Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey hosting winter walk event

The gentle two-and-a-half-hour Winter Walking Tour will bring alive the intriguing and ‘lost’ industrial worlds at the Royal Gunpowder Mills in Waltham Abbey; the only gunpowder site in the UK to have survived virtually intact, and now deemed a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

With the bare winter trees unveiling a myriad of seasonal views, more of the listed buildings have been revealed at the 170-acre site.

The Press House. (Image: Royal Gunpowder Mills)

The tour will be led by an expert guide with highlights including the industrial ruins of the E-Traverse and Grand Nitrator, the Press Houses and the Quinan Stove.

There is also an abundance of nature and wildlife to be detected, with numerous opportunities to see the site’s herd of fallow deer, along with the many other inhabitants that now make the Mills their home.

Visitors will also see the intricate network of disused canals that criss-cross the site and learn of their use. And in the woodland, the outcome of an alder tree plantation that was used to produce charcoal for the manufacture of gunpowder, and buildings and structures are waiting to be discovered.

One of the disused canals at the Mills (Image: Royal Gunpowder Mills)

Tea, coffee and biscuits are included before the tour commences at 10am and again at the end. Participants are welcome to bring a packed lunch to enjoy after the walk and seating is provided both indoors and out. The walk will cover some areas of uneven ground and strong footwear and long trousers are recommended.

The Winter Weekend Woodland Tour has a limited number of spaces and advance booking is essential. Tickets are £19 per person and include the start and end refreshments. To book a place go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/468296656907 .

Check on the website for additional tour dates https://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/