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Epping

Epping, situated in the Epping Forest district of Essex, is a market town and civil parish.

Epping is located three miles northeast of Loughton, five miles south of Harlow and 11 miles northwest of Brentwood. It enjoys a picturesque setting surrounded by Epping Forest and working farmland.

The town is characterised by its collection of ancient buildings, many of which hold Grade I and II listings. Preserving its historical traditions, Epping still hosts a weekly market dating back to 1253, which takes place every Monday.

Although the renowned Epping Butter, sought after in the 18th and 19th centuries, is no longer produced, Church’s Butchers, a local institution operating since 1888, continues to craft the equally famous Epping sausages at their long-standing premises.

In 1856, the Eastern Counties Railway introduced a double-track railway line connecting Stratford and Loughton, with a subsequent extension to Ongar in 1865. Responding to its popularity, the track between Loughton and Epping was doubled in the 1890s. During its prime, the line offered a robust service with 50 daily trains operating between London and Loughton, an additional 22 continuing to Epping, and a further 14 reaching Ongar.

On 25 September 1949, the section from Loughton to Epping became part of the London Underground Central Line. This transition left the single-track line from Epping to Ongar as the final steam-operated segment. British Railways operated the service until 1957 when the line was electrified and incorporated into the Central Line. However, as the services were not integrated with the rest of the Central Line network, passengers traveling beyond Epping had to change platforms at that station. Epping station remained the transfer point for the single-track line to Ongar via North Weald and Blake Hall stations until 30 September 1994.

Since 1981, Epping has been twinned with Eppingen, a town in north-west Baden-Württemberg, Germany, fostering cultural exchange and friendship between the two communities.

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