The water in Strawberry Hill Pond is always brown due partly to its iron content and partly to a brown algae which is always present.

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) near Strawberry Hill Pond.

Habitats that support heather are rare in Essex and in Epping Forest it occurs mostly on the higher sandy ground.

The only other heather to be found in Epping Forest is Erica tetralix which occurs on the damper soils.

A forest track.       Location map

This track, near Loughton Brook Valley, is a horse ride known as the 'Green Ride' and near the top of this uphill section is Loughton Camp Iron-age Hill Fort.

To the right, at the top of the grassy bank, is a small amount of heather (Erica tetralix) and further to the right, out of the picture, is Loughton Brook, with its classic stream meanders.

A Common Lizard (Lacerta vivipara).

We came across this little chap on the track near Loughton Camp Iron-age Hill Fort. It was actually no more than 2 inches from nose to tail and so must be a very young one as adults are about 6 inches long.

The path on the left of the bank is part of the Three Forests Way which skirts the western side of the hill fort.

These Iron-age forts would have been built of wood and have long since rotted away leaving only the banks and ditches.