95-549: Woodford Green is an area of Woodford in East London , England , within the London Borough of Redbridge . It adjoins Buckhurst Hill to the north, Woodford Bridge to the east, South Woodford to the south, and Chingford to the west. Epping Forest runs through Woodford Green in the west of the area, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) north-east of Charing Cross . It was a hamlet in the ancient parish of Woodford, in
190-483: A Clergyman in Yorkshire, he remarked My living in Yorkshire was so far out of the way, that it was actually twelve miles from a lemon . He compared marriage to a pair of shears, so joined that they can not be separated; often moving in opposite directions, yet always punishing anyone who comes between them . Moreover, Smith published several recipes; his rhyming recipe for salad dressing ( Let onion atoms lurk within
285-600: A barn built in the mid-19th century the Grade II listed building Butler's Retreat is one of the few remaining Victorian retreats within the forest. The building, which is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge, takes its name from the 1891 occupier John Butler. Retreats originally served non-alcoholic refreshments as part of the Temperance movement . After closing in 2009 the building
380-572: A child he lived at Woodford Hall between 1840 and 1847. Woodford Hall (demolished at the start of the 20th century) stood on Woodford High Road on the site where the Woodford Parish Memorial Hall now is. Another writer who lived in Woodford is James Hilton , who wrote the novels Goodbye Mr Chips and Lost Horizon (in which he coined the term Shangri La ) in a semi-detached house at 42 Oak Hill Gardens, which however
475-452: A cost, as the City of London's early conservators did not understand the human processes that shaped the forest and its ecosystems, and discontinued the practice of pollarding trees while allowing grazing to decline. This changed the character of the forest and has led to reduced biodiversity. The modern Conservators are mindful of these historic errors but it is probably not possible to reverse
570-429: A few years later. The central block was again completely restored, with the minor wings you can still see added on. Historians have pointed out Woodford's historic roads as evidence of its 'residential nature', as these roads provided reasonably easy access to Woodford, but no further on. There were two roads to Woodford, the 'lower road' (now Chigwell Road) and the 'upper road' (now Woodford New Road). The 'lower road'
665-625: A fine job it was given responsibility for the 'lower road' as well. In 1828, the Trust built the 'Woodford New Road' from Walthamstow to Woodford Wells , and was soon after connected to the newly built Epping New Road. The parish was controlled from Saxon times up to the 16th century by the Abbot of Waltham and the first known reference to a church in Woodford dates from the 12th century. The ancient parish of Woodford, also known as Woodford St Mary after its parish church of St Mary's , formed part of
760-776: A memorial in Woodford High Road to the victims of Italian aerial bombing in Ethiopia , known as the Anti-Air War Memorial . Woodford Green Cricket Club was founded in 1735. It plays alongside the High Road. The club has teams for all age groups with the senior teams playing in the Hamro Essex League. Woodford Green with Essex Ladies is one of the leading British athletics clubs and is based at Ashton Fields. The club topped Division 1 of
855-550: A mixture of wood-pasture and open plains, rather than thick woodland, and both of these land use types were grazed by cattle. In Tudor times, Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I may have hunted in the forest, though no documentary evidence has survived to prove it. In 1543, Henry commissioned a building, known as Great Standing, from which to view the chase at Chingford . The building was renovated in 1589 for Queen Elizabeth I and can still be seen today in Chingford. The building
950-519: A mounted element, the crowd were able to break down and smash the enclosing fences. The action attracted nationwide attention, much of it critical of the government. At this stage the City of London Corporation became involved, since in 1853, the city had purchased a farm at Manor Park for the construction of the City of London Cemetery ; this made the City Corporation a forest commoner with
1045-532: A parliamentary committee estimated that up to 400,000 people had visited Epping Forest on that day. In the first decades of the 19th century, the Lord Warden of Epping Forest, William Long-Wellesley, acquiesced to the enclosure of 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of forest land, about a third of the remaining total, by the lords of the manors who held freeholds in the forest. The government was keen to enclose land for farming and building development and allowed
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#17327760505311140-624: A road from Woodford Green to Epping through the heart of the forest, to avoid Goldings Hill on the old road through Loughton and shorten the distance by one mile. The Epping New Road , now part of the A104 was completed in 1834. With the arrival of railway stations in towns close to the forest from the 1850s, the working class people of East London began to use the forest for recreation on Sundays and public holidays, in ever increasing numbers. Others arrived by horsebus which could drive directly to popular spots like High Beach. On Whit Monday 1880,
