TRAIN: Epping Ongar Railway, Essex
Essex adventure
Travel back in time on a historic rail ride through some of the finest countryside in Essex, streaming through ancient Epping Forest before returning on foot, says Abigail Hamilton-Thompson
The Epping Ongar Railway was opened in 1865 as a singletrack extension between Loughton and Ongar in west Essex, adding to the existing Eastern Counties Railway between Stratford and
Loughton. Declining passenger numbers in the mid- to late-20th century led to the closure of the line onwards from Epping, with the Central Line taking on the remaining section.
The turn of the century saw the formation of the Epping Ongar Railway Volunteer Society, which began to restore the line and stations, retaining the character of bygone years.
Vintage buses take you from Epping station to the restored North Weald Station, with an original signal box dating from 1888. Pause for lunch in the Anglia Buffet restaurant before boarding one of the steam- or diesel-hauled trains that run between Ongar and Epping Forest. If you buy a Railway Rambler ticket (adult £8, child £4), you can return to Epping along the Essex Way footpath.
Abigail Hamilton-Thompson is a Hertfordshire-based outdoor writer.