SETTING OFF:
My friends and I came up with the idea of attempting an
Epping Forest trail. We wanted to do something for our health, brotherhood, and
charity.
We found a suitable trail, called the Oak Trail. The longest
one in Epping Forest. It is a short drive from Central London. You can go there
on the Central Line too. It's famous for the 'hangman hill', where cars move up
a hill without the engine on. We didn't visit it on this occasion.
We met up at 11:30am. There were 6 of us. After making sure everyone came and
our cars were in good condition, we set off. The drive was nice, listening to
beautiful nasheed. The scenery changed gradually from the bricks and mortar to
trees and country roads.
THEYDON BOIS:
It seems like a different world here, with signs warning
drivers of cattle roaming around. We found a car park, outside Theydon Bois
underground station. Theydon Bois is a village with a population of around
4,000 people. It's a nice area with beautiful houses.
The start of the Oak trail is only a minute away from
station. There was couple of signposts on the approach. It began on a narrow
path, with bushes and a stream on one side and people's garden fence on the
other!
We came to an opening, a huge field with two or three trees
scattered around. We seemed to have lost the track, as it isn't so well
signposted. Nevertheless, after a quick scouting around, we found it behind
some bushes!
BLACKBERRY BUSH:
We went passed the 'dead tree', a tree with no leaves, and
downhill onto another pathway brushing along brambles and bushes.
Down the pathway we went.
Here to my excitement were blackberry trees! They looked
ripe and juicy, but I stopped myself from picking any. Nearby were a herd of
cows, they looked like angus.
We then found ourselves on the M25, walking over a
footbridge, looking down at the vehicles speeding below. Rather exciting!
Along the way we had salted peanuts, which is good for walks and hikes.
LUNCH:
After a short walk, we came to a residential area. I'm sure
the residents see a lot of walkers here, some probably get annoyed, others
probably not. We went through a playground where one of the guys went onto a
zipwire seat and had a lot of fun!
Then we went through some woods. It was quiet, nice, and
peaceful. Surrounded by trees and bushes, this is really good for ones Imaan as
we get to glorify and praise Allah and good for our mental health.
Very soon our stomachs were rumbling! We stopped over, off
the track, onto a large opening, under acorn trees. We laid our mat and prayed
Salatul Zuhr. Something hits differently about praying amid nature.
Alhamdulillah.
It was a lovely lunch, homemade Salami and Tuna Sandwiches,
Fruits, Drinks, Crisps, Chocolates, washing down with homemade Karak Chai.
GETTING LOST:
After recharging spiritually and physically, we were off
again.
We walked on, trying to look out for the small yellow arrows
that were dotted around for walkers as guides. And then we got lost!
We came across a long ditch and jumped over it. We didn't
know which way to go. So, we asked a family who were playing on some broken
trees for direction. Whilst my friend went to ask, the rest decided to prank
him and hide behind trees. He looked surprised when he came back!
We decided to check our maps and head onto a track. As we
walked down, we saw a wild rabbit, hopping along.
DEERS:
And then found ourselves onto a road. Here we decided to
head back to the underground station which was a 20–25-minute walk. Along the
way, there were blackberry bushes here too. We couldn't resist it and picked a
few, sharing with the group. They were big and sweet.
And then I spotted three deers, in the deer sanctuary. They
looked so beautiful. There was an awe to them. As soon as I called out to the
other guys to come and see, the deers ran away. I'm fond of deers and you've seen two of my blogposts about deers already!
There were a lot of nice houses along the road. I'm fond of
houses, especially detached and semi-detached. I prayed for the inhabitants.
Alhamdulillah, we made it back to the station. It was a
wonderful walk. We bade farewell and jumped into our cars, zooming away. Alhamdulillah,
we raised over £300 to go towards a Masjid as a Sadaqah Jaariyah for a late
brother from Tower Hamlets.
Duration: 3-4 hours
Essentials: Walking trainers, Water, hiking stick, waterproof jacket, energy snacks
Nearest Underground station: Theydon Bois (Zone 6, Central Line)
Further reading: https://www.aladyinlondon.com/2021/05/oak-trail-epping-forest.html
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