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@BareNecessities
I used to love riding, walking & even sometimes running in Epping Forest, at any time of the year! It could be a bit character building in the mud, but if you survived the winter, then spring, summer & early autumn were awesome. As many people have said, you really need to take the time to learn the trails to make the most out of the place. I found the worst boggy sections were mainly the most obvious routes which the local clubs would tear around repeatedly at the weekends. I never saw them on the quieter trails. I did much prefer riding during the week though!
I was lucky enough to live close to both the North and south ends of the forest for a few years & was still finding ( and forgetting ) new routes all the time. Next time I'm near there & have a working mountain bike I'd be more than happy to guide a few people round. It's been a few years but hopefully I haven't forgotten it all yet!
For now though... as long as you have a 1.25 000 scale Os map. Start by learning the fire roads first, then memorize the location of all the little car parks. After that, as long as you have some time & patience you can just head off into whatever gap in the trees looks most interesting. If you should get a bit lost, most of the regular horse riders seem to know the place like the back of their hand.