1235-400: A similar fashion, gained the contemporary name of Woodford Green by 1883. An earlier name which has acted as an alternative to this was Woodford Row. The beginnings of Woodford can be traced to a medieval settlement which developed around the ford. Woodford was never a single village, rather it was a collection of hamlets, and has retained to some extent its portmanteau nature. The parish
1330-646: A statue on Woodford Green erected in 1959. In the 1920s and 1930s, Clement Attlee , later Labour Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951, lived in Woodford Green, the seat of his political adversary, Winston Churchill. A Blue Plaque records the fact on a house in Monkhams Avenue. Sylvia Pankhurst lived in Woodford Green from 1924 to 1956, originally in the High Road, and from 1933 in Charteris Road. In 1935, Pankhurst commissioned and dedicated
1425-613: A stipulation that the Conservators "shall at all times keep Epping Forest unenclosed and unbuilt on as an open space for the recreation and enjoyment of the people". In compensation for the loss of lopping rights, Lopping Hall in Loughton was built as a community building. This was the first major victory, in Europe, for the modern conservation movement. When Queen Victoria visited Chingford on 6 May 1882 she declared "It gives me
1520-435: A training area for many national level mountain-bike racers as it is highly regarded for its fast and tight flowing single track trails. This type of terrain is known within the mountain bike fraternity as cross country (or XC). Epping Forest was considered as a venue for the mountain-biking event of the 2012 Summer Olympics, though the final choice was near Hadleigh Castle . Stage 3 of the 2014 Tour de France passed through
1615-485: A valuable area for wildlife, and it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest . Its former status a common, with wood-pasture and plains has had a great effect on its ecology. Although the Epping Forest Act almost certainly saved the forest from total destruction, it has to some extent had a deleterious effect on the area's biodiversity . The areas historic land use has had an enormous impact on
1710-494: Is a shared-use path for pedestrians and cyclists which begins in Woodford and continues to Ilford. Epping Forest Epping Forest is a 2,400-hectare (5,900-acre) area of ancient woodland , and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex . The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London built-up area. South of Chingford
1805-567: Is composed of twelve members of the Court of Common Council and four Verderers who are residents of the forest and are elected by the Commoners. A Superintendent is responsible for operational management, supported by twelve Epping Forest Keepers . In addition, the Crown's right to venison was terminated, and pollarding was no longer allowed, although grazing rights continued. This act laid down
1900-468: Is generally permitted except around the Iron Age camps, Loughton Brook and other ecologically or geomorphologically sensitive areas. Despite clear signposting, a minority of mountain bikers and horse riders continue to cause damage in these areas, and the Conservators of Epping Forest have expressed their concern. A number of clubs organise rides, particularly on Sunday mornings. The forest is also used as
1995-587: Is now known as Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge , and is open to the public. There is another hunt standing, which now forms the core of the forest HQ at The Warren, Loughton . Following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, although the deer herd was restocked, royal hunting in the forest never recommenced. The forest was principally used as a source of shipbuilding timber for the Royal Navy , which
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#17327760505312090-625: Is separated from Ilford North by the Central line, whilst a small part of South Woodford is in Leyton and Wanstead constituency. Previously the local constituency was Wanstead and Woodford (1974–1997) and before that Woodford (1945–1974) which was represented by Winston Churchill between 1945 and 1964. Churchill had previously represented the area (1924-1945) as part of the Epping Parliamentary Constituency - and
2185-435: Is the erection of three churches in the area, a Congregational, Methodist and Church of All Saints, all built in 1874. Woodford completed its suburbanisation in the period between the two World Wars of the 20th century. Available land was hungrily built on and the grand houses of the wealthy who had been building them for more than four hundred years were pulled down to make way for the middle class housing estates, typified by
2280-466: Is thought to have been given legal status as a royal forest by Henry II in the 12th century. At the time it was part of the much larger Forest of Essex , which covered nearly all of the county. The term Forest was a legal term, meaning that Forest Law applied, meaning that only the king had the right to hunt deer. The term did not mean the land was well wooded: the large majority of the Forest of Essex
