About

Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge

The View and Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, 6 Rangers Road, Chingford E4 7QH

​10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays). Entry is free of charge.

Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, right next to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford, is a unique example of a surviving timber-framed hunt standing still surrounded by its medieval hunting forest.

Visitors to the Lodge, built on the orders of Henry VIII in 1543, can enjoy exhibitions on Tudor food and fashion, regular heritage events, and soak up the atmosphere of an incredible building nearly 500 years after it was first built. Inside the Lodge there are examples of the methods of construction used in the building and displays explaining its history. The views from the upper floors cover vast tracts of the forest land and are very much what Tudor visitors would have seen as they watched the progress of hunts.

There are three floors in the Hunting Lodge, each with a themed display:

Ground floor: Discover the sights and sounds of a Tudor kitchen on the ground floor, where you can learn about class and cuisine through our lavish display of a Tudor dinner table.

First floor: Explore the world of Tudor fashion on the first floor, where there is a range of Tudor outfits for you to try on, and guides to Tudor heraldry. Why not take a fun family photograph overlooking the beautiful backdrop of Epping Forest?

Second floor: From the second floor windows, you can admire the most spectacular view of the Forest and imagine it on a Tudor hunt day, or look up and marvel at the beautiful puzzle of Tudor timber roof construction.

Group tours: Group tours of the Hunting Lodge are available for both adults and school groups

Further information on Epping Forest, past and present, is available next door in the visitor centre.

Accessibility:

​The ground floor is fully accessible. Shallow wooden stairs lead to the upper two floors. We regret that, due to the historic nature of the building, the upper floors are not accessible to those with wheelchairs or similar access requirements. For a full access statement, please the Forest's access for all page.

Please note that dogs - other than assistance dogs - are not allowed within the building.