Welcome to 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

Entertainment & Nightlife

Top Nightlife in Loughton, Essex Luxe, The Last Post, Victoria Tavern, Nu Bar, The Hollybush, Robin Hood, The Owl, Plume Of Feathers, The Carpenters Arms

Best place for after work drinks

There are so many options to choose from on the high street, the ones however that stand out are The Olive Tree, Nu Bar, Fifteen and Zizzi

Schools

In 2006, schools in Loughton had approximately 2330 places in post-16 education, approximately 1200 places in Key Stage 4, approx. 1700 places in Key Stage 3, approximately 1500 places in Key Stage 2 and approximately 600 places in Key Stage 1 - almost all of which were in comprehensive schools.

Primary schools

·      Alderton Infant and Junior Schools

·      Hereward Primary School

·      Staples Road Primary School (an amalgamationof Staples Road Infant and Junior Schools in 2011)

·      Thomas Willingale School

·      White Bridge Infant and JuniorSchools

·      St John Fisher Catholic PrimarySchool

Secondary schools

·      Davenant Foundation School

·      Debden Park High School

·      Roding Valley High School

Faith schools

·      St. John Fisher Catholic Primary School - a voluntary aided school, whose Board consisting of appointees from the Catholic Church controls the admission policy whilst the Essex Local Education Authority provides its funding.

·      Davenant Foundation School -founded in Whitechapel in1680, and moved to Loughton in 1965–66. Despite its title, it is a voluntary aided school; the school is an ecumenical Christian school for 11-18 YEAR OLDS, which operates its own admissions policy based on parental attendance at any mainstream Christian church. In deference to its origins in apart of east London with a large Jewish population, Jewish children are also eligible.

Special schools

·       Oak View School

·       Woodcroft School

Independent schools

·       Oaklands School

Colleges

·       Debden House -residential adult education college

·       East 15 Acting School -part of the University of Essex

·       Epping Forest College -further education college

·       LMAT- music academy

Transport& travel

Junction 5 (south) of the M11 motorway linking Cambridge to London is accessed at Loughton's eastern boundary. The junction does not permit entry to north-bound carriageway, nor exit southbound. The M11 was constructed in a number of phases beginning in the 1970s and finally opening in the 1980s.

Loughton is served by both Loughton tube station and, further north-east, Debden tube station, both served by the Central line of the London Underground since 1949. The current Loughton station was opened in 1940, but both the line and stations existed before that; the railway line dates back to 22 August 1856, when the branch from Stratford was opened by the EasternCounties Railway. Debden station was named "Chigwell Lane" from 1856 until 1949 (though for a few months in 1856 it was "Chigwell Road"). The railway's 150th anniversary was celebrated by an exhibition and activity day at Loughton station on 19 August 2006. The section of line between Loughton and Leyton is the oldest railway formation in use of the London Underground system, pre-dating the Metropolitan line by some seven years

Bus

There are many bus routes in Loughton, which are either London Buses routes, commercial routes or Essex County Council contract routes. Services operating to destinations south of Loughton are mostly frequent andare London Buses services. Services operating to destinations north of Loughton are not London Buses routes (meaning Oyster cards and other forms of TFL ticketing are not accepted), and are either commercial services or services under contract to Essex County Council.

Parks & Recreation

Although Loughton is surrounded by open countryside it contains in addition many parks and open spaces. Sports play an important part in the town's life as is reflected in the variety and range of facilities found in the town.

·       Athletics- Members of the Loughton Athletic Club, based at the Pavilion in Southview Road and affiliated to the Essex AAA, compete in avariety of regional track and field competitions, including the womens Southern League and the Men's Southern League. The club was founded in 1906, making it Britain's oldest athletics club.

·       Bowls - Loughton Bowls Club has its groundat Eleven Acre Rise.

The South Loughton Cricket Club was founded in 1938, and plays at the Roding Road Cricket Ground. In 2007, its 1st XI became Ten-17 Herts & Essex League champions, having won the title following three consecutive promotions. The club also runs four other teamsplaying league and friendly cricket, and has a thriving junior section offering coaching and matchplay for children aged six upwards. The club was one of the first in the UK to gain Sport England's prestigious 'Clubmark' accreditation.I t is an ECB 'Focus Club'.

