High Beach
Encyclopedia
High Beach also known as High Beech is a hamlet
located within Epping Forest
. Epping
is located 4 miles to the north east and Central London
at Charing Cross
lies approximately 17 miles to the south west.
. However, pockets of land are given over to residential, agriculture and mixed uses.
Many of the forest paths are gravel-lined with underlying deposits of Bagshot Sands. It is believed that the name High Beach came from an early description of the sand and gravel exposure in this part of the forest.
. It was rebuilt in 1873 by Thomas Baring
replacing an earlier church. Designed by architect
, Arthur Blomfield
in the Early English Period style at the cost of £5,500. The 125 feet (38.1 m) tower
and spire
contains 13 hemispherical bells cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
.
John Clare's
deteriorating mental disorder caused him to be admitted to the High Beach private asylum under the guidance of the enlightened Dr Matthew Allen. Clare spent four years at the asylum before escaping in July 1841. Alfred, Lord Tennyson moved to Beech Hill House in 1837 to 1840. The poet, after suffering from depression was invited as a guest to Allen's asylum. During his short stay he may well have encountered Clare and other inmates. He was reported as being " delighted with the mad people...the most agreeable and the most reasonable persons he has met with.
; Duke of Wellington; The Kings Oak and The Owl. Owned and managed by the London Borough of Waltham Forest
- the Suntrap Forest Education Centre offers field studies
and other activities to schools and other groups. Naturalist
and author
Fred J Speakman
established the Epping Forest Field Studies Centre and later taught at the Suntrap. Located close by in Nursery Road- the Epping Forest Visitors Centre is one three to be found in the forest.
circuit located to the rear of the Kings Oak public house was the venue for Britain's
first motorcycle speedway
meeting.
Today, popular outdoor pursuits include horse riding, mountain biking
, orienteering
and running
. The 15 miles Epping Forest Centenary walking route passes through the locality. It was established in 1978 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Epping Forest Act 1878. Section 18 of the London Loop a long distance footpath can be joined at nearby Sewardstone
. Located in Mott Street the High Beach Cricket
Club play in the Division 3 of the Herts & Essex league.
and Upshire
is incorporated into the electoral ward
of Waltham Abbey High Beach. The ward forms part of the Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
and covers 2235 ha (5,522.8 acre) with a population 2143. Postally, parts of High Beach are in the Chingford
London E4, Loughton
IG10 postal district as well as Waltham Abbey
, but this does not extend to governmental areas, as the whole hamlet is in Waltham Abbey
parish.
Major roads A104, M25
, A121
and the A112 pass through and close by to the locality.
Rail
Chingford railway station
is approximately 3 miles
London transport
Loughton tube station
is approximately 2 miles
Bus
Essex bus route 505
passes approximately 1 miles on the A112 Sewardstone Road
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
located within Epping Forest
Epping Forest
Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation....
. Epping
Epping
Epping is a small market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located north-east of Loughton, south of Harlow and north-west of Brentwood....
is located 4 miles to the north east and Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
at Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
lies approximately 17 miles to the south west.
Description
High Beach is located on high ground which reaches heights in excess of 330 feet (100.6 m) on the western fringes of Epping Forest. Much of the locality is forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. However, pockets of land are given over to residential, agriculture and mixed uses.
Many of the forest paths are gravel-lined with underlying deposits of Bagshot Sands. It is believed that the name High Beach came from an early description of the sand and gravel exposure in this part of the forest.
The Church of the Holy Innocents
The Holy Innocents church is surrounded by forestForest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
. It was rebuilt in 1873 by Thomas Baring
replacing an earlier church. Designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
in the Early English Period style at the cost of £5,500. The 125 feet (38.1 m) tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
contains 13 hemispherical bells cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is a bell foundry in Whitechapel in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. The foundry is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain...
.
Notable residents
In July 1837, poetPoet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
John Clare's
John Clare
John Clare was an English poet, born the son of a farm labourer who came to be known for his celebratory representations of the English countryside and his lamentation of its disruption. His poetry underwent a major re-evaluation in the late 20th century and he is often now considered to be among...
deteriorating mental disorder caused him to be admitted to the High Beach private asylum under the guidance of the enlightened Dr Matthew Allen. Clare spent four years at the asylum before escaping in July 1841. Alfred, Lord Tennyson moved to Beech Hill House in 1837 to 1840. The poet, after suffering from depression was invited as a guest to Allen's asylum. During his short stay he may well have encountered Clare and other inmates. He was reported as being " delighted with the mad people...the most agreeable and the most reasonable persons he has met with.
High Beach today
Amenities include the church, primary school, horse riding school and three pubsPublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
; Duke of Wellington; The Kings Oak and The Owl. Owned and managed by the London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest is in northeast London, England. Officially, it forms part of Outer London as it borders Essex. However, it can be seen that the NE London boundary does not extend far compared to elsewhere in the city...
