Jo Moncrieff's Historic Walking Tour - From Pimp Hall to Ale House Field (Chingford)

A bank holiday walk with City of Westminster Guide Jo Moncrieff exploring Chingford's history from forest village to London suburb with an unexpected cast of characters along the way.

In 1897 the Medical Officer of Health reported that Chingford was ‘cut off, as it were, to a great extent from the rest of the world’. It is obviously not cut off now but it has a very different history to its near neighbour Walthamstow less than 4 miles away.

Epping Forest has played an important part in the history of Chingford and on this walk which uses old maps we will see how the area has evolved but in other cases see what remains from times gone past.

Hidden away between the allotments and the local tip can be found a dovecote which dates from at least the 17th century and is all that remains of Pimp Hall one of Chingford’s long lost manor houses.

The diverse range of characters who have made their mark on Chingford include T E Lawrence, Ivor Novello, Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Victoria and the creator of the FA Cup. This walk will take place on the 142nd anniversary of Queen Victoria visiting Chingford and Epping Forest - on the 6th May 1882.

This guided walk led by qualified tour guide and long time local resident Joanna Moncrieff includes traversing a series of footpaths which once skirted field boundaries and were a well trodden route going back hundreds of years.

The walk finishes at a 19th Century refreshment retreat on the edge of Epping Forest but only a 10 minute downhill walk back to the station. There is a pub not too far from the finish too.

This walk is approximately 2 miles long and will include some walking on forest paths which may be muddy so please wear appropriate shoes.

Please note this is not an exclusive Spice event and we will be joined by other non-spice walkers.