2375-415: Is typical of the Woodford resident today. Woodford soon became the residence of the well-to-do city worker, as attested by John Marius Wilson in his Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales , written between 1870 and 1872 In fact Woodford doubled its population in the middle and later decades of the 19th century due to the arrival of the railway. A good barometer of Woodford's rapid growth in this period
2470-976: The A121 to Loughton , the A110 towards Chingford and Enfield , the A1009 towards Chingford Hatch , the A1199 to Wanstead, and the A503 towards Walthamstow. These roads fall into the Low Emission Zone for the most polluting heavy diesel vehicles. The A406 North Circular Road divides Woodford from South Woodford. The road forms the Ultra Low Emission Zone boundary for the most polluting light vehicles, which only applies in South Woodford. The M11 motorway begins in Woodford and bypasses
2565-782: The Becontree hundred of Essex . It was suburban to London and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District from 1840. For administration of the Poor Law it was grouped into the West Ham Union in 1835. The parish adopted the Local Government Act 1858 in 1873, setting up a local board of nine members. The Local Government Act 1894 reconstituted its area as Woodford Urban District , governed by Woodford Urban District Council. In 1934
2660-867: The British Athletics League for the first time in 2005. Woodford Green is represented by the Monkhams electoral ward in the London Borough of Redbridge. It ranks as one of the highest income areas of Greater London. The A104 runs through Woodford Green and forms its High Street while Chigwell Road, the A113, runs along the east side with Broadmead Road connecting the two. Woodford Green is served by Woodford tube station . Various London Buses routes also connect Woodford Green with nearby major towns: The nearest London Underground stations are Woodford , South Woodford and Roding Valley on
2755-592: The Central line . Woodford, London Woodford is a town in East London , England, within the London Borough of Redbridge . It is located 9.5 miles (15.3 km) north-east of Charing Cross . Woodford historically formed an ancient parish in the county of Essex . It contained a string of agrarian villages and was part of Epping Forest . From about 1700 onwards, it became a place of residence for affluent people who had business in London; this wealth, together with its elevated position, has led to it being called
2850-461: The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues to sell off further freeholds in the forest. In 1851 nearby Hainault Forest , where the Crown owned most of the land, was privatised (enclosed) and nearly all of the trees grubbed out in order to turn the area into poor quality farmland. The modern conservation movement grew out of public disgust at the destruction of Hainault Forest and
2945-468: The Geographical and social high point of East London . Woodford was suburban to London and after being combined with Wanstead in 1934 it was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1937. It has formed part of Greater London since 1965 and comprises the neighbourhoods of Woodford Green , Woodford Bridge , Woodford Wells and South Woodford . The area is served by two stations on the Central line of
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3040-469: The Scandinavian ice sheet during the last glacial period , around 18,000 BC. The ridge consists of boulder clay topped with loam, while towards its southern end it is overlain with glacial gravel . The highest points are near Ambresbury Banks to the south of Epping, which is 111 metres (384 feet) above sea level, while Pole Hill near Chingford reaches 91 metres (299 feet). On the western edge of
3135-583: The historic county of Essex , becoming an urban district in 1894. For administrative purposes, this merged with the Wanstead Urban District to form the Wanstead and Woodford Urban District in 1934. In 1965, the urban district became part of the London Borough of Redbridge . The locality takes its name from the Green , an area of open common land - a part of Epping Forest - beside which
3230-502: The 1930s). Richard Warner , who occupied Harts at Woodford Green, cultivated the first gardenia to flower in England and who in 1771 compiled Plantae Woodfordienses - A Catalogue Of The More Perfect Plants Growing Spontaneously About Woodford In The County Of Essex The London Underground Central line serves Woodford , South Woodford and Roding Valley . Trains link the area to Epping , Loughton , Chigwell and Hainault to
3325-465: The Conservators have experimented with pollarding in selected areas of the forest, lopping some old pollards back to the bolling (with mixed results) or creating new bollings. A herd of English Longhorn cattle has been reintroduced to graze the heathland and grassland. Over 100 lakes and ponds can be found within the forest varying in size and age. They all provide important habitats for numerous species of fauna and flora. Many of them are man-made with
3420-425: The Epping Forest Act gave the deer firm legal protection, poaching had reduced the herd to twelve does and one buck; however, numbers had recovered to around 200 by the start of the 20th century. In 1954, it was noted that common lighter-brown fallow deer had begun to interbreed in the forest and some black examples were sent to Whipsnade Zoo to preserve this variety. Subsequently, losses to traffic and dogs prompted
