Autumn 2017
Forest Focus The magazine for Epping Forest
Epping Forest Walking Festival
Sights of autumn
Free
Lord Mayor’s Show Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 1
Welcome There is no better time of year to explore Epping Forest than during its most breath-taking season, with thousands of trees forming a sensational autumnal display of russets, reds and flaming golds. Being just a hop, skip and a jump from several overground and underground stations, the Forest is within easy reach. Don’t forget to bring your camera and share your autumn images with us via social media, using #EppingForest. We once again host the Epping Forest Walking Festival with a variety of walks, covering the length and breadth of the Forest P6–7.
Also in this issue, we look at the complex issues surrounding the water supply to the lakes at Wanstead Park P8–9. Museums and Heritage Officer, Sophie Lillington, gives a delightful and atmospheric insight into the history of pollarding in Epping Forest. Many of the ancient trees around Staples Hill, mentioned in Sophie’s article, would possibly have been last pollarded in 1878, these ancient sentinels standing as a reminder of this important period in the Forest’s history P12–13.
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The Lord Mayor’s Show
Epping Forest takes part in London’s most spectacular annual event
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We shed some light on the Forest’s fungi
Come along and join one or more of the walks
Fungi
Walking Festival
For further information about the City of London’s work looking after Epping Forest, please visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest
@COLEppingForest Epping Forest City of London coleppingforest
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Forest Fireworks, lopping and lurid flames on a moonless winter’s night, 1874
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Autumn sights
Experience the colours of the Forest this season
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Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers: Celebrate funding success
News in brief Why not explore some of our other open spaces? The City of London owns and manages green spaces in and around London for public recreation and health, including Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath, Burnham Beeches, City Commons, City Gardens, City of London Cemetery and Crematorium and West Ham Park. The Open Spaces Department now also includes heritage sites in London such as The Monument and Tower Bridge.
Edited by Clare Eastwood Design by Steers McGillan Eves www.steersmcgillaneves.co.uk Print by Gemini Print Southern Ltd Photographers: Jeremy Dagley, Peter Herring, Thibaud Madelin, Chris Shepherd, Alison Tapply, Clive Totman, David Woodfall, Yvette Woodhouse
See our website for a full list of sites, locations and facilities. www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ green-spaces Forest Focus is produced by The City of London Corporation.
Keep in touch Why not sign up to receive our email version of Forest Focus? If you prefer to receive a printed copy in the post, please forward a cheque, along with your name and address, for £2.50 per edition or £10 for four editions. Please make cheques payable to The City of London and post to the address below. Free of charge copies are available from the Forest Visitor Centres and at many other venues in and around the Forest. You can also read Forest Focus online for free at www.issuu.com/cityoflondoneppingforest If you would like to receive a copy of Forest Focus in an alternative format, please contact us.
Epping Forest, The Warren, Loughton, Essex IG10 4RW 020 8532 1010
@COLEppingForest
epping.forest@cityoflondon.gov.uk
E pping Forest City of London
www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ eppingforest
c oleppingforest
Until the cows come home This summer, over 250 animals grazed across the Forest and Buffer lands, helping preserve this historic landscape. This is the sixth year using the invisible fencing to contain the cattle. Epping Forest was the first site in the UK to use this technology with cattle and has been pioneering it ever since. The uptake in the technology has begun to grow, allowing organisations and land owners to re-introduce grazing at their sites. As the sunlight hours diminish, the cattle of the Forest start to migrate north to the land surrounding the winter housing facilities where they will begin calving from October onwards, before settling into the buildings for a winter of comfort.
New café opens at Chingford Golf Course The newly opened Holly Trail Café is located on Bury Road, right next to the golf course. With a wide ranging menu offering something for everyone, the café is a welcome addition to this popular part of Epping Forest, so why not drop by and give it a try?
Above: Cattle graze the Forest until the beginning of October. Right: H.R.H. Prince Harry, visiting Epping Forest.
Epping Forest featured in ‘Country Diary’ We are really proud that Head of Conservation, Dr Jeremy Dagley, featured in a national newspaper, The Guardian’s Country Diary with his article on Epping Forest’s grasslands. If you’d like to read more of Jeremy’s seasonal observations on Epping Forest also see his Nature Notes feature in the local Guardian every month.
