If your idea of the perfect spot is green fields as far as they eye can see, and as few other human beings as possible, you will fall in love with this parcel of land north of Waltham Abbey in the Green Belt. Encompassing the idyllic villages centred around Nazeing, it is truly unbelievable that a place that feels so rural can be just a 30-minute train away from Central London. Whilst there are no immediate stations in the area, nearby towns including Broxbourne, Cheshunt, and Waltham Abbey all have reliable connections for any commuting needs. Nazeing itself, is a village that can be seen as leisurely and pleasant, and with the large swathes of grassy spaces that it boasts, it is likely to be filled with a strong aroma of freshly cut grass all summer long – it’s the kind of place your dog would love! With facilities including golf and sailing, and all the space you could ever wish for, allowing for a nice walk or cycle, there’s plenty to do to earn that pint from one of the local village pubs. The Black Swan, famous for an irresistible Sunday roast, is a good place to start!

It doesn’t take an urban development researcher to know that the space around Nazeing has always been rural. Pots from the Iron age have been found nearby, suggesting that people have settled on the land for over 2000 years. In fact, Nazeing comes up in the Domesday Book, which states that it was home to a mere 7 villagers, 12 small holders, 7 cattle and 30 pigs, way back in 1066. However, over the centuries it seems that the human population has slowly but surely overtaken the pig population, as a small but successful glass manufacturing family empire was established in the village; Nazeing Glass Works is one of the oldest surviving glass manufacturers in the UK. Lastly, the green emptiness of the area was put to important use during the Second World War when the land was used as a decoy airfield to dupe German bombers.

Interestingly, the Prime Meridian - where the line of longitude is precisely 0 degrees - is said to run along the west of Lower Nazeing. Some might say that in some senses, Nazeing can be thought of as the centre of the world (although it should be noted that the Prime Meridian is ultimately arbitrarily set)!

As expected of any rural community, amenities are far and few between in the area. Additionally, access to the well-connected stations still requires a drive through a few country lanes. In other words, it would be fair to say that without a driving licence and a car, this neighbourhood can be a little bit isolating. Furthermore, a number of low-lying areas in this neighbourhood are at risk of flooding.

There are very few developments occurring in Nazeing. In fact, a council report in 2017, stated that the number of homes in Nazeing itself would drop from 220 to 122. This is explained partly by the incorporation of the area into the metropolitan green belt; however, nearby towns are undergoing some larger scale changes. The biggest change is set to be the creation of a garden village in Broxbourne, which will create an entirely new community to integrate into the existing area. The only potential future development in Nazeing itself would be the 6,800 square metre employment site to the west of the village. However, despite this proposal being approved in principle by the council’s local plan the project remains unreleased.