3515-502: The February of that year, was particularly important in mobilising East End environmentalism. By 1870, the unenclosed forest had shrunk to only 3,500 acres (1,400 ha). One landowner, Reverend John Whitaker Maitland, who had enclosed 1,100 acres (450 ha) in his manor of Loughton, was engaged in a long running dispute with a commoner called Thomas Willingale and his family, who insisted on maintaining his right to lop trees in
3610-533: The Fifteenth Century, when wealthy Londoners started to build mansions there. Woodford provided attractive estates for London merchants and retired East India Company officials who built large houses there. As a consequence, many of the recorded inhabitants would have been servants, and there is even evidence of Africans ('negroes') living in Woodford in the eighteenth century. In fact the domestic servants and wealthy Londoners may have quickly outnumbered
3705-488: The London Borough of Redbridge. The beginnings of the actual modern suburbanisation of Woodford, however, can be traced to the opening (in 1856) of the Eastern Counties Railway Line from Stratford to Loughton , on which Woodford became accessible by two stations, at Snakes Lane and George Lane . The new convenience of transportation encouraged the growth in number of the daily commuter that
3800-556: The London Underground: Woodford and South Woodford . Woodford appears in the 1086 Domesday Book as Wdefort , although its earliest recorded use is earlier in 1062 as Wudeford . The name is Old English and means 'ford in or by the wood'. The ford refers to where a minor Roman road from London crossed the River Roding , which was replaced with a bridge by 1238; this led to the renaming of part of
3895-524: The airship L48 over Norfolk in June 1917. Woodford, as part of Epping Forest was one of the last places in London where medieval Commoner's rights persisted - with local farmers being allowed to graze their cattle on the common land. These rights were protected by sections 14 and 15 of the Byelaws passed by the Conservators of Epping Forest. Even late into the 20th century cattle were allowed to roam freely on
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3990-620: The area first developed. Woodford Green is part of the Parliamentary Constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green , represented since its creation in 1997 by Iain Duncan Smith , leader of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2003. He was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. Duncan Smith is a successor of Sir Winston Churchill , who was also MP for this area and is commemorated by
4085-601: The area of these land uses in England. At that time the forest extended slightly further south to the Romford Road in the Forest Gate area of West Ham ; this is the originally Roman A118 road from Aldgate on the City of London wall to Stratford , Romford and Colchester (and also known as the Great Essex Road ). There was a coppice woodland on the Romford Road called Hamfrith Wood (meaning
4180-536: The area to Oxford Circus via Hackney and Shoreditch overnight. The A104 runs north–south through Woodford between the North Circular Road and Epping . This once formed part of the A11 trunk road, before being renumbered in the 1980s to discourage use in favour of then new M11. The A113 passes Woodford to the east, between Wanstead and Abridge or Chipping Ongar . Other main routes include
4275-524: The areas character and ecology, this is particularly evident with the pollarded trees, which were cut back to the bolling , the permanent base of the pollard, every 13 years or so. The bolling was cut just above the browse line of wild and domestic grazing animals. However, the Forests pollards have not been cut since the passing of the Epping Forest Act, have now grown massive crowns of thick, trunk-like branches with correspondingly large boles . This gives
4370-622: The bowl/And, scarce suspected, animate the whole ) makes him a household name in America to this day. Woodford also has connections with the leading Suffragette , peace campaigner and anti-fascist Sylvia Pankhurst . Pankhurst was a longtime resident on Charteris Road, close to Woodford Station. She had been introduced to the area by George Lansbury , co-founder of the Labour Party and grandfather of Angela Lansbury . Previous to her residence in Charteris Road, Sylvia Pankhurst had challenged
4465-522: The casual visitor. The most important event in the ramblers' calendar in the area is the traditional Epping Forest Centenary Walk , an all-day event commemorating the saving of Epping Forest as a public space, which takes place annually on the third Sunday in September. High Beach in Epping Forest was the first British venue for motorcycle speedway and opened on 19 February 1928. The track
4560-473: The city to purchase the 19 forest manors. The consequence of this victory was that only 10% of Epping Forest had been lost to enclosure (mainly in the south), compared to 92% of Hainault Forest. Under the terms of the Epping Forest Act 1878 , the forest ceased to be a royal forest and was purchased by the City of London Corporation whose Epping Forest Committee act as Conservators . The committee
4655-512: The district as Woodford Bridge by 1805. The old Saxon road, that followed the valley at this point and utilised this ford, skirted the forest (which was, and is, on the high ground west of the Roding). The Saxon Road eventually reached north of the Forest and branched East and West at that point. Woodford by this chance was on the trade route to the further parts of Essex. Part of the district, in