Volunteer Wardens We are seeking to recruit additional Volunteer Wardens to assist the Forest Keeper Team. For further information, please visit our website www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy Epping Forest will feature in a documentary about the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC) this autumn, including coverage of Prince Harry’s visit, dedicating Epping Forest to the QCC, which took place in March this year. At the time of going to print we do not know the broadcast details, but we’ll update our website, so please check www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/ eppingforest
‘You Can’t See the Trees for the Woods’ Artist in residence, Marion Sidebottom, has been taking photos of many of the Forest’s ancient trees and researching tree stories in preparation for an online storybook, gallery and exhibition. Marion will be out and about in the Forest over the next few months talking to Forest users. So if you have any interesting tree stories that you would like to share, please contact Marion directly. This project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. marionside@btinternet.com Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 5
Epping Forest Walking Festival Sunday 15 October – Sunday 29 October 2017 Come along and join one of the many Epping Forest Walking Festival walks taking place during this year’s Festival.
Walking for Health
Thursday 19 October 10am–11am Bury Road car park
A number of our Forest partners host walks and activities throughout the year in Epping Forest and we have brought together just some of these for the Walking Festival, so do join us and celebrate all that Epping Forest offers walkers.
Join our trained walk leaders for a circular walk around Bury Road and surrounding Forest, this walk is designed to move at a brisk pace and is a great way to get fit. All participants must complete a health questionnaire before the walk starts or pre-register at www.walkingforhealth.co.uk
All walks are free and no booking is required, just turn up and enjoy.
Forest and fields walk
Walk: Gernon Bushes in autumn splendour Sunday 15 October 10.30am–12.30pm Entrance to the Reserve in Garnon Mead, Coopersale
An opportunity to discover the autumn harvest of fruits, seeds and fungi in this Nature Reserve with guides Tricia Moxey and Reserve Warden Brian McGhie. www.friendsofeppingforest.org.uk
Saturday 21 October 11am–3pm The Church of the Holy Innocents Join Gay Saunders for circular walk including Forest and fields. Please bring a lunch and there will be light refreshments back at the church. Contact jane.begley@irwinmitchell.com
Vestige landscape walk
Tea walk
Sunday 22 October 11am–1pm Quaker Meeting House on Bush Road
Join us for a more strenuous walk from St Peter’s Church up to Butler’s Retreat, Chingford. Grab a coffee and take a break before heading back for tea and cake at St Peter’s Church. Contact: diplock@diplock.demon.co.uk
Participate in a stroll around Wanstead Park, Bush Wood and Wanstead Flats, looking at the vestiges of seventeenth and eighteenth century landscaping and the site of a Roman road. The walk will end at a bus stop on Blake Hall Road, but the more energetic may continue through the Park to The Temple. The Wren Conservation Group: www.wrengroup.org.uk
Walking for Health
Tea walk
Monday 16 October 10am–10.30am Bury Road Car Park
Sunday 22 October 1.30pm St Peter’s Church, Woodford
Enjoy a new starters walk, ideal for those either with lesser mobility or wishing to get back into walking. All participants must complete a health questionnaire before the walk starts or pre-register at www.walkingforhealth.co.uk
Join us for an afternoon walk from St Peter’s Church to Higham’s Park Lake then back to the church for tea and cake. This walk is approximately 4.5 miles. Contact: diplock@diplock.demon.co.uk
Sunday 15 October 12.30pm St Peter’s Church, Woodford
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Walking for Health
Monday 23 October 10am–10.30am Bury Road Car Park Enjoy a new starters walk, ideal for those either with lesser mobility or wishing to get back into walking. All participants must complete a health questionnaire before the walk starts or pre-register at www.walkingforhealth.co.uk
A Family Forest stroll
Tuesday 24 October 10am–12pm FSC Epping Forest Enjoy an easy mile or so stroll around the High Beach area, stopping to explore the Forest and complete some challenges. Paths may be muddy and some may not be suitable for pushchairs.
