(S) From the start follow the River Lea Walk south along the towpath. At 0.3 miles we pass Waltham Common Lock. At 1.15 miles we pass Waltham Town Lock.
(1) 1.22 miles we pass under Station Road (A121).
(2) 1.65 miles under the M25 motorway. 1.83 miles past Rammey Marsh Lock.
(3) 2.42 miles we pass under Smeaton Road Bridge to Enfield Island. Immediately after Enfield Lock (at 2.7 miles) we part company with the Lea Valley Path by turning left to cross over the canal. We also join the London Loop here and follow it for 1.8 miles. It is waymarked.
(4) Immediately over the canal turn right, signed London Loop, through a metal barrier, and onto the towpath. The canal is now on your right hand side.
After 130 yards cross a footbridge, then immediately over, turn left on a footpath along the edge of Swan & Pike Pool leading to the entrance to a car park. Cross over the entrance of the car park onto a footpath, soon passed a metal gate, to your right hand side, and past wooden bollards onto a path, signed London Loop. Another branch of the river is now to your left hand side.
(5) After 40 yards stay straight on past a footbridge to your left hand side. Continue straight on along the towpath for another 350 yards to where the path veers right and then turns left to cross a footbridge over a branch stream used as an intake for the nearby reservoir - you can see the huge wall of the reservoir to the right.
(6) Once over the footbridge (at 3 miles) the path continues next to the river for 230 yards then turns left to cross the river via a footbridge and onto the southernmost part of Enfield Island. Once over the bridge follow the path to another footbridge after 60 yards - this time over the Flood Relief Channel. Immediately over the footbridge, follow the path as it veers left towards some trees and to and through a wooden kissing gate.
Stay straight on past a grass path going left and at fork stay right - follow signs for London Loop. The path veers right and then through some trees. Soon the path widens to a lane and eventually leads through metal bollards to a road with a small parking / turning area to the right. Stay straight on along the pavement staying on the left hand side of the road (Godwin Close) until it reaches a T-junction with the main road - the A112 (Sewardstone Road).
(7) At the end of Godwin Close turn right along the main road (A112) for 100 yards. On reaching Sewadstone Close (to your right hand side), cross the road to climb a stile, to the right of a metal gate and into a field. Once over, there are two paths, one goes straight on along the edge of the field, the other goes diagonally across the field at an angle to the right and is signed London Loop. Follow the path diagonally to the right, staying with the route of the London Loop.
At the opposite corner exit the field via a stile. Then straight on along a farm track towards a tree covered hill. After 320 yards follow the track right. After another 170 yards follow the track left. Look out for a stile on the right (it’s easy to miss this). Cross the stile to follow a path through a narrow wood. At the end of the wood cross a stile and follow the fence on the left to reach another stile. Immediately bear to the left. Walk up the sleeper steps and over the track to the stile in front.
Follow the way-marker directions across the field to the next stile. Cross this stile and track to the path on the other side. On entering a wood (and just before reaching a road - Daws Hill) turn left onto a path through the woods and eventually out onto a lane. Here we depart ways with the London Loop as it turns right.
(8) Turn left along the lane for 280 yards to just past some isolated houses. A few yards after passing a metal barrier and immediately past the last house turn right at a junction of bridleways, signed Lippitts Hill. Follow this east for 200 yards to a golf course (West Essex Golf Club).
On reaching the golf course veer left to follow the bridleway across a fairway to a line of trees. Follow the bridleway along the line of trees for another 570 yards and out onto a road (Lippitts Hill).
NOTE: Be careful crossing the golf course as sometimes the route can be diverted. Also, be wary of golfers playing as you could get struck by a ball or put golfers off their game.
(9) Turn right along the road for 70 yards, then turn left, onto a gravel drive, signed "Bridleway, Mott Street 0.5 m" (this is the drive to Day's Farm) at 5.3 miles. After 50 yards and just before the lane turns left, turn right onto a narrow track/bridleway (Pepper Alley). Follow this past a derelict barn and across an area of scrubland. At the far end of the scrubland, at a junction of tracks, turn right and past High Beach Cricket Club to your right hand side. Pepper Alley is enclosed along here and leads to a road (Mott Street).
