correct path both when you enter and leave Epping Forest isn’t completely obvious but not really enough warrant a remapping of the route....

LondonIn360

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LondonIn360 took this photo on Louepp two

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This route is good, but the ways in and out of Epping Forest aren't quite plotted accurately. I would agree it's not worth adding another route option to fix, except one already exists! Definitely recommend following Louepp three, which is accurately plotted in the places where this one is not....

mtormey

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The route itself is easy to follow - almost all of it is along the main broad walkway through the forest - and straightforward....

mtormey

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It is best to go with adequate supplies, although there are several places you can usually obtain refreshments on route in good weather including the Humphrey's Cafe at The Highams Park, clearly signposted and visible just off the route. Most of the route is popular with local cyclists in good weather, but presents a challenge in wetter conditions....

Liz R

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I wandered off the route on one or two occasions but easily found my way back - in places, there are intersecting paths. A very enjoyable route on a summer's day, large parts of which are on a wide and shaded forest path....

John Scott

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I wandered off the route on one or two occasions but easily found my way back - in places, there are intersecting paths. A very enjoyable and varied route on a summer's day....

John Scott

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From Loughton Station leafy passages (steps under the Rail line) take you to meet the London Loop which is followed for a while. Steps over the rail line at ponders end....

Strider

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From the shopping centre and through 'quaint Walthamstow' to Wood Street station past suburban roads to the beginning of a green thread which takes you to Epping Forest. You pick up the London Loop for a while before walking along residential roads close to Loughton....

Strider

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Waltham Abbey—Loughton

Strider added Wallou two, a new walk from Waltham Abbey to Loughton

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The path opposite the stables can be hard to spot as it is a little overgrown, but after a short distance the path opens to good views across fields. After a km the path leads to a footbridge with steps over the A121.On the other side the path is again overgrown with long grass but is navigable....

Strider

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Enfield Town—Loughton

Derick Rethans added Enflou two, a new walk from Enfield Town to Loughton

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From Loughton to Chingford this was a nice enough route....

Derick Rethans

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Loughton—Epping

Liz R added Louepp three, a new walk from Loughton to Epping

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Walthamstow—Loughton

Derick Rethans added Waltlou two, a new walk from Walthamstow to Loughton

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It mostly follows the "Green Ride" in Epping Forest, and it was not muddy at all....

Derick Rethans

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Derick Rethans took this photo on Louepp two

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I had difficulty getting the route file to open and so have created a new GPS file on LOUEPP3 and added more information about the route there, as I walk it frequently....

Liz R

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It's a good idea as a route, but it was very imprecise, especially not thinking about streams and rivers. I'm uploading a different version of this, even though that was also still very very muddy....

Derick Rethans

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Overall a good route that I walked from Loughton to Walthamstow....

Derick Rethans

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Loughton—Epping

Strider added Louepp two, a new walk from Loughton to Epping

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Loughton to Theydon Bois is easy to follow, mainly pavements along often busy suburban roads....

Harriet

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Walthamstow—Loughton

Ken added Waltlou one, a new walk from Walthamstow to Loughton

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Enfield Town—Loughton

Slow Ways added Enflou one, a new walk from Enfield Town to Loughton

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Loughton—Chigwell

Slow Ways added Louchi one, a new walk from Loughton to Chigwell

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Loughton—Epping

Slow Ways added Louepp one, a new walk from Loughton to Epping

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1

Loughton, Fri 19 April

13°

Light rain

Loughton’s Slow Ways starting point

Grid ref

TQ4229795657

Lat / Lon

51.64172° / 0.05507°

Easting / Northing

542,297E / 195,657N

Fancy stretching your legs a bit more?

If you’ve polished off all of the routes between Loughton and its neighbours, how about walking its whole web?

This includes the great ring of routes that join its neighbours to each other!

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