Walking for Health
Thursday 26 October 10am–11am Bury Road car park Join our trained walk leaders for a circular walk around Bury Road and surrounding Forest, this walk is designed to move at a brisk pace and is a great way to get fit. All participants must complete a health questionnaire before the walk starts or pre-register at www.walkingforhealth.co.uk
Activity walk: Discovering the High Beach
Easy Access Trail Friday 27 October 10.30am–12.00pm Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach Make muddy faces, find animal tracks, chat to trees and hunt for wild things – especially suitable for families with young children. Friends of Epping Forest & Epping Forest Centenary www.friendsofeppingforest.org.uk and www.efct.info
Fungi in the South of the Forest Sunday 29 October 10.30am–12.30pm Quaker Meeting House, Bush Road
A two-hour walk examining the local fungi in the Bush Wood area led by local naturalist Tricia Moxey. The Wren Conservation Group: www.wrengroup.org.uk
Tranquillity walk
Sunday 29 October 2pm St Peter’s Church, Woodford A gentle walk with stops for readings and poems, finishing with tea and cakes at St Peter’s Church. Contact: diplock@diplock.demon.co.uk
Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 7
Wanstead Park water levels There are four lakes at Wanstead Park, owned by the City of London Corporation. These lakes, along with one owned by our neighbour Wanstead Golf Club, comprise a cascade that forms the signature feature of one of England’s most significant Georgian gardens.
The lake system was mostly constructed in the 1730s and 40s from existing water features such as smaller ponds while the Ornamental Water used to be the River Roding which was rerouted to form the lake. The way the lake system works has changed over time with water once being sourced from a system of weirs and later from the Park’s owners’ right to temporarily dam the River Roding to top up the water or flush the lake out. The Basin and the southern chain of lakes, on the other hand, occupied a partly natural valley and were fed by groundwater supplemented by water channelled from the Leyton Flats area. Years of changes in the landscape has meant that the cascade system has been no stranger to water shortages. In particular, over the past 200 years, the cascade has seen the abandonment of no less than four lakes which were once part of the system. It has also seen the loss of the Holt Channel, which supplied 8 Forest Focus Autumn 2017
water from the area around Leyton Flats, and the truncation of the Epping Ridge groundwater by the North Circular and the Central Line. Moreover, the cascade has had to contend with damage from Edwardian sewer digging; enemy action during World War II and the loss of river abstraction rights following national water shortages in the late 20th Century. The Heronry Pond is a concrete-lined lake which leaks and has to be filled through pumping water from a borehole that takes water from an underground aquifer. However, following a £35,000 investment, the borehole pump, which stopped pumping in November 2016, has now been replaced and is pumping 288,000 litres of water each day to restore water levels in this part of the cascade. Fish from the Heronry Pond were moved to the Perch Pond as the former began to dry out. Once levels return to normal, we can restock the Heronry with fish.
Epping Forest Land Other Entrances Additional pedestrian access The Heronry ive
War ren Road
on D r Over t
Wanstead Golf Club
The Basin
The Glade
Lincoln Island
The Fortification Rook Island
Wanstead Park
The River Roding The Ornamental Water
Whiskers Island
The Temple
Reservoir Wood
N
Shoulder of Mutton Pond
The Plain Heronry Pond
r land Avenue o r th u m be
The Ornamental Water, which is at the end of the cascade, has suffered much reduced water levels due to an issue arising further upstream in the cascade system. Water from Heronry Pond passes through Perch Pond and then into the Ornamental Water. However, Perch Pond has been contaminated with floating pennywort, an Invasive non-native plant species. This North American exotic, which is able to propagate itself from both seeds and even the tiniest plant fragment, has the potential to inundate the entire lake cascade out-competing all native plants and irreparably damaging the cascade’s ecosystem. For this reason, until our work to control the pennywort succeeds, we cannot let water go from the Perch Pond into the Ornamental Water. In 2016 around 40 tonnes of weed was removed from Perch Pond and a monthly herbicide treatment of remaining colonies was carried out with much greater success than we first hoped. During this difficult period we have investigated a variety of solutions to augment the water supply to Ornamental Water, including the possibility of installing a pipe to take water from the borehole directly to the Ornamental Waters or the winter pumping of water directly from the River Roding. As this would require a new pumping station, an investment of this magnitude would need to be carefully considered within an overall water conservation plan. Placing a filter on the current spillway outfall from Perch to Ornamental was also considered however it was not permissible due to Reservoir Act 1975 dam safety precautions.
