Enfield Lock to Chingford: 4.75 miles (7.6 km)
Trail Landmarks
Enfield Lock - dating back to only 1922 this lock sits on the River Lee Navigation, London's first effective canal which heads to Limehouse basin to run alongside the the inner concentric trail to the Loop, The Capital Ring. Resuming the path, a wet and soggy underfoot day of walking lay ahead on this ocassion, but nevertheless, bringing with it a seasonal wintry insight into the fall of the landscape and dormant hibernating woodland.
Sewardstone Marsh Nature Reserve - following a short paved path alonside Turkey Brook and crossing over Mollison Avenue, the trail finds the River Lee surrounded by open grassland. Approaching Horsemill stream, the presence of the great George V Reservoir lying to the south is felt as pump station machinery creeps into view. A substantial footbridge leads over the stream to enter Swwardstone Marsh. The natural border of Essex to Greater London, this extensive area of wetland habitat, once the testing ground of weapons built in the Enfield arms factories, has now been converted into a charming aquatic nature park. Laid out with very accessible paths, the thrum of insect and plant life would make a springtime visit very enjoyable.
Sewardstone Hills and Gilwell Park - Leaving the marshes and crossing the Sewardstone Road, beyond the Farmfouse eaterie lies Sewardstone Hills. Traversing a boggy field and by happenchance, the Greenwich Meridian, and then up and through the new Sewardstone Park Cemetry, cutting through a small area of woodland upon Daws Hill, the George V Reservoir comes into view, as does an impressive panorama looking west. The path leads now onto the Bury road but shortly turns into Gilwell Park, worldwide headquarters of the scout movement. From this point onwards the path became increasing muddy and waterlogged as the early years inclement hard weather had still left its mark. The trail stays within the parks woodland ascending Yardley Hill, at which point the forest becomes quite dense but the path easily identified. A wonderful shaded retreat for a charming hot summers day walk.
Epping Forest - a vast stretch of 2476 hectares of woodland now remains today, but once would have spread across the whole county of Essex as royal hunting grounds from the 11th century. Crossing the Bury road once again to enter the Forest and onto the Holly Trail, a well compressed wide path leads from the spectacular forest out onto Chingford Plain and the close of this section of the Loop and lunch at the very welcome, Holly Trail Cafe.
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