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Explore the Tudor history of Epping Forest at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, built in 1543 for King Henry VIII and renovated by order of Queen Elizabeth I. At the Lodge, you can:

  • learn about Tudor food in with the sights and sounds of our Tudor kitchen
  • discover Tudor fashion with our period dressing-up clothes
  • find out how this unique building was constructed
  • hunt down mysterious marks left by the carpenters who built the Lodge nearly 500 years ago
  • enjoy one of the best views of Epping Forest from the Lodge's top floor

Private tours

We are open as usual at the moment and entry is free, but you can also book a private tour of the Hunting Lodge at a ticket price of £5 per person, adult or child.

Please call our front of house staff at Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford on 020 7332 1911 during opening hours - Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm - to arrange your tour in advance. Staff may also be able to offer you a tour if you drop into the Centre but this will depend on staff availability on the day.

Please pay for your tickets at time of booking, either by credit over the phone, or in person at the front desk.

During term time we sometimes hold educational visits in the building so if you are planning a visit to the Hunting Lodge please ring the Visitor Centre in advance to double check.

School visits

For information regarding school visits to the Hunting Lodge please contact our Learning Team.

Find out more general information about school visits to Epping Forest. 

Public transport

The Hunting Lodge is well-connected to public transport by Chingford Station, ten minutes' walk away, which is served by London Overground and several bus routes.

Visit TfL's Journey Planner to plan your trip to the Centre.

Parking

Our Chingford Visitor Centre next door has a small car park with two disabled parking bays and three for non-disabled drivers.

We also have four larger car parks nearby and within short walking distance:

Fees, charges and opening times for our car parks can be found on our car parking page.

Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge is a medieval Grade II*-listed building and has been adapted to be as accessible as possible. Please read the following for a breakdown of the building, with access requirements for each area of it.

Ground floor

  • the ground floor is fully accessible
  • the floor has a multi-sensory display of Tudor food displayed at an accessible height
  • both rooms have flagstones and offer level access
  • our written displays are written in Plain English
  • a magnifying glass, pen and paper are available
  • a hearing loop is also available

Upper floors

  • our upper floors are reachable by shallow wooden stairs with a hand rail
  • costumes are available to handle and try on (Presently unavailable)
  • if you are unable to access the upper floors a folder explaining what can be seen upstairs is also available

Grounds

  • Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge is set in its own grassed area with benches and a picnic table
  • a resin bonded path leads to Butler's Retreat where refreshments are available
  • the cafe has ample seating around the building and a ground floor accessible toilet
  • accessible toilets are also available at our visitor centre next door

Events

Entrance to the Visitor Centre permanent galleries is free.

A charge is made for tours, which need to be booked in advance. These can include handling sessions.

Sensory days and events are listed on our Eventbrite page when running.

British Sign Language interpretation is provided for selected events listed in the diary, or if booked in advance (the latter may be subject to a fee).

Related links

Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford