Cultural Learning Resources OUR ENVIRONMENT E P P I N G SHEETS FACT F O R E S T Print-friendly PDF E P P I N G F O R E S T Epping Forest is a 5,900-acre area of ancient woodland between Epping in Essex to the north, and Forest Gate to the south. It is the largest public open SHEETS FACT space in the London area. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation. CONTENTS EPPING FOREST MAP 03 A BRIEF HISTORY OF EPPING FOREST 04 WILLIAM MORRIS AND EPPING FOREST 08 CHINGFORD PLAIN 09 OUR ENVIRONMENT: EPPING FOREST 02 E P P I N G F O R E S T Copped Hall Park Warlies Waltham Park Abbey Epping Gi ord Wood The Warren Plantation Epping Thicks Ambresbury Banks Theydon Bois Jacks Big View Hill Theydon Bois Deer SHEETS FACT Sanctuary Theydon Wake Green Valley Furze Pond Ground Great Monk Wood Debden Green Epping Forest Visitor Centre Little Monk Wood Baldwins Hill High Truelove’s Loughton Beach Camp Robin Hood Roundabout Femhills Staples Hill Loughton Bury The Debden Wood Stubbles Yardley Sewardstonebury Hill The Warren Loughton Connaught Warren Water Hill Chingford Golf Course Pole Queen Elizabeth Hill Hunting Lodge North Farm Chingford Whitehall Plain Chigwell Buckhurst Hill Chingford Lord’s Bushes Knighton Wood Chigwell Roding Valley Woodford Green Highams Park Woodford E P P I N G F O R E S T A Brief History of Epping Forest Early History There has been continuous tree cover in Epping Forest for well over 3,000 years, and signs of human occupation since the Iron Age. Animals such as deer, wild boar, bear and beaver would have once roamed the Forest. The Middle Ages: A Royal Forest SHEETS FACT William I (or the Conqueror, 1066-87) and his successors were the first to designate reserves of land for royal hunts. These were usually wilder, less 16th Century populated areas: heath, grassland and wetland as Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I may have hunted well as woodland – declared to be ‘outside’ (Latin in the Forest, though no documentary evidence foris) of the common law of the land. Instead, these has survived to prove it. Henry VIII created a deer areas came under Forest Law*. park at Fairmead, which included Chingford Plain. In 1543, he paid for a grandstand to watch the hunt Forest Law safeguarded the King’s right to hunt game there. It was known as the Great Standing because in largely privately owned land, a right known as ‘vert it was three storeys high. It is still there today and and venison’. Forest Law was a legal system separate now known as Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge. from the Common Law of England. As part of the Royal Forest of Essex, Epping Forest was one of sixty forests across England where the Crown had this right to hunt. The role of the Verderers, who still help to look after the Forest today, dates to this period. In 1217, the 10-year old King Henry III authorised The Charter of the Forest, which re-established rights of access for free men that had been eroded by William Left: Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge the Conqueror and his heirs. As hunting and foraging Right: Henry VIII hunting on Chingford Plain, in the forests were important sources of food and engraving from a 19th Century book wood, the new Charter did more for the common folk of England than the much more famous Magna Carta, signed by Henry’s father, King John. The latter focused more on legal protections for the Barons. *These words are explained in the glossary on page 10. OUR ENVIRONMENT: EPPING FOREST 04 E P P I N G F O R E S T 17th Century: 1860s-70s: A decline in Forest Rights The campaign to save Epping Forest Changing royal interests saw royal participation in The loss of Hainault Forest and the sale of Epping’s hunting and the power of Forest Law dramatically Forestal Rights created a broad coalition of different decline. Following the Restoration of the monarchy in interests who fought to save the Forest. The Forest’s 1660, Parliamentary scrutiny of royal finances and the remaining judicial officer,Verderer George Palmer, need to raise money saw the Royal Forest hunting promoted to Government the Forest’s 500 years rights across private land, known as Forestal Rights, of use by Londoners for health and recreational begin to be sold off by the monarch to landowners. benefit. He also encouraged Londoners to protest against enclosures by writing to the Lord Mayor. Both SHEETS FACT 18th–19th Century: political radicals and nonconformist religious groups emphasised the importance of the Forest for freedom The threat of enclosure of assembly and worship. Social Reformers such as the Between 1760 and 1870, the ‘enclosure movement’ newly formed (in 1865) Commons Preservation Society saw seven million acres of English countryside fought to retain places like Epping for their beauty and change from shared common land to more profitable as a public amenity and as a necessary refuge for private enclosed land. Many commoners lost their Londoners from an expanding and polluted city. traditional rights to graze and forage on land owned by landlords. In Royal Forests, the release of the Crown’s Forestal Rights spurred landowners to enclose Forest Land and evict their commoners. At Epping Forest, London’s continued growth saw money-making opportunities to release land for development rather than agricultural improvement. From 1817, a series of Parliamentary Bills unsuccessfully pressed for the disafforestation of Epping Forest. In 1851, following the sale of Forestal Rights, 3,000 acres of nearby Hainault Forest were felled within six weeks. In 1851, the Crown Picnicking in Epping Forest, 1860-70 Lands, including Epping Forest’s Forestal rights, were transferred to Government Commissioners charged with increasing revenue for the Exchequer. Six years later, the Commissioners sold half of the Royal Forestal Rights at Epping Forest, encouraging the illegal enclosure of some 4,000 acres of Epping Forest by 1865. OUR ENVIRONMENT: EPPING FOREST 0505 E P P I N G F O R E S T Ordinary, working people also fought to save their In addition to lawsuits, there were also more rights and livelihoods. Labourer, Thomas Willingale of practical demonstrations against the enclosures Loughton, was the most famous of those championing taking place. In 1871, Antonio Brady MP of the Epping the common right of lopping. With the financial Forest Fund (set up to protect the Forest), made backing of local landowner, Sir Fowell Buxton, fiery addresses to crowds on Willingale filed a lawsuit against John Maitland, the Wanstead Flats, resulting in Lord of the Manor of Loughton, for enclosing over the removal of new fences. 1,300 acres of Forest to sell for development. Similarly, local industrialist George Burney, a leading member of the Epping Forest Preservation Society, was a SHEETS FACT notable local objector who paid to remove fences in 1874 and defended a subsequent court case for his actions. Between 1874 and 1878, the City of London purchased the remaining unenclosed land, some 5,531 acres, paying Thomas Willingale compensation to the manors for loss of enclosures and to commoners for the necessary loss of some John T. Bedford, a member of the City of London rights. The Crown agreed to relinquish their remaining Corporation, recognised that the City was the Forestal rights and in 1878 the Epping Forest Act only body with sufficient resources to save Epping was passed, establishing the City of London as the Forest, and persuaded the City to become involved Conservators of Epping Forest. The Act said that the through a Commission of Inquiry in 1871. Owning City of London shall “at all times keep Epping Forest the City of London Cemetery in Aldersbrook meant unenclosed and unbuilt on as an open space for that the City was a commoner. This enabled the the recreation and enjoyment of the people”. City Solicitor, Sir Thomas Nelson and the Commons Preservation Society’s solicitor, Robert Hunter to “ The Crown agreed to relinquish their remaining make a breakthrough in stopping the enclosures Forestal rights and in 1878 the Epping Forest Act using a single lawsuit, based on the right of was passed, establishing the City of London as intercommonage. This meant that one case could be the Conservators of Epping Forest” brought against all the lords of the manors and on 10 November 1874 the enclosures were declared illegal. OUR ENVIRONMENT: EPPING FOREST 06 E P P I N G F O R E S T Queen Victoria visits the ‘People’s Forest’ Epping Forest today On 6 May, 1882, Queen Victoria was invited to open the The 2014 Epping Forest Visitor Survey shows that Forest to the public. At the opening, the Lord Mayor approximately 4.2 million visits are made to Epping of London celebrated the Forest being dedicated Forest each year. The majority of these visits are to the enjoyment of the people for ever. The Queen to: Wanstead Flats, Wanstead Park, Leyton Flats, acknowledged the address, declaring “it gives me the Chingford Plain, Barn Hoppitt, Connaught Water greatest satisfaction to dedicate this beautiful Forest and High Beach. Orion Harriers, a local running to the use and enjoyment of my people for all time”. club, regularly run through the Forest. Both the address and the dedication led to Epping Forest receiving the unique and popular accolade the SHEETS FACT “People’s Forest”. The nearby Forest Hotel was renamed The Royal Forest after Queen Victoria’s visit.