Favourite Trees – Revisited

50 Favourite Trees in the Epping Forest District

Twenty years ago, residents in the Epping Forest District Council area were invited to vote for their fifty favourite trees. It resulted in an exhibition and publication of a book edited by Tricia Moxey, with linking website in 2008.¹

Unfortunately, the website is no longer live so, for posterity, the Group includes the fifty below with Ordnance Survey Grid References, ending with the one in Stanford Rivers parish nominated by Rob Brooks which adorned the cover of the book.

• Thomas Willingale Oak – in the wild area of Thomas Willingale School, Loughton. (TQ 44276 99654).
• Grimston’s Oak (also known as Cuckoo Oak or Bedford Oak) – in Epping Forest in clearing at the junction of several rides between Fairmead Bottom and Connaught Water (TQ 40420 95658).
• The Squires Oak – northeast corner of Hainault Forest at Crabtree Hill (TQ 48763 94481).
• Gernon Bushes Hornbeam – veteran tree in Gernon Bushes Nature Reserve close to Coopersale Primary School (TL 47706 02605).
• Moor Hall Farm Oak – huge veteran tree stands beside Matching Road, north of Moor Hall Farm, Harlow Tye in the parish of Matching (TL 49764 11527).
• Clatterford End Oak – at the junction of Clatterford End and Moreton Road in Fyfield (TL 56476 06741).
• Great Gregories Oaks – visible from Central Line trains standing at the top of a steep field to the south of Great Gregories Farm, Theydon Bois (TQ 45522 01130).
• Blackacre Oaks – veteran maiden oaks on ride of a hill within the former Blackacre Farm site, Theydon Bois (TQ 45040 98384).
• Theydon Green Oak – on western side of Theydon Bois Village Green (TQ 45010 99072).
• Palace Gardens Oak – maiden oak in Palace Gardens, Buckhurst Hill (TQ 41642 94105).
• Lyncesley Grange Cedar of Lebanon – outside 9 Lyncesley Green, off Lindsey Street, Epping (TL 46315 02855).
• St John’s Green London Plane – by the busy roundabout near St John’s Church, High Street, Epping (TL 45910 02025).
• Broomstick Hall Road Horse Chestnut – on the south bank of Cobbins Brook on Broomstick Hall Road, Waltham Abbey opposite Green Man public house (TL 39013 00650).
• Abbess Hall Farm Plantation – young trees planted as a copse in the corner of a field in 1990, Abbess Roding (TL 56876 11444).
• Copped Hall Holm Oaks – standing outside Copped Hall Mansion owned by the Copped Hall Trust, to be viewed from the public footpath (TL 43046 01425).
• The Feast Room Oak – maiden oak outside Marriage Feast Room by St Mary’s Church, Matching (TL 52489 11928).
• St John’s Oak – veteran pollarded oak by entrance to St John’s Churchyard, Church Road, Buckhurst Hill (TQ 40817 94173).
• St Mary’s Oaks – three trees within St Mary’s Churchyard, Theydon Bois (TQ 44800 99230).
• All Saint’s Oak – maiden oak by the redundant church of All Saints’, Berners Roding (TL 60190 10047).
• St Mary’s Cedar of Lebanon – in the corner of the churchyard of St Mary and All Saints Church, Lambourne (TQ 47825 96101).
• Tea Hut Oak – beside the Bikers’ Tea Hut close to Robin Hood roundabout, A104 (TQ 41021 97312).
• Castle Farm Horse Chestnut – nominated by the Ongar Millennium History Group it lies between the Castle and Scout Hut in public footpath, Ongar. In autumn 2026 seen surrounded by bramble (TL 55375 03236).²
• Ongar Copper Beech – nominated by Ongar Millennium History Group, the maiden tree situated behind the Ongar Library at the corner of the Pleasance Car Park (TL 55333 03170).
• Moreton Horse Chestnut – young tree on roadside entering village before humped back bridge and White Hart public house (TL 53310 06825).