(10) Turn right along the road, soon past Wallsgrove House to the right (it’s a big house). Follow Mott Street as it veers left and past Church Road to your right hand side (at 6 miles). After another 100 yards, at a crossroads, turn right signed High Beach Church.
(11) Then after 160 yards, turn left into Church Lane. Turn right through the lychgate and straight on along the path past the church. Just past the church, veer left onto a path through the trees. After 230 yards the path leads out onto a road. Turn left along the road. After 300 yards and as you pass the King's Oak Hotel, veer left onto High Beach Green, but stay along the right hand side to reach Queen Victoria's Oak Tree.
(12) Turn right to cross over the road and into a road signed Epping Forest Centre. Almost immediately, and by the Corporation of London sign, turn left onto a footpath. In just a few yards the path divides, veer right with the main path as it gradually goes away from the road. Follow for 160 yards, just past a pond, to a T-junction with a wide track/bridleway.
Turn right along the bridleway and into the forest. Stay straight on for 300 yards, ignoring paths leading away on both sides. Just before the bridleway turns right, turn left onto a path/bridleway heading northeast. The path is well-defined and after 370 yards leads to the busy A104 (Epping New Road at 7.05 miles).
(13) Cross straight over (with great care) onto another wide sandy bridleway with a car park and picnic area to the left. Follow this wide and sandy bridleway as it goes slightly uphill, before descending gradually and eventually to a fork (after 600 yards).
(14) Take the left fork, and after just a few yards, at a T-Junction of paths, turn left. The route has now joined Centenary Walk and also Green Ride. (We follow Centenary Walk all the way from here to the finish at Epping Station). Follow this main track (Centenary Walk) through the forest for 0.8 miles.
(15) Cross over another road (A121) (with great care) at a picnic area named the "Broadstrood" (at 8.25 miles). Follow the main path as it first goes right to the picnic area then turns left behind the picnic area. After another 0.4 miles, at a T-junction of paths, keep left and staying with Centenary Walk.
(16) In a further 0.4 miles the track reaches a third road (B172) at "The Ditches" and "Jack's Hill". Again, take much care crossing as there is a blind bend. However, once safely across it's easy to keep straight on along the main path ignoring a track off to the right.
After another 350 yards go straight on avoiding a wide track to the left. By now if you think you have seen enough hills, I have to apologise as it does not get any better. Also, at some points along the route, you may be tempted to divert onto a path off to the right or left, please don’t.
At 9.63 miles we pass Amesbury Banks (ancient fort) to our left hand side. After another 650 yards (at 10 miles), stay left and past the path going off to right hand side. After another 0.45 miles, where the path turns 90 degrees right, veer left through the trees onto an open grassy area (Bell Common). Once through the trees turn right along the worn grassy path and to a road (Theydon Road).
(17) Turn left along the road, staying on the left hand side. After 150 yards and just before the road turns left, cross over to the right hand side (with great care), staying right in front of the Forest Gate Inn and into a narrow road named Bell Common. Follow the road through Bell Common for 400 yards and stay with it as it turns right then left.
(18) At the last house, go through some wooden bollards, onto a common and veers right along a worn grass path, to cross a lane and through a gap in some trees. Follow the path downhill, and as it veers right and for another 125 yards.
On reaching an opening in a line of trees turn left on a bridleway between the trees (which for some reason is named Western Road on some maps. It is also still Centenary Walk). Follow the path straight on between trees for 350 yards, and then out onto a residential road (Western Avenue).
(19) Turn left along the pavement, which gradually veers right and to a T-junction with Centre Drive. Turn left along Centre Drive (cross over as soon as possible) and follow the footpath for 400 yards to just past "Woodland Grove". Here turn right onto an enclosed footpath, signed by an underground symbol. This cuts between houses and leads downhill. The path turns left, then right around a large car park and leads to Epping Station.(E)
