Sewardstonebury Area

Epping Forest, Essex, England, is home to Sewardstonebury, a small hamlet.

Near Charing Cross, it lies some 18 kilometres (11 miles) northeast. Chingford is the nearest town and Sewardstone is the nearest neighbour. The area is entirely residential as there are no shops, pubs, or churches, and most of the housing consists of large, detached villas, set in big grounds.

There is a world-class golf course and scout HQ right in the hamlet, as well as the UK headquarters of the scouting movement.

Even though it is administratively outside of the Greater London area, Sewardstonebury has been included in the Hidden London because of its historic relationship with Chingford and its position within the E4 postal district. The only place in the home counties to have a London postcode is Sewardstonebury, Sewardstone and the ‘scout city’ at Gilwell Park.

It is a remote hamlet in ancient times. Barbara Ray writes of an occasion when Sewardstonebury’s pupil-teacher became so soaked and muddy that she was forced to return home after arriving at Chingford infants’ school.

Bury Road is now a long and crowded thoroughfare, with luxury houses situated all along it. On a local level, Hornbeam Lane appears positively modest.

At Sewardstonebury it seems every other property has an artisan at work – a remodeler or landscaper is upgrading or extending the property. Insufficiently grand mansions are regularly replaced by new palaces. Sewardstonebury does not have any shops, churches, or pubs. However, there are golf courses to the north and to the south. The Epping Forest course was the brainchild of James Braid in 1900 and was designed to maximize the natural benefits provided by Epping Forest. It is known as a challenging par 71 with its undulating fairway and small sloping greens.

Check Golden Lane Estate Area