My Favourite Section of the London LOOP: Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower

The London Outer Orbital Path, better known as the London LOOP, is an official walking route that rambles around the outskirts of the capital. Split into 24 sections and clocking in at 150 miles, the LOOP explores some of the city’s most beautiful green spaces.

When I first discovered the LOOP, I was delighted to see that my ends were included. Sections 20 to 24 traverse through the boroughs of Redbridge and Havering, which is where I’ve lived my entire life. I’ve spent many weekends dog walking, cycling and horse riding through the green spaces here, and was proud to see them being showcased on an official London walking trail.

Of these 4 sections through Redbridge and Havering, section 20 — Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower — is my favourite. It winds through some of my most cherished childhood haunts, in particular Havering Country Park and Hainault Forest Country Park.

In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the route, including logistics, a map, what to expect, photos, and a few helpful things to note along the way. Let’s go!

Chigwell to Havering-Atte-Bower Map

Fun fact: Havering is the only London borough to extend beyond the M25.

Chigwell

Your walk will begin at Chigwell. If you’re coming by public transport, you can take the Central Line to Chigwell, which is just a 5-minute walk from the start of the trail. Alternatively, if you’re fairly local, you can take the 167 bus to Brook Way, which is just a few metres from the official start of the walk.

You’ll need to head down High Road (A113) a little way, before turning right down a public footpath just past the Sheesh Restaurant. You’ll walk through a paddock and through the gate at the end of the paddock, before crossing the road and heading into a field at the back of Chigwell Primary Academy.

The next while will be spent ambling through open farmland before you arrive at the Chigwell Row Waterworks. Unfortunately, you’ll need to walk along the outskirts of the Waterworks. This isn’t the most scenic of places, but you’ll soon be back into pleasant surroundings once you cross over the B173 and head into Chigwell Row Wood.

Chigwell Row Wood

After crossing the road, you’ll step into Chigwell Row Wood. The woodland is crisscrossed with small paths, so keep an eye on the LOOP signs, as there are a few side trails that can throw you off course if you’re not paying attention. Chigwell Row Wood is a short but scenic stretch of the walk, made up of dense woodland.

After following the path through the woods, you’ll eventually emerge onto the A1112. You’ll be able to cross the road here, and on the other side, you’ll enter Hainault Forest Country Park, where the next phase of the walk begins.

Hainault Forest Country Park

Crossing the road, you’ll soon enter Hainault Forest Country Park. The LOOP takes you through some open grassland and ancient woodland, before bringing you out into what I would call the “heart” of the park, where you’ll find a pretty boating lake. From the boating lake, you should be able to see a cluster of buildings and a car park in the distance — head that way if you want to grab refreshments or a bathroom break from the cafe, or check out the visitor centre to learn more about the area. There’s also a small farm there (Foxburrows Farm) which has goats and ponies, etc.

If you’d rather keep things quiet, though, it’s best to stay on the LOOP, as the area around the cafe, farm, and visitor centre tends to be quite busy.

As you re-enter the forest, you’ll follow more scenic tree-lined trails before reaching the golf course. You’ll head across the golf course and back into forest and farmland on the other side, before reaching the threshold that takes you into Havering Country Park.

Havering Country Park

Leaving Hainault Forest behind, you’ll soon enter the even more serene Havering Country Park, which is my favourite section of the route. You’ll walk through some open farmland, where you’ll likely spot some horses, and also see some surprising views of London’s skyscrapers in the distance.

The route then takes you along Wellingtonia Avenue, one of the most impressive stretches of trail on the entire LOOP. Wellingtonia Avenue is a pretty forested track lined with around 100 giant sequoias, planted in the 1860s and now the second-largest grouping in the UK. These giants were introduced to Europe during the California Gold Rush, and while they may not reach Sierra Nevada sizes here, many still reach close to 50 metres.

Eventually, the path brings you into the village of Havering-atte-Bower, marking the end of Section 20 of the London LOOP. You’ll find yourself on a green with a pretty church behind it. Just opposite the green is a bus stop called Havering Green, where you can head back to civilisation.

Perhaps the following photos will explain why Havering Country Park holds such a large piece of my heart. Sure, it’s not Lake District or Cotswolds standards, but for being in the suburbs of London, I think it’s stunning:

And there we have it — the Chigwell to Havering-atte-Bower walk along the London LOOP! If you’re looking for a nice countryside stroll on the outskirts of London, I genuinely can’t recommend this route enough.

If you wanted to extend your route, you could walk to the Essex Wildlife Trust’s Bedford Park (a 10-minute walk from Havering Green). There’s a nice cafe here, a deer enclosure, a walled garden, and more walking trails.

🚌 A quick heads up on public transport: there is only one bus that goes from Havering Green back to civilisation (Romford, on the Elizabeth Line), and it comes once every 1.5 hours. It doesn’t come at all on Sundays. You could try getting an Uber, although I have struggled to get an Uber to pick me up from there in the past. I suggest heading to The Orange Tree Pub (a 5-minute walk from Havering Green), which has a pretty outdoor garden to eat/drink in. There’s a convenient bus stop right outside The Orange Tree, so you can check the timetable and then relax with a pint or a cuppa while you wait.

More London walks 🌳🦆

• See all my London walks here
• Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill Circular
• The Epping Forest Oak Trail
• Regent’s Canal Walk
• The Chess Valley Walk
• See my Hiking Hub for global hiking content

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