Buckhurst Hill is a lush Essex neighbourhood within the borough of Epping Forest. Serviced by the Central Line via the Buckhurst Hill Station, this suburb is a no brainer for commuters who want to have easy access to the great outdoors. Aside from the nearby Epping Forest trails, residents also take full advantage of the beautiful Linder’s Field nature reserve. Wandering past these green areas, you’ll see the residential streets lined with Victorian terraced houses, and modern post-war single family houses. While the area attracts many families, Londoners in search of a more tight knit community have also become interested in the neighbourhood. The Buckhurst Hill Community Association is extremely active and operates out of the beautiful brick Bedford House, where enriching activities like art classes are offered. The neighbourhood also boasts a lively but quaint high street - Queen’s Road. Lined with clothing and jewellery boutiques, as well as great eateries like The Queens Rooms, the area is definitely worth a visit!

Buckhurst Hill became a popular stopping point in the seventeenth century when travellers were en route to Newmarket. It wasn’t until 1834 though that the Epping New Road was constructed. This led to housing development in the Buckhurst Hill area. Shortly after, in 1837, the community built a church - St John the Baptist. Once the railway arrived in 1856, building really took off in the area. The neighbourhood attracted mostly middle class families in London who were in search of less crowded and healthier areas to live. Not only did Buckhurst Hill have large houses and green space, but it was now easily commutable to London. Today, it continues to be a peaceful suburban alternative for commuters looking to live outside of London.

The television show The Only Way Is Essex was filmed in the neighbourhood. Many of the scenes took place in the boutiques on Queen’s Road.
Unfortunately, the only tube line that services this area is the Central Line. This is one of the older lines, and tends to be quite hot and crowded throughout the summer months. Still, locals love that they’re reachable via the tube, and find that the older trains don’t deter them from riding.

The neighbourhood is limited in the amount of housing development that it can do because of the Green Belt. However, this doesn’t mean that there is any shortage of improvements in the area. The Parish Council Recreation and Community Committee recently undertook a project too rejeuvenate local Stacy Gardens. In 1964 these gardens were donated to the neighbourhood by Mr and Mrs Stacey who owned a Victorian home near the space. Unfortunately, since then, the gardens had become run down. This project brought the gardens back to life, adding new landscaping and spaces for the public to enjoy them.