4750-569: The effects of this long interruption of historic management methods. The forest gives its name to the Epping Forest local government district , which covers part of it, and to Forest School , a private school in Walthamstow towards the south of it. The area that became Epping Forest has been continuously wooded since Neolithic times. Embankments of two Iron Age earthworks – Loughton Camp and Ambresbury Banks – can be found in
4845-408: The establishment of an enclosed deer sanctuary of 109 acres (44 ha) near Debden, to maintain a stock of deer which can be released back into the forest when the population levels become too low. Red deer were once found in Epping Forest, but the last survivors were rounded-up and taken to Windsor Great Park at the end of the 19th century. The last recorded sighting of roe deer in the forest
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#17327760505314940-565: The forest from Epping to Buckhurst Hill along the Epping New Road. Horse riding is popular in Epping Forest. Riders need to be registered with the Epping Forest conservators before they are allowed to ride in the forest. Running as a form of recreation in Epping Forest goes back almost to the birth of the sport in the 1870s, including hosting the inaugural English Championships in 1876. Orienteering and rambling are also popular. There are numerous guidebooks offering shorter walks for
5035-581: The forest from The Warren, modern offices built in the grounds of Grade II* listed Warren House, Loughton . Warren House, formerly known as the Reindeer Inn, was built around a smaller hunt standing, known as the Little Standing. Its grounds were redesigned by Humphry Repton in the early 19th century. Until the outbreak of BSE in 1996 commoners still exercised their right to graze cattle and every summer herds of cattle would roam freely in
5130-461: The forest ground (Forest, in this instance being the term applying to the district rather than that area with trees). The practice became increasingly less well suited to the times, as they occasionally penetrated into neighbouring gardens and roads before being driven back onto the forest land. The local BSE outbreak during the early 1990s caused the practice to be halted for a while. Their departure, however, meant that grass and saplings grew on
5225-468: The forest in 1888. Cricket is played on forest land at Woodford Green, Bell Common (Epping), Buckhurst Hill, and High Beach. One historic match is recorded in the forest in 1732 between London Cricket Club and an Essex & Hertfordshire side . The result is unknown. The match is the earliest known reference to both Essex and Hertfordshire as county teams. The forest has three visitor centres: Public transport serves most locations in and around
5320-567: The forest narrows, and forms a green corridor that extends deep into east London , as far as Forest Gate ; the forest's position gives rise to its nickname, the Cockney Paradise . It is the largest forest in London. It lies on a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Lea and Roding . It contains areas of woodland, grassland, heath, streams, bogs and ponds, and its elevation and thin gravelly soil (the result of glaciation) historically made it less suitable for agriculture. The forest
5415-567: The forest was always narrower but enclosure and other destruction in the 19th and 20th centuries mean that this is now more pronounced. The southernmost point of the Forest is now Wanstead Flats but it formerly extended slightly further south, to the Romford Road . The forest occupies a ridge of higher ground, the Epping Forest Ridge, set between the valleys of the Rivers Lea and Roding . These valleys were formed by arms of
5510-488: The forest's ecology; however local recreational users of the forest were crucial in saving the forest when it was threatened with enclosure and destruction in the late 19th century. The huge public outcry led the City of London Corporation to buy and so save the site in what was the first major success of the environmental movement in Europe – the Corporation still owns the forest. This environmental milestone came at
5605-746: The forest, despite inducements offered for him to stop. The matter came to the public attention in 1866, when Willingale's son and two nephews were fined for damaging Maitland's trees, and were sent to prison for seven days when they refused to pay. Willingale was encouraged to continue the dispute by Edward Buxton and other members of the Commons Preservation Society , however a court action against Maitland lapsed in 1870 when Willingale died. In July 1871, around 30,000 East Londoners gathered on Wanstead Flats to protest about fences which had been erected there by Earl Cowley to enclose forest land. Despite clashes with police, including
5700-498: The forest, run by Field Studies Council provides a variety of courses. There are 60 pitches for football with changing facilities on forest land at Wanstead Flats, which are used by amateur and youth teams. There is a public 18-hole golf course at Chingford Plain, which is also used by the Royal Epping Forest Golf Club, Chingford Golf Club and Chingford Ladies' Golf Club. The course was established in
