The Wild About Highams Park Animal Sculpture Trail will take approximately 2 hours to complete. As part of the Waltham Forest London Borough of Culture initiative Highams Park Community CIC was given funding in 2019 to present the arts trail “Wild About Highams Park”.

Featuring a series of 12 wood carvings representing animals from the forest. Each animal is carved from felled trees donated by the City of London Corporation, so we can continue to enjoy their beauty.

All the sculptures in the Wild About Highams Park Animal Sculpture Trail were created with a chainsaw by artist Marshall Lambert of Natural Garden Sculptures.

For me, I found the best place to start this walk is Chingford Lane, getting off at the Mill Lane bus stop (Bus 275). Regardless of which direction your bus is going in, just walk down the hill to the zebra crossing.

Then get on the same side of the road as the block of flats and walk down Montalt Road. Ignore the first road on the right and continue to the crossroads.

On the corner with Beechwood Drive you will find the Ducks. The Ducks are sculpture number 12 on the London Borough  of Waltham Forest map.

Montalt Road turns right at the crossroads. Do not follow it but go straight ahead down Henry’s Avenue. Walk on the right-hand side pavement.

You are looking for the entrance to the actual Highams Park.

On the right is a sign directing you to Higham’s Park. Enter the park and take the first left tarmacked path. On your right just before the children’s playground is a group of sculptured logs arranged in a square.

Walk past the children’s playground. There is a café to your left, visit it or continue along the path that turns left and takes you to an exit from the park. To the left of the cafe is a carved tree stump. A bonus sculpture.

A short way from the café. Walk up Tamworth Avenue to junction with The Charter Road. Turn right. As the road comes out of Epping Forest it’s name changes to Falmouth Avenue. Continue along Falmouth Avenue across a few junctions. Take the third turning on the right, Sheredan Road. Walk down Sheredan Road and take the second turning on the left, Nightingale Avenue. At the end of Nightingale Avenue turn left on to The Avenue. At the junction with Abbotts Crescent you will find statue number 2. A Dear and her Does.

Now continue along The Avenue, on your right is the driveway to Jubilee Sports Ground. Work up the driveway and as the driveway swings right there is a footpath between the houses. Follow this through to Richmond Crescent. Turn left and cross the road. As you reach the junction there is a path to the right around the green. Take this so you can find the Tortoisies.

Turn left and take the short walk down Richmond Avenue back to The Avenue, then turn right and walk towards Highams Park Station. On your left Castle Avenue joins the road to form a fork junction. Look across the road at Hale End Library. You will see a bonus sculpture. This bus was there before the sculpture trail.

Cross over to look at this gift wrapped bus based on the old routemaster. The only door is at the back of the bus. Stay on this side of the road and continue toward the railway station. Just as you reach the shops there is an alleway to the left. This leads to an access road behind the shops. It will bring you out on Handsworth Avenue. Turn left and stay on this side. You will soon see the Foxes and Goose outside the Handsworth Avenue Practice.

Now turn round and walk to the junction with the main road, Hale End Road. Turn left and take the third turning on the left, Vincent Road. Walk up the road to the Children’s playground on the right. Just past the playground you will see a log bench popular with local kids. If asked nicely they will gey up so you can photograph the sculptor of Rabbits. Notice the Badger.

Continue up Vincent Road to the turn around at the end. On the left side is a footpath. Take this and when you reach a junction on the path take the right-hand exit. This path then becomes a road, Brookfield Path. At the end is a roundabout. Turn right on to Oak Hill and cross over the road.  Walk away from the roundabout and take first left, Oak Hill Crescent. Walk on the left side of the road. This is a long walk with 2 bends in the road. On the second bend the houses on the left side peal of around a green. On this green you will find the Badgers.

At the far end of the green is Oak Hill Close. Walk along Oak Hill Close to the end at Forest Mount Road. Turn right and walk down the road to Hale End Road. Turn left and take the first right, Morley Avenue. On the left side there is a green. The road is Hale Green. The sculpture is of Frogs.

Return back to Morley Avenur, then turn left and continue to Beech Hill Road. Turn right and take alleway on the left, river walk. The path runs alongside The Ching  and under the railway. At the end of the alley on the left behind the fence is an Owl.

Behind you on the side of the house is a painting of an Owl.

Now as the alley comes on to Winchesyer Road look left and on the other side of the road is a Methodist Church. In it’s grounds is another bonus sculpture. It is a wooden one errected after the sculpture trail was made. The sculpture is between the church hall and the church.

Now turn down Winchester Road as if you had turn right out of the alleyway. Turn left into Haldan Road. Walk up Haldan Road and across the junction with Cavendish Road to Selwyn Avenue. Turn left onto Selwyn Avenue. Take the first right, Aldriche Way. At the crossroads you will find a sculpture of Squirells, behind the telephone box.

Turn round and walk back to the junction of Selwyn Avenue and Haldane Road, but keep on walking down Selwyn Avenue. At the end turn left onto Winchester Road. Turn left at the junction by the level crossing. On your left you will see another bonus sculpture, as you look towards the Tesco supermarket. It commemorates the British Xylonite Company’s Halex factory that used to be on this site from 1897-1971.

The Tortoise and Elephant were a trademark of the company after they developed substitutes. for Ivory and Tortoise shell. At one time they had a worldwide monopoly on making table tennis balls.

Continue up Larkshall Road. The road will veer right after the dual carriage part. This is the junction with Roper Avenue and you will find a sculpture of Hedgehogs. I discovered the trail by seeing this sculpture from the 212 bus.

Continue along Larkshall and take the third turning on the right, Larkshall Crescent.  Walk up Larkshall Crescent to the fork road where Larkshall Crescent returns to Larkshall Road. Look for the grit bin. The sculpture could be lurking behind it.

Now return to Larkshall Road by walking down the other arm of Larkshall Crescent. Turn right and cross the road to Larkshall Crescent bus stop. If you caught the 275 bus from Highams Park, then catch the W16 or 212 to Highams Park. From Highams Park you can catch the 275 bus, on the other side of the railway line, back to Mill Lane. The 212 will take you to Walthamstow Central.