The Royal Forest suits a meeting, a team away day or a private lunch or dinner for groups of 12 to 50 guests, with four bookable rooms and 28 bedrooms for overnight stays. It is a pub, restaurant and inn at 4 Rangers Road in Chingford, northeast London, on the edge of Epping Forest, and part of the Heartwood Inns group.
Seminars and company events
The inn sells day meetings with no separate room hire charge. A full-day package runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with pastries, juice and coffee on arrival, a two-course lunch with a glass of wine, a beer or a soft drink, afternoon coffee and mineral water. A half-day package runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For teams that want to stay over, an away-day package combines a full day, an overnight stay with cooked breakfast, a dinner allowance and a half day on the second morning. The team also hosts working lunches with a seasonal business lunch menu, as well as full private dining. Microphone and AV are listed for The Snug; for the other rooms, check the setup with the venue before booking.
Rooms and capacities
The Library is the only fully private room. Lined with bookshelves, it seats 20 to 40 and takes 30 to 50 standing. The Snug seats 15 to 25 and takes 20 to 45 standing, with microphone and AV on request, and dogs are welcome there. The Forest Room, a bright room with a woodland theme, seats 20 to 25. The Garden Room takes 12 to 35 guests seated or standing, split over two levels for groups of 18 or more. These three are semi-private. All four rooms can be booked Monday to Sunday.
Accommodation
The inn has 28 bedrooms, from compact rooms to larger ones with views into the treetops, some with roll-top baths. Dog-friendly rooms are available, and the bedrooms make the two-day away-day format possible without transfers.
Catering
Food comes from the pub's own kitchen: seasonal à la carte dishes, Sunday roasts, a wine list and a two-course lunch menu built on British produce from regular suppliers. Private dining menus are agreed with the team. Christmas lunches and Christmas party menus are offered in season.
History and setting
The building dates from the 19th century and was restored with its original stained glass window kept in place. It stands next to the Epping Forest Visitor Centre and Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, a 16th-century timber-framed building. Epping Forest, managed by the City of London Corporation, covers about 2,400 hectares of ancient woodland, so groups can walk straight into the forest from the door during a break or after the last session.
Getting there
Chingford station, the end of the London Overground line from Liverpool Street, is about an eight-minute walk away. The inn has a large car park on site. London Stansted is the nearest major airport.
