Epping Forest District Museum and Waltham Abbey Church

Recently I was on the other side of the county and had the chance to visit the Epping Forest District Museum and Walham Abbey Church. A bit confusingly the museum is in Waltham Abbey – right next door to the library on Sun Street – rather than in Epping as the name suggests.

It’s a very small museum illustrating  life in the Epping Forest district – from  its earliest inhabitants up to the 20th century.  I paricularly liked the exhibition on the Epping Forest Retreat where people form the East End used to go for fresh air and relaxation. There are often temporary exhibitions and the current one is called ‘Beyond the Frame’. It gives 5 Essex artists the opportunity to interpret paper items held in the museums collections. More information about the museum on their website.

The church is just a short walk a way. It has been of great importance both locally and nationally for over a thousand years – it is where King Harold (he of the arrow in the eye) is buried. The church is beautifully decorated and is very well cared for by its parishioners. There’s a big memorial to the dead of the First and Second World Wars and I spent quite a while picking out the names of families still living in the local villages. To make sure you don’t miss out on any special events happening in museums across Essex, sign up for our monthly e-newsletter!