·       Fencing- Loughton Fencing Club meets at Debden Park High School.

·       Football - At Willingale Road Playing Fields and At the Roding Valley Recreation Grounda variety of local football teams play. Coppice Row play their home games at the latter, in the Harlow and District League. GFA Loughton FC,founded in 2014, have YOUTH teams in the Echo Junior League as well as running Grassroots Football Academy, a successful YOUTH Football Academy at GGSK College, Roding Lane IG9.

Loughton FC, founded in 1965, dropped out of the Hertfordshire Senior County League in 2007 and now plays in the Bishops Stortford, Stansted and District League and has youth teams in the Echo Junior League and the Barking Youth League. Ron Greenwood (1921–2006), manager of the England football team1977–82, lived in Loughton for some years at 18 Brooklyn Avenue. The Football Academy UK opened in July 2007 on the site of the Britannia Sports Club in Langston Road.

·       Golf -Loughton Golf Club owns a 9-hole course in ClaysLane. There are many other golf courses close by, including Abridge Golf and Country Club, Chigwell Golf Club, Chingford Golf Club, Royal Epping Forest Golf Club, Theydon Bois Golf Club, West Essex Golf Club, Woodford Golf Club and Woolston Manor Golf Club.

·       Horse-riding- Horse-riding is very popular in Epping Forest; riders need to be REGISTERED with the Epping Forest conservators before they are allowed to ride in the forest. Pine Lodge Riding Centre at Springfield Farm, Loughton, is an ABRS-approved stables.

·       Mountain-biking- Epping Forest attracts large numbers of mountain bikers.Mountain biking is generally permitted except around Loughton Camp and Ambresbury Banks (both Iron Age forts), Loughton Brook and other ecologically or geomorphologically sensitive areas. A number of clubs organiserides, particularly on Sunday mornings. Epping Forest was considered as a venue for the mountain-biking event of the 2012 Summer Olympics, though a later (but subsequently abandoned) choice was Weald Country Park near Brentwood, Essex.

·       Orienteering and Rambling - Several long-distance footpaths pass through Loughton, including the Forest Way and the London Outer Orbital Path, and shorter walks are also popular, especially in Epping Forest. Chigwell & Epping Forest Orienteering Club was founded in 1966, and active orienteering in Epping Forest takes place most weekends. West Essex Ramblers, founded in 1970, are the local rambling club for Loughton; the club holds four walks a week in the Loughton area, with summer excursions to more distant locations. The most important event in the ramblers calendar in the area is the traditional Epping Forest Centenary Walk, an all-day event commemorating the saving of Epping Forest as a public space, which takes place annually on the fourth Sunday in September. West Essex Ramblers have over 1,000 members.

·       Speedway- High Beach near Loughton is acknowledged by most speedway historians as being the first venue for speedway racing in the UK. The first event was staged on 19 February 1928.

·       Swimming- Epping Forest District Swimming Club, founded in 1977, meets at Loughton Leisure Centre.

·       Tennis -The Avenue Lawn Tennis Club has four artificial grass courtsat its ground between The Avenue and Lower Park Road. From November 2006 to March 2007, the tennis courts were resurfaced with a newlayer of astroturf and sand. There is a children's half-court with a basketballnet. The courts surround the club house which (among other things) contains atable tennis table and a pool table. The Town Council maintains tennis courtson the Roding Valley, but those which are part of the Loughton Bowls and Lawn Tennis Club are disused.

·       Taekwondo- Loughton Taekwondo meets at Debden Park High School. The club ranked top 5 att he BTCB National Taekwondo Championships in 2010 with 4 athletes becoming British Champion. The instructor Chan Sau won England's first ever GOLD Medal at the 2008 Commonwealth Gamesin Canada

Best place for a luxury meal 

The Olive Tree Loughton - Based mainly on Mediterranean and Greek cuisine, they make it their priority to ensure the quality of the dishes we serve are of the highest standard, CONTINUOUSLY looking to evolve their menus to give their customers variety and choice.