Walk: Great Monk Wood in Epping Forest

Summary

If you're looking for a super casual walk just a short drive from East London, this one's for you.

Route

The steps for this walk couldn't be simpler:

1. Drive northwards up Epping New Road (also called the A104) and pull into Wake Valley Pond car park.
2. After you park up, walk out of the car park where you just entered from and cross over Epping New Road into the forest on the other side.
3. Walk in an east-south-easterly direction until you're right besides the road named Golding's Hill (also called the A121).
4. Turn and walk in a south-westerly direction along the path named Green Ride (as named in the Maps.me app).
5. Whip around Court Hill and then start to walk northwards back towards your car.

See here for a graphical representation of the route in the Ordnance Survey website and see here for some pictures of the area uploaded to my Flickr account.

Recommended app

For this walk I definitely recommend the Maps.me app over the OS Maps app since none of the paths are marked out for this one in the OS Maps app. Whichever app you decide to use, remember to download an offline map of the area beforehand since there's pretty much zero phone or data reception in the entire area.

What to pack

• Small mat to place over any fallen trees you decide to sit on... to prevent yourself getting a wet bottom.
• Waterproof walking boots so you can splash around at will anywhere in the forest.
• Extra footwear to keep in the car and change into when you finish your walk.