Perch Pond
The current lake cascade system is only viable if we pump 294 million litres of good quality drinking water from our 88m aquifer borehole. Our understanding is that this supply may become increasingly restricted over time, and in planning a long term sustainable future we need to put in place measures to reduce the cascade’s demand for water from the aquifer. The City of London recognises the importance of Wanstead Park as the most extensive designed waterscape in London and is currently examining the long-term future of this ailing Georgian lake system. The long-term solution to developing a sustainable cascade system is likely to rely on a series of measures including improved catchment harvesting such as recently achieved at Jubilee Pond on Wanstead Flats, improved water conservation through lake relining and the use of novel water sources such as winter spate river pumping. Such a ‘hybrid’ solution will demand significant investment by the City of London Corporation and potential partners such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, London Borough of Redbridge and Thames Water. We will continue to keep you updated as we progress with the options being explored. Thank you for your patience whilst we work hard to find a workable solution to this important part of Epping Forest. Please check our website for further updates, www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/eppingforest Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 9
Fungi The autumn brings an explosion of fungi across the Forest, adding an additional delight to any visit to this ancient woodland. Choose a day following recent damp weather to see them at their best but please remember not to pick any. Fungi are some of the most ecologically important, mysterious and fascinating groups of organisms in Epping Forest and many of them are poisonous. The Forest has been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation partly because of the vast diversity of fungi found here. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the early autumn spectacle of the fungi. Adults and children alike can enjoy an expedition into the woods to spot the fungi. The variable and often colourful forms are particularly attractive to photograph or take artistic inspiration from. But please leave the fungi as you find it, giving all visitors to Epping Forest a chance to enjoy it, now and in the future.
Go Further Cycling Epping Forest’s cycle centre This brand new cycle centre is located in Chingford, Epping Forest We provide cycle hire with top quality and well maintained bikes, at a great location. We also have a well stocked shop with bikes and a great range of clothing and accessories and also offer bike servicing and repairs.
Go Further Cycling The Caddie House 4 Bury Road, Chingford London E4 7AZ 10 Forest Focus Autumn 2017
07944 699 563 www.gofurthercycling.co.uk info@gofurthercycling.co.uk
Exploring the western fringes of the Forest A landscape including many fine views are to be found here, including wide stretches across Chingford Plain, long views into London along the Lea Valley, rich meadowlands and the delights of Gilwell Park.
Key
Yates’ Meadow Previously meadowland, then arable, the field was acquired in 1983 and incorporated into Epping Forest. Now cut annually for hay by the Conservators, the meadow is one of the most delightful in late June and early July, with many species of wildflowers and a host of butterflies. Gilwell Park Following a chequered and long history as a farm, the Chinnerys inherited the estate in 1873. They were a model of London high society. At that time, it was not uncommon for the gentry to have weekend retreats just outside London.
2/3 miles
1½ hrs
Hilly ground, mostly on good tracks
The View at Chingford A good place to start your walk, The View Visitor Centre has maps, exhibitions and art displays and is adjacent to the historic Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, open for visitors and providing splendid views across Chingford Plain. Chingford Golf Course Chingford Golf Course is the oldest golf course in Essex, dating from 1888. It provides an interesting challenge which combines fairways winding through the woods with more expansive holes on the more open Chingford Plain.
The Chinnerys came to Gilwell, where they extended the estate and transformed it into a fashionable country house. At the height of their social standing, the royal family were frequently entertained there. However fraud was William Chinnery’s downfall and in 1812, he was dismissed from his Government posts and the estate was seized by the Exchequer. The estate changed ownership until, just over a century later, in 1919, through a generous donation, Gilwell Park (53 acres) was acquired by the Scouts. Initially secured to provide a camping ground, particularly for Scouts from the East End, the vision expanded to include a training centre and the many facilities you see today, including a hotel.
Route
Bury Wood Bury Wood is a quiet, wooded area full of fascinating veteran trees including Grimston’s Oak, an oak pollard reckoned to be about 350 years old. It includes the first area to be repollarded following the Epping Forest Act 1878. Chingford Plain From 1543, this area was part of King Henry VIII’s Deer Park, but may have existed as an open area long before that. Ploughed up in 1863, you can still spot some of the ridge and furrows dating from that time. Since at least Victorian times, it has had occasional use as a fairground.
Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 11
Forest fireworks, lopping and lurid flames on a moonless winter’s night, 1874 Our museum collection includes an 1874 journal account of the jamboree marking the start of the annual lopping season in the parish of Loughton. The great and the good who had fought for the preservation of Epping Forest gathered with local people, described as the ‘tanned but honest, roughly garbed Loughtonians’, to celebrate the victory against enclosure.
