Reception children loved their school visit on Thursday and even got to hold a snake! The Hive formerly Suntrap Forest Centre is an environmental education hub in the heart of Epping Forest. It provides day and residential visits that are open all year round. The Hive is an innovative environmental education service.

The Hive Timeline

• Founded in 1894
• Originally built as a children’s tuberculosis sanatorium
• Used as a maternity hospital during the Second World War
• In the 1950s, temporarily converted into flats for families in need
• In 1967, the London Borough of Waltham Forest bought the Hive for £500 to create a centre to provide environmental education for every child in the borough

• In July 2019 a 4.5 million pound redevelopment programme commences with a deadline date of 2020
•  In 2017, The Suntrap celebrated its 50th anniversary, acknowledgments included a hand-written note of congratulations from Sir David Attenborough
• In 2022, a new name was given to Suntrap. It is now The Hive.