- the Suntrap Forest Education Centre offers field studies
Field Studies
Field Studies is an album by the American indie band Quasi. It was released on September 7, 1999, on Up.-Track listing:All tracks by Sam Coomes except "Two By Two" by Janet Weiss.# "All the Same" – 4:05# "The Golden Egg" – 5:16# "The Skeleton" – 1:41...
and other activities to schools and other groups. Naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Fred J Speakman
Fred J Speakman
Fred J Speakman was an English naturalist and author. He was one of Britain's best known naturalist-authors in the 1960s.- Life :...
established the Epping Forest Field Studies Centre and later taught at the Suntrap. Located close by in Nursery Road- the Epping Forest Visitors Centre is one three to be found in the forest.
Leisure activities
In February 1928, an oval cinderCinder track
A cinder track is type of race track, generally purposed for athletics or horse racing, whose surface is composed of cinders. For running tracks, most cinder surfaces have been replaced by all-weather synthetic surfaces, which provide greater durability, more consistent results, and are less...
circuit located to the rear of the Kings Oak public house was the venue for Britain's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
first motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
meeting.
Today, popular outdoor pursuits include horse riding, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
and running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
. The 15 miles Epping Forest Centenary walking route passes through the locality. It was established in 1978 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Epping Forest Act 1878. Section 18 of the London Loop a long distance footpath can be joined at nearby Sewardstone
Sewardstone
Sewardstone is a place in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England.It is located 11.6 miles north north-east of Charing Cross and is the only area outside Greater London to be covered by a London postcode district . The area consists of scattered development with large sections of open land...
. Located in Mott Street the High Beach Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Club play in the Division 3 of the Herts & Essex league.
Governance
High Beach together with the neighbouring settlements of Copthall Green, Sewardstone, SewardstoneburySewardstonebury
Sewardstonebury is a small hamlet in Epping Forest, Essex, England.It is located approximately 18km northeast of Charing Cross, and surrounded by the forest. The nearest places are Chingford to the south and Sewardstone to the north...
and Upshire
Upshire
Upshire is a village in the Epping Forest district, in the county of Essex, England. Nearby settlements include the towns of Epping and Waltham Abbey, Essex and the hamlet of Copthall Green. The M25 motorway passes close to the village. It is on Horseshoe Hill...
is incorporated into the electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
of Waltham Abbey High Beach. The ward forms part of the Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
Epping Forest (UK Parliament constituency)
Epping Forest is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.- Boundaries :...
and covers 2235 ha (5,522.8 acre) with a population 2143. Postally, parts of High Beach are in the Chingford
Chingford
Chingford is a district of north east London, bordering on Enfield and Edmonton to the west, Woodford to the east, Walthamstow and Stratford to the south and Essex to the north. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross and forms part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest...
London E4, Loughton
Loughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
IG10 postal district as well as Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey may refer to:* Waltham Abbey, Essex, England* Waltham Abbey , which gave its name to the above town* Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills* Waltham Abbey F.C., based in the same town...
, but this does not extend to governmental areas, as the whole hamlet is in Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey
Waltham Abbey may refer to:* Waltham Abbey, Essex, England* Waltham Abbey , which gave its name to the above town* Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills* Waltham Abbey F.C., based in the same town...
parish.
Transport links
RoadMajor roads A104, M25
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
, A121
A121 road (England)
The A121 road is a road in England connecting Waltham Cross and Woodford Wells. The main settlements on it are Waltham Abbey and Loughton. It also passes through Buckhurst Hill. For much of its length, it passes through the densest part of Epping Forest via Woodredon and Goldings Hills....
and the A112 pass through and close by to the locality.
Rail
Chingford railway station
Chingford railway station
Chingford Station stands on the edge of Epping Forest, and serves the suburb of Chingford in North-east London.- History :The Eastern Counties Railway had begun its venture into a main line railway that would head north to compete with the Great Northern...
is approximately 3 miles
London transport
Loughton tube station
Loughton tube station
Loughton is a London Underground station, some two miles north of the Greater London boundary, in the Epping Forest district of Essex.It is served by the Central Line and lies between Buckhurst Hill and Debden...
is approximately 2 miles
Bus
Essex bus route 505
Essex bus route 505
Essex bus route 505 is a bus route operated in south-west Essex and north-east London hourly on Mondays to Saturdays linking the towns of Chingford, Sewardstone, Waltham Abbey and Harlow. It is operated by Arriva Shires & Essex out of Harlow garage...
passes approximately 1 miles on the A112 Sewardstone Road
Further reading
- Foulds, AAdam FouldsAdam Foulds is a British novelist and poet.-Biography:Foulds was educated at Bancroft's School, read English at St Catherine's College, Oxford under Craig Raine, and graduated with an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia in 2001. Foulds published The Truth About These Strange...
. The Quickening Maze. 2009 Jonathan CapeJonathan CapeJonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
ISBN 0-224-08746-0