• Nazeing Scout Hut Oak – visible from the public footpath, it is within the grounds of the Nazeing Guide and Scout Group headquarters on Perry Hill, Nazeing (TL 40051 05472).
• Sixteen String Jack Pine – roadside tree in Coppice Row close to the former public house, Theydon Bois (TQ 44454 99241).
• Bobbingworth Elm – a survivor from Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970s standing alone the A414 just west of the Blake Hall crossroads (TL 52414 05102).
• York Hill Swamp Cypress – standing in private garden of Rose Cottage, opposite 50a York Hill, Loughton (TQ 42445 96911).
• Waltham Point Black Poplar – veteran tree visible from the Waltham Abbey (TQ 37742 99612).
• World’s End Black Poplar – veteran female tree at eastern end of World’s End Wood, which is reached along public footpath about 1.5kms from Roydon village (TL 41838 09513).
• Ape’s Grove Wild Service Tree – at northwestern corner of Ape’s Grove Wood near Abridge in the parish of Lambourne (TQ 47449 96919).
• Dido’s Oak – adjacent to Sheep Water within Hainault Forest (TQ 47131 93513).
• Dickens’ Oak – named after Charles Dickens who was inspired to use in the nearby King’s Head, as The Maypole in his book Barnaby Rudge (TQ 44288 93917).
• Grandfather’s Oak – maiden tree in Forties Field, part of Swaines Green on the edge of Epping (TL 45405 02538).
• Cutler’s Forge Horse Chestnut – the old forge was previously on the main road before M25 realignment of the road. Now close to the entrance of Tawney Lane, Stapleford Tawney. (TQ 50585 97790).
• North Weald Memorial Oak – pollarded oak beside Second World War Memorial at North Weald Airfield Museum (TL 49021 03802).
• The Three Graces – three oaks standing by the War Memorial on Epping Green (TL 46365 02622).
• Otes Manor Lime – viable from nearby public footpath, standing in private ground of the former Otes Manor, High Laver (TL 52277 10247).
• Alderton Hill Oak – on green space between Borders Lane and Alderton Hill, Loughton (TQ 43116 96365).
• Bushes Farm Oak – at the top of a hill viewed from nearby footpath, on private farmland between Moreton and Bushes Farm, Magdalen Laver. (TL 52725 07482).
• Gilwell Oak – standing within the private grounds of the Scout Association’s Headquarters at Gilwell Park (TQ 38510 96510).
• Hither Six Acre Oak – on the eastern boundary of Hither Six Acres in the Roding Valley Meadows Local Nature Reserve, off Roding Lane, Chigwell (TQ 43833 95159).
• St John’s Pond Oak – veteran pollarded tree beside the pond next to St John’s Church, Buckhurst Hill (TQ 40808 94073).
• Chigwell Row Hornbeam – veteran pollarded tree in Chigwell Row Wood Local Nature Reserve (TQ 46280 92937).
• Upshire Ash – opposite Ash Tree Cottage, Horseshoe Hill, Upshire (TL 41602 01028).
• The High Oak – veteran pollarded oak in the front garden of Oaktrees, High Ongar Road, High Ongar (TL 55843 04095).
• Boundary Oak – maiden tree on private land separating Redricks Nursery from neighbouring farmland at Roydon (TL 42250 07900).
• Domesday Oak – veteran oak in the grounds of the Laurence Moorings Development off Sheering Mill Lane, Lower Sheering (TL 48848 14432).
• Albyn’s Oak – visible from the public footpath the old, pollarded tree stands in the grounds of Albyn’s Farm, Stapleford Abbotts (TQ 50612 06808).
• Coleman’s Farm Oak – veteran oak stands in a hedgerow by a recently diverted (since 2008) footpath to the east of Coleman’s Farm, Clatterford End, Stanford Rivers. Another ancient oak stands alongside. It was nominated by Rob Brooks (TL 52995 02034).