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Epping
- a small community of a few scattered farms and a chapel on
the edge of the forest, is mentioned in the Domesday Book of
1086. However, the settlement referred to is known today as
Epping Upland. It is not known for certain when the present
day Epping was first settled. By the mid 12th century a
settlement known as Epping Heath (later named Epping Street),
had developed south of Epping Upland as a result of vigorous
clearing of the forest for cultivation. In 1253 King Henry III
conveyed the right to hold a weekly market in Epping Street
which helped to establish the town as a centre of trade and
has continued to the present day. The linear village of Epping
Heath developed slowly into a small main-road town and by the
early 19th century considerable development had taken place
along what is now High Street and Hemnall Street. Up to 25
stage coaches and mail coaches a day passed through the town
from London en route to Norwich, Cambridge and Bury St.
Edmunds.
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 By
the end of the 19th century 26 coaching inns lined the High Street.
A couple survive today as public houses, e.g. The George and Dragon
and The Black Lion. The advent of the railways put an end to this
traffic and the town declined, but it revived after the extension of
a branch line from London in 1865 and the coming of the motor car. A
number of listed buildings, most dating from the 18th century, line
both sides of the High Street although many were substantially
altered internally during the 19th century. Some of the oldest
buildings in the town can be found at each end of the Conservation
Area, e.g. Beulah Lodge in Lindsey Street (17th century), and the
attractive group of 17th and early 18th century cottages numbered
98-110 (even) High Street.
Today
- Epping, as it stands today, has grown as a favoured town of
residence for those who work in London. Particularly sought after is
the hamlet of Coopersale St where house prices have bucked the
national trend and held their values. Its market still brings
shoppers in from surrounding villages and towns every Monday.
Perhaps the most prominent building in Epping these days is the
District Council's office with its clock tower, designed to bring
balance to the High Street with the old Gothic water tower at the
southern end, built in 1872, and St John's Church tower in the
centre. The centre of Epping on and around the High Street is a
designated conservation area.
 Epping's
increasing popularity with young professionals and families, along
with the Government's East of England Plan has led to the current
situation, were Epping is experiencing the biggest threat to-date to
its rural status, with a number of sites (the largest being St.
Margaret’s Hospital) being proposed for redevelopment into new
housing estates.
The
various developments would see Epping’s housing stock rise by
around 20% and has caused strong opposition from residents who wish
to retain Epping’s rural ‘charm’, they state the town does not
have the infrastructure to cope with a large influx of new residents
and vehicles. Residents point to the regular traffic congestion,
lack of parking spaces, low water pressure and total lack of an NHS
dentist as examples. This opinion has been echoed by Epping Town
Council, who have stated that Epping will not be able to cope with
any new housing estates for at least 10 years.
Further
to the threat that new housing developments bring to the town, a new
threat has arisen recently. Local government plans have been
announced to locate a large number of gypsy camp sites in and around
Epping.
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