Epping
Epping is a small Essex town which gives its name to the extensive Epping Forest.
The town itself is pleasant, with some 18th century houses. The original settlement is the nearby Epping Upland, which does have a mediaeval church, All Saints.
Carrying on the Essex tradition of involvement with famous painters, Epping features in works by Camille Pissaro.
Epping Forest, pretty large by present day standards, is a mere remnant of the enormous Essex Forest which once covered the whole county, apart from ancient towns such as Colchester and Maldon.
The forest gradually shrank, and in Pepys’ time, the 17th century, there was much tree felling to provide ships for the Royal Navy.
By the late 19th century, it looked as if the forest was going to disappear altogether, but to their eternal credit the Corporation of London purchased what was left, to be used forever as open space for the public benefit.