TEE FOREST WAY by Ron Allen
Prompt at 9.00 am on Saturday, 31st March, 1973,
Norman Pinder. from the Writtle Agricultural College,
and I arrived at the Epping Forest Conservation
Centre for the start of a sponsored walk along the
Forest Way. We were not quite the first, for our
sponsor cards were marked 002 and 003, but it was
not long before we met up with 001 by the name of
Bob Bernard.
The walk was one organised by the Essex Youth
Council in aid of Tree Planting Year, and as we were
leaving, several coach loads of the County's Youth
were descending on the Conservation Centre.
I was representing the Field Club and fortun-
ately or unfortunately did not have time to canvas
many members of the Club, but several members of
Council sponsored me at 1p per mile.
The Forest Way was so designated by Essex
County Council to mark European Conservation Year,
and links the Forests of Epping and Hatfield by a
series of public footpaths through some of the most
attractive parts of Essex. The route is 20 miles
long, but there was an additional mile to walk from
the Conservation Centre to the start of the walk
near the Wake Arras, so those of my sponsors will have
to pay up for 21 miles.
The first part of the Way follows ancient roads
to Upshire, and from there enters Copthall Green for
about a mile. We soon entered open agricultural
country and, after crossing Cobbins Brook, were well
on our way to the first check point. As the guide
to the path says, the way passes many of the isolated
farmsteads characteristic of Essex, many of these
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