CycleTouring & Campaigning, October 2000

	British Cycle Quest
	The ultimate touring challenge
This issue we visit Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge in Epping Forest, Essex (OS 117, GR 397947), the location for one of the clues in the Greater London section of the BCQ. The other clues are situated in Greenwich, Richmond Park, Camden Lock, Gunnersbury Park and the Globe Theatre

Though called Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge the building was originally commissioned by King Henry VIII as a "Great Standing" to provide a viewing platform for royal guests watching the progress of hunts across Chingford Plain as they emerged from Epping Forest. It was completed in 1543. Later monarchs, including Elizabeth I also availed themselves of this facility. Allow at least an hour to browse around the building. There is an admission charge of 50p to this (children free) which is open Wednesday to Sunday 2-5 pm.

The wooden building next door to the Hunting Lodge is Butlers Retreat tea shop and restaurant. There are a number of these Retreats around Epping Forest and in most cases their names have outlasted the building. These were meeting places for Londoners keen to escape the city for picnics, games and other leisure pursuits. They were very much the province of ordinary people. No doubt early CTC runs, led by the captain, resplendent in uniform and possibly equipped with bugle, would have been regular visitors.

Under normal circumstances neither building would be there today as during the Second World War a V2 rocket exploded adjacent to Butlers Retreat. However, the rocket landed in a soggy area that according to old maps had once been a pond. The force of the explosion was upwards instead of sideways. This undoubtedly saved the Hunting Lodge and Retreat and had the added benefit of recreating the pond which is still there today.

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