Protect & Serve

Loughton has a long-standing reputation as a green space on the edges of the capital, but its residents face a constant battle to retain this green space for the next generation, discovers Petra Hornsby

- Petra Hornsby

SO CLOSE to London and yet so green, the Essex town of Loughton has a special relationship with its countryside, most significantly Epping Forest, of which 5sq km comes under the town’s jurisdiction and which sits to the west of Loughton with the Roding River Valley to the east. Originally a small settlement, Loughton was mentioned in the charter of Edward the Confessor in 1062 and then later in the Domesday Book of 1086, in which it was recorded as Lochintuna following the Norman Conquest.

The settlement began to grow in the 17th century thanks to the building of a road through the forest which connected it to the main route from London to Cambridge and the rest of East Anglia, making Loughton an important and rather busy stopping point for coaches. The town has three Conservation Areas and its rich history is reflected in the 56 listed buildings in the area, including Loughton Hall which was once owned by Mary Tudor before she became Queen in 1553.

A large part of Loughton’s housing stock was built during Victorian and Edwardian times and the town became something of a magnet for the middle class with academics, scientists and artists taking up residence there. The suburb of Debden (situated north east of the town) is a purpose-built development commissioned by London County Council to house families left homeless after the war which significantly increased the local population.

It was the arrival of the original Eastern Counties Railway in 1856 that opened up the area to visitors looking to enjoy the forest and reap health benefits from the green space; in particular, the Ragged School Union would organise visits for poverty stricken children from the East End of London so that they could get some fresh air.