5795-456: The forest. The forest is accessible from most London Underground Central Line stations between Leytonstone and Epping and London Overground between Wood Street and Chingford and at the very southern end by the Elizabeth line at Manor Park . In the 1980s, the name "Forest" was given to one of the districts in which London's buses was divided, covering east London, and including
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#17327760505315890-439: The greatest satisfaction to dedicate this beautiful forest to the use and enjoyment of my people for all time" and it thus became "The People's Forest". The City of London Corporation still manages Epping Forest in strict conformity with the Epping Forest Act. This care is funded from ' City's Cash ', the private funds of the Corporation rather than any money for its upkeep coming from local rates or taxes. The Conservators administer
5985-852: The majority of them created through gravel extraction. Several were formed as part of a landscape design and a few were the result of Second World War bombs and V-2 rockets . Activities allowed on the waters include angling which is permitted in 24 of the lakes and ponds. A wide range of freshwater fish can be caught. All of the lakes and ponds are accessible to the public and are located on or close to forest paths. A wide range of animals are found, including fallow deer ( Dama dama ), muntjac ( Muntiacus reevesi ) and European adder ( Vipera berus ). The fallow deer found in Epping Forest are of an unusual black colouration, perhaps descended from some black deer presented by King Christian IV of Denmark to James I in 1612, although there are earlier records of black deer in England before this date. By 1878 when
6080-413: The moral codes of her day by living in sin with an Italian radical on 126 High Road, opposite the Horse and Well Pub. She renamed the cottage Red Cottage in homage to the leftist activities she carried out from there. She erected an anti-air-warfare monument in protest to the bombing of the people of Ethiopia under the orders of Benito Mussolini on the site of the cottage (the cottage was pulled down in
6175-463: The need to protect its sister forest , Epping Forest. Epping Forest had fragmented ownership which made it harder to enclose in the same way, though individual landowners began to make encroachments. The urbanisation of nearby areas increased the forest's importance as an area of public recreation helped lead to the establishment of the Open Spaces Society in 1865, whose aim was to protect commons in and around London. The Mile End branch, founded in
6270-436: The north. Southbound services run directly to Stratford , The City , The West End and West London . The London Overground serves nearby Highams Park station between Liverpool Street and Chingford . London buses 20 , 123 , 179 , 275 , 549 , W13 and W14 call at Woodford. Buses link the area directly to Debden , Wood Green , Ilford , Chingford , Walthamstow and Leyton . Night bus N55 links
6365-421: The north–south direction, but no more than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from east to west at its widest point, and in most places considerably narrower. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London built-up area. South of Chingford the forest narrows, and forms a green corridor that extends deep into East London, as far as Forest Gate . The southern part of
6460-437: The previously well-cropped meadow areas of forest land. When the cattle were reintroduced in 2001 their range was restricted so that there would be less conflict with other interests. Woodford is divided between three parliamentary constituencies including Chingford and Woodford Green which is currently represented by Conservative Iain Duncan Smith , who was the Party Leader from 2001 to 2003. Chingford and Woodford Green
6555-413: The remnant of the local, original rural folk. An example of the kind of grand house typical of pre-19th century Woodford is Hurst House , also known as 'The Naked Beauty', which stands on Salway Hill, now part of Woodford High Road. Its central block was completed in the early 18th century, and its side wings were added later on in the same century. It was restored in the 1930s, only to be damaged by fire
6650-404: The ridge, High Beach at a similar height, is an expanse of gravel and Bagshot sand , thought to have been deposited by an unknown river which flowed northwards from the Weald of Kent before the creation of the Thames Valley . The following is a simplified list of the various parts of Epping Forest, starting from the north: The age of the forest and the range of habitats it contains make it
6745-460: The right to graze cattle in the forest. In 1871, the City brought a suit against 16 of the lords of the forest manors, claiming that the enclosures impinged on their ancient grazing rights. Following an appeal in 1874, a judgment by the Master of the Rolls , Sir George Jessel , ruled that all enclosures made since 1851 were illegal. Subsequently, two acts of Parliament in 1871 ( 34 & 35 Vict. c. 93) and 1872 ( 35 & 36 Vict. c. 95) allowed
6840-549: The south part of the forest. Its logo was a squirrel above the London Transport roundel . Later, from 1989 until its collapse in 1991, London Forest part of London Buses Limited, was the name of an arms length bus operating unit of London Regional Transport in the area, with an oak tree as its logo. Epping Forest has frequently been the setting for novels, and has attracted poets, artists and musicians for centuries. Many of these artists lived at Loughton . Loughton
