Chigwell is a civil parish and town in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located 12 miles north east of Charing Cross. It forms part of the Essex golden-triangle of wealthy places. Chigwell is popular with entrepreneurs, footballers and city workers who use the Central line to Liverpool Street or Bank.
Glamour, or a certain sort of it is what this part of Essex does best. Chigwell is home to Lord Sugar. He bought the local pub, the Ye Olde King’s Head, and turned it into Sheesh, an expensive Turkish restaurant, as remarkable for the bling as for the food.
Chigwell’s best residential roads all back on to the Chigwell Golf Club with an 18-hole parkland course.
The Two Brewers in Chigwell Row is a spacious and relaxing place with a large open fire, comfortable furniture and a well-stocked bar at the heart of everything. If you like cask ales, a decent wine list and simple food made from fresh ingredients, then we think the Two Brewers will tick all your boxes.
The two grammar schools— Ilford County (boys ages 11 to 18) in Barkingside and Woodford County High (girls ages 11 to 18) in Woodford Green — are both judged “outstanding”. Chigwell School (co-ed ages seven to 18) is the local private school with a long history.
Chigwell is close to the M11 and the M25. Chigwell and nearby Grange Hill are on the Hainault loop of the Central line.
Epping Forest is a few miles away, west of Loughton. In Chigwell itself there are the 300 acres of the Hainault Forest Country Park with bridleways for horse riding, an adventure playground, farm and café. Roding Valley Meadows is a nature reserve which follows the River Roding.
The parade of shops around Chigwell Tube station consists, not of convenience stores, key grinders and estate agents but designer-label boutiques and beauty spas. The best local restaurant is The Bluebell. In a 400-year-old building, it is almost opposite the King’s Head now housing Lord Sugar’s Sheesh restaurant. There is a Miller & Carter steak house in a former pub on Manor Road, and the Blue Boar in the pretty village of Abridge is also popular.