The Master of the Rolls in Chancery upheld the City of London Corporation’s legal battle against the legal battle against enclosures on 10 November 1874. The crowd gathered on the evening of 11 November; the lopping season opened at midnight on 12 November. Traditionally the feast of All Saints had been 1 November but in 1752 the Gregorian calendar moved the whole country forward 11 days to sync with the rest of Europe. This made the opening of the lopping season 12 November with the celebrations starting the evening before. The right to lop or cut wood from living trees is a traditional forest right from ‘time immemorial’. The
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1217 Forest Charter which first laid out the rights of ordinary people to make a living in the Forest allowed those who ‘carry wood, bark or charcoal on their backs’ to do it without charge. In 2017 we have been celebrating the 800th anniversary of the Forest Charter. The rights of lopping became subject to the Epping Forest Act in 1878 giving the Conservators the right to prevent lopping (7.3) in order to preserve the ‘natural aspect’ of the Forest. In compensation for the loss of lopping rights, the City of London provided £7000 for the building of Lopping Hall as a community hall for the people of Loughton. It opened in 1884.
The 1874 journal reports: ‘When the curious custom of ‘top lopping’ originated in Epping Forest is uncertain… but it is recognised as being the condition upon which alone the poor inhabitants of Loughton are entitled to cut wood through the winter months. Some say it has been in force from ‘time immemorial’… or the reign of King Stephen… but the general opinion is that Queen Elizabeth, coming on one occasion to reside for a season at her Chingford Lodge, in order to hunt in Epping Forest, conferred on the poor inhabitants of the surrounding manors the right… The time-honoured custom was held with more than usual rejoicing. Many strangers were present, and coloured fires, squibs, crackers, Roman candles and torches were plentiful, not to mention a huge bonfire. Starting from the Crown at Loughton a little before midnight – and an excessively cold night it was – Mr Frederick Young JP, led the way to Staples Hill, the scene of the lopping.’ Those present included Mr Smith, of the Epping Forest Committee, Mr Fithian of the Commons
Preservation Society, Mr Heath of the Park Preservation Society and Mr Daniell, Solicitor of the Forest Committee. The journal continues. ‘Arriving, Mr Young stepped forward, and after congratulating those present on the splendid victory which had been gained for the people in the court of Chancery, earnestly exhorted them not to touch the inclosing fences but to leave to the proper authorities the quiet fulfilment of the decree which the law had pronounced. When he finally proposed ‘Three Cheers for the Corporation of London’, a shout arose which fairly made ‘the welkin ring’. Then followed another shout, loud and long, as the gleaming hatchet, flashing back the light from the fire, fell with a ‘lop, ‘lop, lop’, on to the Forest trees, and the falling branches, strewing the ground for a moment, were gathered up the next, and piled by busy hands on to the blazing heap, which shot up lurid flames into the quiet air, lighting up the moonless sky and the tanned but honest faces of the roughly-garbed Loughtonians.’
Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 13
The Lord Mayor’s Show 11 November 2017
Celebrating the City of London at its best, the Lord Mayor’s Show enthrals visitors with a river pageant, procession and fireworks. It is one of London’s most spectacular annual events and this year, Epping Forest is proud and delighted to be taking part once again. The procession is in its 802nd year, launched as it was with the Magna Carta. Our entry will mark the 800th anniversary of the Forest Charter, the Magna Carta’s addendum. Look out for local attraction Epping Ongar Railway’s vintage bus helping us to create a flavour of how Epping Forest was the destination of choice for east Londoners when many thousands would travel out by charabanc and later, buses. So do come along for what promises to be a super day out and let us know you’re there with a cheer. For further information, please visit www.lordmayorsshow.london
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Zero tolerance for fly tippers #Trees not trash
A number of people were recently ordered to pay out over £14,000 for dumping rubbish in Epping Forest Rubbish dumped included a work van loaded up with commercial waste and household waste, including sleeping bags and old car seats. • Mrs Jepal Shah of Newham was ordered to pay costs of £939 for giving waste to someone which ended up being dumped on Wanstead Flats. • ATK Autos of Collier Row and its Director, Mr Liaqat Ali, of Westrow Gardens, Ilford, were ordered to pay fines of £3,500, costs of £612 and a victim surcharge of £50. Waste from the company’s premises was found dumped on Wanstead Flats. • Qasim Jalil, of London E7, as Director of Crazy Prints, London E7, gave waste associated with the premises to Amanullah Azimi, of Ilford, who then dumped it on Wanstead Flats. Mr Jalil was ordered to pay a £120 fine, £30 victim surcharge and £313 costs. Mr Azimi was ordered to pay a fine of £400, £40 victim surcharge and £626 costs.