6935-464: The southern part of the forest. Cattle were reintroduced in 2001 but their movements are now more restricted to reduce conflict with traffic. Commoners, who are people who live in a Forest parish and own 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) of land, can still register and graze cattle during the summer months. The right to collect wood still exists but is rarely practised and is limited to "one faggot of dead or driftwood" per day per adult resident. Originally
7030-545: The three-to-four bedroom semi-detached house with front and back gardens. In the 1930s, 1,600 houses were being built in Woodford a year on average. The Central line's extension to and past Woodford in the middle of the 20th century, utilising the existing overland train network, solidified Woodford's place in the commuter belt. In the First World War (1914-1918) London was troubled by Zeppelin Raids. A response to this
7125-566: The town to the east en route to Harlow , Stansted Airport and Cambridge . Intermittent cycle lanes are provided along Wanstead New Road (A104) between Waterworks Corner (the North Circular Road) and Buckhurst Hill . North of Buckhurst Hill, the route continues to Epping. At Waterworks Corner, a shared-use underpass links Woodford to cycle routes and footpaths southbound towards Leyton. The A1199 features cycle lanes between Woodford and Snaresbrook . The Roding Valley Walk
7220-850: The trees an unusual appearance, uncommon in other forests. Often the weight of the branches cannot be supported by the parent tree, and the large amount of dead wood in the forest supports numerous rare species of fungi and invertebrates . Epping Forest has 55,000 ancient trees , more than any other single site in the United Kingdom. Predominant tree species are Pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur ), European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ), European hornbeam ( Carpinus betuloides ), silver birch ( Betula pendula ) and European holly ( Ilex aquifolium ). Indicator species of long-uninterrupted woodland include service-tree ( Sorbus torminalis ) butcher's-broom ( Ruscus aculeatus ) and drooping sedge ( Carex pendula ). The pollarded trees allowed light through to
7315-405: The urban district was abolished under a county review order and its former area became part of the Wanstead and Woodford Urban District . Wanstead and Woodford was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1937. The population of the Woodford parish was 2,774 in 1851, and had grown substantially to 37,702 in 1951. In 1965 Wanstead and Woodford, together with Ilford , were grouped together to become
7410-481: The woodland belonging to the Ham area) until around 1700, and an area of plain called Hamfrith Waste which lasted into the mid-1800s. Most of Waltham Forest was later legally deforested (removed form Forest Law) leaving two smaller forests, Epping Forest and Hainault Forest , both of which continued to be very heavily wooded - there was not a reduction in the physical area of woods and commons. The name "Epping Forest"
7505-481: The woodland floor, increasing the numbers of low-growing plants. Since the Act, the vast crowns of the pollards cut out most of the light to the underbrush. The plains were located in wet or low-lying areas. The area surrounding the forest is now to a great extent urbanised; the corresponding reduction in grazing has led to some former areas of grassland and heathland being overcome by secondary woodland . In recent years,
7600-545: The woodland, but pollen profiles show that Iron Age occupation had no significant effect on woodland cover. The former small leaved lime (also known as pry or linden) dominated woodland permanently changed during the Anglo-Saxon period, possibly as a result of the selective cutting of trees. Today's beech - birch and oak - hornbeam -dominated forest may be the result of partial forest clearance in Saxon times. The area
7695-406: Was abolished. In 1827, the huntsman of Sir William Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley chased a forest stag as far as West Ham . The customary Easter Monday hunt was repeated annually by a large and rowdy crowd of ordinary London tradesmen and working people, who gathered at Fairmead Oak to chase a previously captured stag, which was released from a cart and usually escaped unharmed. The last of these hunts
7790-484: Was agricultural land. The Forest of Essex gradually shrank in size as land was removed from Forest Law and it was replaced by a number of much smaller forests including Waltham Forest (which gives its name to the modern London Borough of Waltham Forest . Waltham Forest was a legally defined area which included the areas later known as Epping Forest and Hainault Forest ; the rest of the Waltham Forest area
7885-623: Was behind The King's Oak public house, and drew large crowds in its early days. The track was closed when a swimming pool was added to the pub's grounds after the Second World War, though enthusiasts and veterans still gather at the site every year on the nearest Sunday to 19 February. The remains of the track are still visible, in the grounds of the Epping Forest Field Centre behind the King's Oak. The field centre in
