What's it like?

High Beech is a traditional and well known meeting place for bikers of all ages and bike preferences . There are a good mix of tourers, race reps, cruisers and enduros to satisfy the most individual tastes. The roads surrounding High Beech are wonderful, they are both wide and fast with some nice sweeping bends and long enough straights to really open her up!  

Occasionally, people from uk.r.m. get off their collective arses, have a bit of a ride around and end up at High Beech.

For more details about the routes taken/which dates we'll actually be going on, the best bet is to check the newsgroup - the BOTAFOF lot usually end up at High Beech, but be aware that - in typical UKRM fashion - they usually end up at the "pub up the hill"[1] rather than at the traditional biker's meeting point ("Bert's Tea Shed") just near the Robin Hood roundabout entrance to High Beech.

Even if there isn't a particular run on, some UKRMers can usually be found at High Beech on a Sunday morning. Well, really only darsy, but you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to.

Please also note that there are also a lot of mountain bike and horse riders who congregate at High Beech (not actually at the biker's caff, but you know what I mean) - give these plenty of space: both sorts of bikes and the horsey set have been coexisting relatively peacefully at High Beech for years - let's keep it that way.

Getting to High Beech

High Beech is in Epping Forest, and the best entrance for the Biker's Tea Shed is just off the A104 Loughton-Woodford road - there's a roundabout in the middle with the "Robin Hood" pub on it - High Beech is clearly signposted at this roundabout, and the Tea Shed is about 200m on the left after taking the exit marked "High Beech". Probably even Porl couldn't miss it.

To get to the King's Oak pub, carry on for about another 100m after the Tea Shed and then take a right, and go up the hill a bit. You really can't miss it. UKRM-ers are likely to be sat outside the coffee and burger bar bit, or on a cold day, actually inside the pub next to the fire.

You can see these locations on this map - the Tea Shed is sort of just above the big "F" of "FOREST" is.

Alternatively on this aerial photograph, you can clearly see the Robin Hood roundabout, and to far left of the photo, an area of cleared ground which is where the bikes and tea shed are on a Sunday. Now, I really can't make it any clearer than that...

For information about good roads to try around(ish) this area, see the appropriate part of the FFAQ.

[1] The pub is "The King's Oak Hotel" - and is notable for its surprisingly friendly barmaids and also for the fact that it was the location of the first ever recorded Speedway race in the UK.