• Mrs Rashid, of Forest Gate was fined £120 and ordered to pay £30 victim surcharge and £350 contribution towards costs for her waste being dumped on Wanstead Flats. • Zu Sizzlers was ordered to pay a fine of £500, a £50 victim surcharge payment and £579 costs. A vehicle registered to the company was seen fly-tipping. Mr Iftikhar Chaudhry as Director of Zu Sizzlers was ordered to pay £90 fine and a £30 victim surcharge. • Mr Christopher Kumadiro of Grays, Essex, scrapped a work van in which commercial waste was piled up, which was subsequently found dumped on Wanstead Flats. He was ordered to pay a fine of £300, £30 victim surcharge and £699 costs. • Victor Dmitiu trading as V&V Building Services was found guilty of dumping waste at High Beach and Fernhall Lane. He was ordered to pay a fine of £3,230, £170 victim surcharge and £1,343 costs.
We always investigate fly tips and whenever we have sufficient evidence, we prosecute those who think Epping Forest can be used as a dumping ground. At Epping Forest, we clean up an average of 600 fly tips (almost two per day) and 300 tonnes of rubbish every year in Epping Forest at a cost of £250,000. This is money which could be spent on managing the Forest. We also rely on the help of hundreds of Volunteers who contribute over 7000 hours a year collecting litter in Epping Forest. If you see, or suspect someone of fly tipping call 020 8532 1010. We offer up to a £500 reward to individuals who can provide evidence which leads to a prosecution for fly tipping.
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Autumn sights Orb web Dew spangled spiders’ webs particularly stand out during an autumn mist. Epping Forest is home to many different species including the rare midas tree weaver spider, which lives in birds nests and ancient trees.
Beech leaves Of all the broad-leaved trees, beech affords one of the most spectacular autumn displays with its rich golden leaves falling to form dense carpets of crunchy leaves. 16 Forest Focus Autumn 2017
Crows These highly intelligent birds can be found throughout the Forest. With their versatile diet, they thrive year-round; crows are often seen making the most of an opportunist meal from road kill. Some have learned that kindly dog walkers will share dog treats with them and knowing the usual time and place the walker appears, the crow awaits their arrival.
Bracken Bracken is a classic woodland plant, it spreads quickly forming dense swards which although attractive in its russet autumn colours, can prove a nuisance, dominating areas and smothering other plant species.
Puff-ball As the silently falling leaves cover the Forest floor, take time to look out for fungi like the puff-ball that appear at this time of year. Puffballs come in different sizes, from the small common puff-ball, shown here, to the impressive giant puffball, more commonly found in open grassland. They get their names from their habit of, when ripe, exploding at the slightest touch to release millions of spores.
Beech mast Beech masts, the seeds of the beech tree, were once a valuable autumn food for pigs that would be turned out in the Forest to forage for beech mast, nuts and berries. This ancient practice is known as ‘pannage’.
Mist Mist is formed by millions of tiny water droplets suspended in the air. These conditions provide an atmospheric quality to an autumn walk in Epping Forest. Autumn mists occur due to the cooling of land overnight. Thermal radiation cools the air close to the surface, allowing mist to occur. Radiation mists normally disappear as the ground warms.
Funding award for Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers have received a generous grant from the ‘Enjoying Green Spaces and the Natural Environment’ strand of the City of London Corporation’s Central Grants Programme. This is in recognition of the valuable and sustained contribution they have made to the ecology of the Forest for 40 years, particularly in maintaining heathlands and ponds through the removal of scrub.
Great reedmace Great reedmace, also known as ‘bulrush’ is a familiar and impressive plant of pond margins. Its sausage-shaped seed heads are unmistakable. When ripe the velvety brown pods split and the seeds disperse in the air.
of mechanised equipment, and for leadership skills in risk assessment and emergency first aid. The grant will also help fund this. The aim is to continue to work safely and effectively, with the quality of leadership that allows volunteers to have an enjoyable and invigorating day in the Forest. New volunteers are always welcome. No specialist knowledge is required. For more details visit www.efcv.co.uk
The grant will support the purchase of new equipment for volunteers including chainsaws, bowsaws, brush-cutters and loppers. Health and safety standards are now far more rigorous than when volunteers first tackled the Forest in 1970s. Therefore, the budget for training conservationists has increased significantly to achieve professional standards in the use Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 17
Autumn Events September Bushcraft workshops: Animal tracks and signs Saturday 9 September 10am–1pm The Temple, Wanstead Park
Discover how to read animal tracks and signs. Learn how to light a fire without matches. A minimum of one adult per two children is required throughout the event. Wild lunch provided for all. 6-12 year olds. £10 per child. Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
The Annual Epping Forest Centenary Walk
Deer walk – the rut Sunday 24 September 9.30am–1.30pm Lodge Road car park
Join Forest Keeper, Michael Collins, on a fascinating walk, which includes a visit to the Deer Sanctuary, to experience one of the season’s most spectacular sights. Listen out for roaring bellows of the Forest’s fallow bucks as they scrape, strut and spar for the right to mate. No dogs allowed. £5 pp. Booking required.
