One hour from London Victoria station (board the Blue Line. Change at Oxford Circus) is the town of Epping. If there was a place I was looking to stay forever, this would be it. A pretty market town, Epping sits on the edge of the Epping Forest.
But, that is NOT the point I am trying to make. Epping is the closest railhead connected to the city and North Weald Station.
A bus ride to remember
Epping station is not the place of the heritage rail services – and there are different ways to get to North Weald or Ongar station. I opted to travel from Epping station on board a heritage London Transport bus, an appropriate way to travel, in my opinion, given the Epping Ongar’s railway history.
I boarded the heritage red bus (No 339) to Ongar station, riding past golden wheat fields and pretty cottages set within these beauties – and at once realized why the UK produced great many poets who waxed eloquent about the English countryside. I would have too, had I been an English poet. Even as a visitor, I had the sudden urge to break into a song.
Welcome to the Epping Ongar Railway
The highlight of my travel on the Epping Ongar Railway was the chance to see the picturesque countryside and experiencing the magic of Britain’s heritage. The old bus wound its way towards the station and from my window I watched a dream unfold. As someone brought up on books depicting the idyllic life of the English countryside, this meant living in one of them.
The bus dropped me off outside the station and I made the short walk with much joy. In front of me loomed the station – under the crisp blue sky dotted with thick white clouds, it looked picture perfect. Brooding, ancient, welcoming.
Ongar Station
Ongar station is a Grade II listed building and a station on the Epping Ongar Railway. It has been completely restored to its original condition, and includes many delightful period features from when it was built. It is decorated in the colours it had during the 1880s-1903s, when it was a station of the Great Eastern Railway, according to Wikipedia.
For me it was a station that made me wish for the past.
***The Epping Ongar Railway is a volunteer run heritage railway which operates steam and diesel hauled trains through 5.5 miles of picturesque rolling countryside and through Epping Forest, along the former London Underground Central Line.***
As luck would have it, there was a train going to North Weald station through the famous Epping Forest – not the steam engine one as it was currently not functioning, but a regular diesel engine.
The Ongar station is located close to the Epping Forest – which means as soon as the train pulled out of the station, it was adventure.
The Epping Ongar Railway is also the longest heritage railway in Essex and the closest heritage railway to London and is famous for holding the 0.0 km marker—the historical reference point from which all distances across the entire London Underground network were once measured.
According to sources, Ongar Station was opened in 1865 by the Great Eastern Railway as the terminus station on the single line extension from a junction south of Loughton to Ongar, (the Ongar Extension Railway). Central line ‘Underground’ services arrived at Ongar in 1949 in the form of steam shuttles worked between Epping and Ongar by BR on behalf of London Transport.
On 18th November 1957 electrified services were introduced, finally displacing steam from all-day passenger services. However, the expected increase in traffic never materialised and passenger services were withdrawn between Epping and Ongar on 30th September 1994. Listed Grade II.
The train rode on through the forest and fields and past lovely cottages, before arriving at North Weald station, its final stop.
North Weald Station
Entering North Weald station really is like stepping back in time, with its carefully preserved features and stationary engines and carriages docked on the track.
This station has also been completely restored, although this station is done to a slightly different historical period of this line’s history. North Weald is now as it was during the 1940s-1960s period, during which time it was a LNER/BR(E) station. The signal box is the original one from 1888!
Why you should go
- Great for a family day out in Essex
- Great if you love heritage rail travel
Ticket and other info
With one great-value ticket, you can enjoy three heritage experiences in one day – bus, steam train, and diesel train – with unlimited travel throughout your visit. Throughout the year, we host a wide range of family events in Essex, seasonal experiences, and enthusiast days – so there’s always something new to discover.
A round of applause
The station is manned by volunteers who hope to restore all the track back to Epping. Congratulations to the volunteers at the Epping and Ongar Railway for making the railway live again and bringing so much happiness to so many people. The volunteers and staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about preserving the railway’s history.
