Theydon Bois

This is the second station that I have visited on the Central Line.

The station began its life as Theydon in 1865 on the Great Eastern Railway and became part of the London Underground in 1949

The present bridge going over the lines was built in 1885 in Glasgow.

On leaving the station it takes just a minute to walk into the small rural village.



The origin of the name comes from the family of Bois (de Bosco) which owned the manor in the 12th and 13th cent. The name Bois is pronounced boyce.

This is the centre of the village. It was a Sunday when I visited so most of the shops were closed which was a pity as they looked very inviting.

There are two pubs in the village. The Bull dates back to the  17th Century. It remained a residential house until 1717 because the village was too small with too few visitors.

The second pub is the Queen Victoria. It has been a McMullen pub since 1898.





This modern building is the village hall used for many purposes such as meetings of the Women's Institute and the U3A plus art classees, keep fit etc. Seems to be the centre of village activities.

Across the road  is the large village green

The village is bordered by the Essex countryside and Epping Forest.

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This is a coal tax post denoting the boundary whereby taxes on coal were due to the Corporation of London. Coal imported into the City of London has been taxed since Medieval times. The collection of these duties was abolished in 1889 but a number of these posts still remain.

I thought there might be a way into the forest along this road but as the sign mentions, this area of the Forest is a deer sanctuary. Returning back towards the village I passed this large building which is

 the telephone exchange. I assume it covers a much larger area than just the village.

The parish church of St Mary the Virgin built in 1850. It is a beautiful little church with a charming churchyard.

Here I met C(more info here) who showed me the entrance into the Forest via a narrow path from the churchyard. He then acted as my guide for the next few hours.

The land between the Forest and the countryside beyond is known as the Buffer Land.  It is still accessible to the public but there are certain restrictions such as keeping your dog on a leash. On this land is Copped Hall Park which was a medieval hunting ground.

The ruined mansion is owned by the Copped Hall Trust and is being actively restored following the fire that destroyed it in 1917.

This is the view from the mansion.

I returned to the station via one of the main paths through the Forest.

Fields and open countryside occupy the land on the opposite side of the station from the village.

As I waited for the tube train to arrive I reflected on the location of this underground station in the heart of Epping Forest and the surrounding beautiful Essex countryside. Not sure I will find another station in such a beautiful setting.

Epping

This is the first station travelling from East to West on the Central Line and so begins the start of my exploration of 'Above the Underground' on this line. Having completed the Bakerloo Line I am keen to see what the Central Line has to offer. The 46 mile Line travels from the Epping in the East through the centre of London to West Ruislip.

The approach to the station was through beautiful English countryside so I was already excited by the prospect of exploring a new town before stepping off the train and I wasn't disappointed.




Someone with green fingers takes care of this station as the flowers were stunning.

For such a small station I was surprised that it had toilet facilities,unknown at central London underground stations.

There are 49 stations on the Central Line so this is going to take me a couple of years to complete!













Just to the left of the station is the car park which is the largest of the London Underground car parks with spaces for about 600 cars.

Epping became part of the London Underground Central Line in September 1949, that left a single line track from Epping to Ongar as the last steam-worked section. The line was electrified in 1957 but in 1994 the service from Epping to Ongar was withdrawn and this section was sold. It is now privately owned and has become a heritage railway where you can  have a ride on a steam train. There is a regular bus service from Epping to  Ongar on these heritage buses.

The town of Epping is about a 10 min walk from the station.

At one end of the High Street is this gothic water tower was built in 1872, storing 30,000 gallons of water to provide water for an expanding town. In the mid 1980s, it was closed down as it was claimed that nesting pigeons were falling into the tank and contaminating the water. It now has a used car lot at its base and the top is used for mounting transmitters and receivers but nevertheless it still stands out as a building of architectural merit.















At the other end of the High Street is another tower, the clock tower of the District Council Offices.

In the middle of the High Street is the church of St John the Baptist. Although there has been a church on this site for hundreds of years, this one was built between 1889 and 1909.

The High Street has a number of delightful cottages as well as individual shops, cafes and pubs.

This is the Quaker meeting house, just off the High Street. The first meeting house in Epping was built in 1705. The present one dates back to 1850.

This beautiful Regency building is the Police station.

Just a few minutes walk from the High Street is Epping Forest, an ancient forest stretching 19 km in length and no more than 4km in width. It is London's largest open space and was given the status of  a Royal forest by Henry II in the 12th C. This means that commoners can use the forest to gather wood and to graze livestock but only the monarch is allowed to hunt.

In 1878 the Epping Forest Act was passed which meant it ceased to be a Royal Forest and was placed in the care of the City of London Corporation. The act stipulated that the forest must remain unenclosed and cannot be built on and is a place of recreation for the people.

The upkeep of the forest is funded from the private funds of the Corporation and costs the taxpayer nothing.

Walking back to the station you get a glimpse of the countryside that surrounds Epping.

I enjoyed my visit to Epping and hope many more stations on the Central Line are as attractive as this one.