October
Sunday 17 September 9am–3pm See website for starting points
Exhibition: The garden and beyond
Discover more about Epping Forest by walking the entire length of the Forest or take part in one of the local sections. Arranged by the Friends of Epping Forest, with support from Epping Forest Centenary Trust, the West Essex Ramblers and the City of London Corporation. www.friendsofeppingforest.org.uk Free. No booking required.
Exhibition of paintings by Barbara Sampson. Free. No booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Sunday 1 October – Sunday 29 October The View
Sunday 8 October 9.30am–1.30pm Lodge Road car park Join Forest Keeper, Michael Collins, on a super walk looking out for sights and evidence of the Forest’s deer. The walk will explore some of the deer habitats within Epping Forest and the surrounding area. If you have binoculars, this is the walk to bring them on. No dogs allowed. £5 pp. Booking required.
Baby bushcraft
Thursday 12 October 10am–12pm Warren Pond Car Park Wrap up warm for preschool Bushcraft fun. 0–5 year olds. £4.50 per child. Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Family bike ride
Sunday 1 October 11am–4pm Go Further Cycling at Bury Road car park Join Forest Keeper Ian Greer, for a fun family led bike ride. All riders must be competent cyclists and helmets are essential. £3.50 pp. Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
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Deer walk – sights and signs
Further information 020 7332 1911 cityoflondon.gov.uk/ eppingforestevents To book, visit: http://goo.gl/iUI8bt
Christmas Grotto – tickets go on sale via Eventbrite
Saturday 14 October from 10am Come and meet Father Christmas at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge and experience a magical day, with lots to do. Enjoy the Christmas spirit with a glass of mulled wine, cider or our signature hot chocolate while singing along to Christmas songs in the ‘snow’. Pop inside for some seasonal activities or source a last minute gift from the traditional Christmas stalls and gift shop. Date: Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 December £14.95 per child (includes gift). Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Crafty activities
Saturday 21 October Drop in between 11am–3pm Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach Visit our marquee to create your own Forest memory and view the East London Textile Arts exhibition. Friends of Epping Forest & Epping Forest Centenary Trust www.friendsofeppingforest.org. uk and www.efct.info
Pumpkin carving
Friday 27 October 11am–4pm The View Come and create a spooktacular pumpkin. Refreshments available. Prizes for carvers who come in costume. £5 per person, includes pumpkin, t-light and use of carving tools. £2 per non-carver. Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Wanstead Nature Club
Venison workshop
Friends of Wanstead Parklands event. www.wansteadpark.org.uk
Skin, butcher and cook venison in a beautiful woodland setting. Discover what to do with the bones and antlers as well. Venison lunch provided and a bag of venison for your freezer. Over 18’s only. £110 per person. Booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Sunday 29 October 1pm–2.30pm The Temple, Wanstead Park
November Exhibition: Our Forest, nature and the City of London Saturday 4 November – Sunday 3 December The View
A collection of water colour and acrylic paintings inspired by the Forest, the City of London and nature by Peter Edmonds and Sylvia Cottrell. Free. No booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
Walk: Discovering route-ways old and new Sunday 12 November 10.30am–12.30pm Snaresbrook Road car park
Friends of Epping Forest event. www.friendsofeppingforest.org.uk
Black Tudors: The untold story
Saturday 18 November 10am–4pm
Talk: Birds of Wanstead Sunday 19 November 1pm–2.30pm The Temple, Wanstead Park £3 payable on the door. Friends of Wanstead Parklands event. www.wansteadpark.org.uk
Deer walk – as winter closes in Sunday 19 November 9.30am–1.30pm Lodge Road car park
This guided walk looks at how deer have adapted to exist alongside humans in the 21st century, the effects they have on their surroundings and the challenges that they face. This walk will include a visit to the Deer Sanctuary at Theydon Bois. No dogs allowed. £5 pp. Booking required.
