What is Epping's town centre like?

Epping stands on a ridge, and its long, wide High Street was once a market place and a busy stop for coaches to and from London. Much of it was rebuilt in the eighteenth century, and many of its listed buildings date from then. The Epping conservation area, first designated in 1969, covers the High Street and the streets around it, including cottages, town houses, churches and former inns built between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries.

Epping also has a notable place in local water history. In the mid nineteenth century a local doctor campaigned for clean water and proper drainage, which led to the town's landmark water tower and new wells, sewers and mains.

What plumbing questions come up on the High Street?

Many of the older buildings now have shops below and flats above. That means shared pipework, stopcocks in awkward places and leaks that pass from one property to the next. If you rent or lease a flat over a shop, tell your landlord or managing agent about any leak as well as arranging a repair.

In a listed building, running new pipes or removing original fittings may need consent from the district council. Ask the council first if your plans go beyond a straightforward repair.

What about the rest of the town?

Away from the centre, Epping has Victorian and Edwardian streets, interwar houses and post-war estates, with newer homes on the edges. Typical requests are:

weak upstairs pressure in homes still fed by a loft tank
toilets that run on and cisterns that fill slowly
bathroom refits in houses with small, awkward rooms
outside taps and garage pipes that split in frost

Does living on a ridge matter?

Water pressure varies with height, so it is worth asking a neighbour whether their supply is similar before assuming a fault. A sudden drop is more likely a leak or a problem with the main than the hill, and your water company can tell you if there is work in the area.

What about the villages?

CM16 also covers Theydon Bois and smaller places around Epping. Homes further out may have longer private supply pipes, and a few may not be on the mains sewer. Mention it if yours drains to a septic tank or treatment plant.

What about Coopersale and Bell Common?

Epping has more than one conservation area. Besides the town centre, the district council lists separate ones at Bell Common, at the southern end of the town beside the forest, at Coopersale Street, designated in 1977, and at Copped Hall. They take in older cottages and houses, some of them listed, along with their gardens and outbuildings.

The plumbing questions there are often about age rather than size: pipe runs added piecemeal over a century or more, outbuildings with their own taps, and supply pipes that cross a long front garden. Inside a listed cottage, changing visible pipework or original sanitary fittings may need consent, so ask the council before committing to anything beyond a like-for-like repair.

How does an enquiry from CM16 work?

You give us your postcode and describe the job. If a local plumber covers CM16 and you agree, we send your enquiry to that one plumber. If nobody does, we tell you, and the enquiry goes no further.

Who you will hear from

We pass your enquiry to one local plumber, if one covers your postcode. It is never sent to a list of companies. If nobody covers your postcode, we will tell you and will not pass your details on.