7980-463: Was controlled from Saxon times up to the 16th century by the Abbot of Waltham and the first known reference to a church in Woodford dates from the 12th century. After the dissolution of Waltham Abbey in 1540, the monastic lands passed to laymen. London has been central to Woodford's development. The easy access to Epping Forest , a large forest near London where members of the royal family traditionally hunted has made it attractive to Londoners since
8075-412: Was first recorded in the 17th century. Although the monarch held hunting and associated rights, the land was owned by a number of local landowners. It was managed as a common where landowners benefitted from certain rights, while local commoners benefitted from common rights allowing them to gather firewood and foodstuffs, to graze livestock and turn out pigs for mast . The landscape was primarily
8170-401: Was historically managed as a common; the land was held by a number of local landowners who exercised economic rights over aspects such as timber, while local commoners had grazing and other rights. It was designated a royal forest meaning that only the monarch had the right to hunt deer. The extensive urban areas on the forest's doorstep bring many visitors to the forest, and cause a strain on
8265-543: Was in Walthamstow borough. A blue plaque commemorates his residence at the house. The Clergyman Sydney Smith was born in Woodford in 1771. Smith became a vicar and prominent Reformer, but he is now most famous as a great wit of the early nineteenth century. He was a part of the brilliant intellectual circles of his day, and once said of the historian Macaulay , [He] has occasional flashes of silence, that make his conversation perfectly delightful . On his position as
8360-543: Was in 1882 when it descended into a riot and had to be dispersed by the police. In the 1830s, the forest took its first significant harm in centuries when a new road, the Epping New Road was built through the forest, to supplement pre-existing ancient roads. In 1830, civil engineer James Nicoll McAdam, the son of John Loudon McAdam , was engaged by a turnpike trust , the Epping and Ongar Highway Trust, to construct
8455-529: Was in 1920. In recent decades, Reeves's muntjac have been reported in the southern part of the forest. The announcement of licensed culling of fallow deer and muntjac in forest "buffer land" in 2016 was criticised by local residents but defended by environmentalists as necessary to prevent over-grazing of woodland undergrowth. A wide variety of leisure activities associated with the forest, most notably rambling, cycling and horse riding. Epping Forest attracts large numbers of mountain bikers . Mountain biking
8550-557: Was often beset by flooding from the Roding, as it still is today, and was continually considered to be in need of repair. In fact one of the illustrious persons to be inconvenienced by the road was King James I . The 'upper road', being less used than the 'lower road' was probably in a worse condition, and the Middlesex and Essex Turnpike Trust undertook its repair and overhaul in 1721, and extended it to Whitechapel . The Trust did such
8645-479: Was only lightly wooded. In physical terms (rather than legal terms), the Forest is thought to have declined to something like its modern extent in the early fourteenth century (possibly long before), the Black Death reached England in 1348, leading to a huge decline in population, perhaps between a third and a half, which took away the pressure on woods and commons, leading to a very long period of stability in
8740-564: Was refurbished by the City of London Corporation and re-opened as a café in 2012. On 12 July 2012 The Duke of Gloucester —the official Epping Forest Ranger—opened the View interpretation centre at Chingford. The building, a former Victorian coach house and stables, together with Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge and Butler's Retreat form the Epping Forest Gateway. The forest is approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) long in
8835-525: Was taken overland to Barking Creek and then floated in rafts to the Royal Dockyards at Woolwich and Deptford . This exploitation continued until about 1725, when all the suitable oak trees had been felled. The City of London maintained the ancient tradition of an Easter Monday stag hunt in the forest, but official participation ended in 1807 when the office of Master of the City Hounds
8930-528: Was therefore Woodford's local MP, both when he was the wartime Prime Minister - and also later, when he served as a peacetime Prime Minister. Churchill is commemorated by a statue on the green at Woodford. Woodford has connections with major cultural figures. The first is the celebrated writer, artist, craftsman William Morris , founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, a nineteenth-century revivalist movement dedicated to restoring England's artisan traditions. As
9025-556: Was to place two Royal Flying Corps night-fighter squadrons, 39 and 37 squadrons, with headquarters at Woodham Mortimer and Woodford Green respectively, with up to eight aircraft at each airfield (generally Bleriot Experimental BE2c). They formed part of the London Air Defence Area. 39 squadron shot down the Cuffley airship SL11 in September 1916, and was possibly the more successful in the task, but 37 squadron destroyed
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