Sunday 12 November 1pm–4pm, talk 2.30pm Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge Historian Dr. Miranda Kaufmann tells the intriguing tales of three Africans – a diver employed by Henry VIII to recover guns from the wreck of the Mary Rose, a Moroccan woman baptised in Elizabethan London and a porter who whipped a fellow servant at their master’s Gloucestershire manor house. Tudor activities and dressing up across the afternoon for all ages. Free. No booking required. City of London Corporation event www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
For the bookshelf Black Tudors: The Untold Story Miranda Kaufmann Copies of the book are available at The View or at our Black Tudors event, ‘The untold story’, on Sunday 12 November. Autumn 2017 Forest Focus 19
Thornwood Common
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Galley Hill
Hayes Hill Farm
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Monkhams Hall
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The Warren Plantation
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Epping Thicks
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Jack’s Hill
Big View
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THEYDON BOIS
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Wake Arms Roundabout
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Deer Sanctuary Furze Ground
Little Monk Wood Baldwins Hill Loughton Camp
High Beach
Debden Green
Hill Hall (remains of)
Theydon Green
Golding’s Hill Pond
Abridge
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16
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Staple’s Hill
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Hobbs Cross Farm
Theydon Bois
Robin Hood Roundabout
Fernhills
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Wake Valley Pond Great Monk Wood
Truelove’s
Coopersale Street
Ambresbury Banks
J26 A12
Epping
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Coopersale
EPPING
Copped Hall Park
Woodredon Estate
Enfield Lock
The Lake
Warlies Park
Royal Gunpowder Mills
M25
The Lower Forest
B181
WALTHAM ABBEY
M11
93
Epping Green
Bumble’s Green
The Stubbles
Bury Wood
The View
A1
Plain
B160
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Woodford Woodford Bridge
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Walthamstow Forest
A11
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Wood Street
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Hollow Pond Snaresbrook Leyton Flats 1 A1
Whipps Cross Hospital
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Wanstead The Basin
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Wanstead Park
The Hunting Lodge is a A112(T) Grade II* listed building built for Henry VIII in 1543 and is an survival of an intact W A N Samazing TEAD Tudor hunt standing. telephone for details.
Aldersbrook A1 16 Jubilee Wanstead Pond Flats Alexandra Lake
Wanstead Park
(T) 06 A4
LEYTON
Gants Hill
Redbridge
Bush Wood Leytonstone
Leytonstone High Road
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am–5pm* Open Bank Holidays (except Christmas Day)
A113
Eagle Pond
Upper Walthamstow
Leyton Midland Road
Rangers Road, Chingford, E4 7QH Tel 020 7332 1911
South Woodford
A503
Walthamstow Central
Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge
WOODFORD
WALTHAMSTOW
Wanstead Park, E11 2LT Tel 020 7332 1911
The View, with its displays and regularly changing exhibitions, is the perfect place to start your exploration of Epping Forest.
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6 Rangers Road, C H I GE4W ELL Chingford, 7QH Tel 020 7332 1911
3 A11
Woodford Green
Highams Park
A112
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Roding Valley Highams Park
The Temple
Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am–5pm Open Bank ChigwellHolidays (except Christmas Day)
Knighton Wood
Chingford Hatch Boating Lake
Buckhurst Hill
Lord’s Bushes
C H I N G F O R D Hatch A1009
The View
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B170
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A110
Warren Pond Whitehall Plain
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Chingford
Contact us
North Farm
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A1
City of London Cemetery
Open Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays (except Christmas Day) October to March 10am–3pm The Temple, a Grade II listed building, dates from the 1760s and is a survival from the heyday of Wanstead Park.
Epping Forest Visitor Centre at High Beach High Beach, IG10 4AE Tel 020 8508 0028 (during opening hours) Tel 020 7332 1911 (Monday to Wednesday) Open Thursday to Sunday and Bank Holidays (except Christmas Day) November to March 10am–3pm Snuggled in the heart of the Forest, the Centre is located adjacent to the High Beach easy access path. The Centre is run by the Friends of Epping Forest. @COLEppingForest
Ilford
Registered Charity 232 990 The Warren, Loughton, Essex IG10 4RW Tel 020 8532 1010 (24hrs)
ILFORD
Manor Park
13
A1
J5
Loughton
A104
William Girling Reservoir
Connaught Water Warren Hill
11
Chingford Pole Golf Course Hill
LOUGHTON
A1
Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge
Yardley Hill
21
The Warren
Sewardstonebury
King George’s Reservoir
Debden
E pping Forest City of London c oleppingforest