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Tubewalker: The Tube, on Foot

Central Line: Leytonstone to Debden

Lake scenery by the River Roding
Lake scenery by the River Roding

This is a very enjoyable part of the world to walk through. It helps that Epping Forest cuts a huge swathe through the suburbs to the west of the main Central line to Epping, and it also helps that, for the most part, the locals have money to spend on their houses, making the suburbs tidy, attractive and, in some neighbourhoods, impressive.

Leytonstone to Snaresbrook

Hollow Pond
Hollow Pond

Leytonstone is effectively chopped in half by the thundering A12, and the western half, accessible from the Tube station via an underpass, is somewhat quieter than its vibrant neighbour to the east: this is quiet suburbia rather than a village high street, and the houses are lovely. A large number of the buildings date from the late Victorian era, and there are some delightful terraces and semi-detached houses along the likes of Hainault Road and Forest Glade. The latter road is particularly notable because it runs alongside a small wood; this is one of the southernmost reaches of Epping Forest, which will keep us company on and off all the way to the end of the line.

Snaresbrook Crown Court from the northern side of Eagle Pond
Snaresbrook Crown Court from the northern side of Eagle Pond

Snaresbrook to South Woodford

Pretty terraced housing along Hermon Hill
Pretty terraced housing along Hermon Hill

The suburbs of west Leytonstone might be pleasant, but things go up a notch north of Snaresbrook. When planning this route, I tried to avoid walking down too many main roads, as they're normally pretty grim compared to their quieter neighbours, but even along the A113, or Hermon Hill as it's known round here, the houses are great. Whether it's Victorian neo-Georgian terraces that have been converted into flats, semi-detached Mock Tudor or early 20th century detached manor houses, the quality is high. On the eastern side of the road there's an impressive building that looks at first like a church, but it is in fact the Sukkat Shalom Reform Synagogue. Built between 1861 and 1863 by George Somers Clarke, it was originally an orphanage for the children of merchant seamen who died at sea, before becoming part of the Wanstead Hospital complex. It's now listed, and quite right too.

South Woodford to Woodford

Passing under the North Circular Road
Passing under the North Circular Road

In most of the places where I've crossed the North Circular Road – and that's quite a few – the houses slowly get more and more grotty as they get closer to the constant white noise of the traffic, but this doesn't happen along Mulberry Way. The terraces are lovely at the southern end, and the houses at the northern end, in the shadow of the ramp that takes the North Circular up to Junction 4 of the M11, are just as pleasant. It's unusual, but I'm not complaining; it means that South Woodford really is a quality place.

Terraces on Shenfield Road
Terraces on Shenfield Road

Woodford to Buckhurst Hill

Clement Atlee's house in Monkham's Avenue
Clement Atlee lived in the house on the right in the 1920s and 1930s

Up to this point, the housing has been steadily improving all the way from Leytonstone (where the housing is pretty lovely already)... and, much to my surprise, it just keeps on getting better. Indeed, this section from Woodford to Buckhurst Hill, through a part of town called Woodford Green, contains some of the most flamboyant housing so far, particularly along the early stretches of Monkham's Avenue, a stone's throw from the station. In the 1920s and 1930s, Clement Atlee lived in Monkham's Avenue, and there's a blue plaque on the classic semi-detached suburban home where he spent his years before becoming Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951. But this is about the only hint of Labour round here, because the local MP is Iain Duncan Smith, leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2003, and Winston Churchill (who lost to Atlee in the 1945 general election) was also MP here, from 1945 to his retirement from politics in 1964.

Lord's Bushes
Lord's Bushes

Buckhurst Hill to Loughton

The lake by the River Roding
The lake by the River Roding

The walk east along Roding Lane is pleasant enough and provides some tantalising views of open countryside ahead, and it isn't long before the houses stop and you turn left into a small park, and then more open countryside. The open sports fields to the east of Loughton form the flood plain of the River Roding, which flows from north to south along the back of the large lake in front of you as you head northeast across the wide expanse. This is a place for Canada geese, swans and copious droppings in the penalty area, and if you didn't have to turn back into Loughton to visit the Tube station, you could continue along the river, pretty much all the way to Debden. The London Loop comes through here on day 13, on the way to Chigwell, just on the other side of the M11, and it's easy to see why.

Loughton station
Loughton station

Loughton to Debden

The River Roding
The River Roding

It's a forgettable trudge along Roding Road to the junction with South View Road, where a pleasant little Mock Tudor set of shops gives the busy road junction a slight air of village green, just without the green part. It's much quieter along South View Road, and then it's back into the playing fields I walked through before taking a detour to Loughton station. This time I headed straight for the River Roding, as there's no lake in the way; the river is an absolute delight, and if you've got time to kill, it's worth popping over the small footbridge and having a quick rummage around the nature reserve on the other side.

The housing estate in Debden
The housing estate in Debden