Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east Greater London and Essex. Formed in approximately 8000 BC after the last ice age, it covers nearly 6,000 acres (24 km²)^[1] and contains areas of grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds. Stretching between Forest Gate in the south and Epping in the north, Epping Forest is approximately 18 km long in the north-south direction, but no more than 4 km from east to west at its widest point, and in most places considerably narrower. The forest lies on a ridge between the valleys of the rivers Lea and Roding; its elevation and thin sandy soil - the result of glaciation - historically made it unsuitable for agriculture. Embankments of two Iron Age camps — Loughton Camp and Ambresbury Banks — can be found hidden in the woodland. It gives its name to the Epping Forest local government district. Limber Pine woodland, Toiyabe Range, central Nevada Biologically, a woodland is a treed area differentiated from a forest. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Greater London is the top level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... This article is about the county of Essex in England. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... An acre is an English unit of area, which is also frequently used in the United States and some Commonwealth countries. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ... Heaths are anthropogenic habitats found primarily in northern and western Europe, where they have been created by thousands of years of human clearance of natural forest vegetation by grazing and burning on mainly infertile acidic soils. ... River Gambia flowing through Niokolokoba National Park A river is a large natural waterway. ... Lütt-Witt Moor, a bog in Henstedt-Ulzburg in northern Germany. ... A pond is typically a body of water smaller than a lake. ... Forest Gate is a residential area in the London Borough of Newham, in London, England. ... High Street in Epping Epping is a market town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the county of Essex in the United Kingdom. ... A ridge is a geological feature that features a continuous elevational crest for some distance. ... Fljótsdalur in East Iceland, a rather flat valley Mt. ... This article is not about the River Lee that flows through Cork, in the Republic of Ireland; see River Lee (Ireland). ... The River Roding is a river that rises near Dunmow, flows through Essex and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames in London Categories: UK geography stubs | London Rivers | Rivers in Essex ... Loess field in Germany Soil horizons are formed by combined biological, chemical and physical alterations. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Ambresbury Banks is the name given to the remains of an Iron Age hill fort in Epping Forest, Essex, England. ... Epping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. ...

History

The name "Epping Forest" was first recorded in the 17th century; prior to this it was known as Waltham Forest (which gives its name to the present-day London borough). The forest is thought to have been given legal status as a royal forest by Henry III in the 12th century. This status allowed commoners to use the forest to gather wood and foodstuffs, and to graze livestock, but only the king was allowed to hunt there. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The London Borough of Waltham Forest is a London borough in East London, England and forms part of Outer London although it suffers from similar problems of crime, poor housing and over crowding like inner London It is a mainly built-up residential area located between part of Epping Forest... A royal forest has been a concept of land management England since the late eleventh century. ... Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was crowned King of England in 1216, despite being less than ten years of age. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ...

In Tudor times Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I hunted in the forest. 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 is now known as Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, and is open to the public as a museum. The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh: Tudur) was a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England and Ireland from 1485 until 1603. ... For the play, see Henry VIII (play). ... Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Queen of France, nominal title Elizabeth I (September 7, 1533–March 24, 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death. ... // Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ... Chingford is a town in London Borough of Waltham Forest. ... Events Rebellion of the Catholic League against King Henry III of France, in revenge for his murder of Duke Henry of Guise. ...

There were disputes between landowners (who enclosed land) and commoners (who had grazing and cutting rights), including that led by Thomas Willingale (1799-1870) who on behalf of the villagers of Loughton continued to lop the trees after the Lord of the Manor (Maitland) had enclosed 1300 acres of forest in Loughton. This led to an injunction against further enclosures. For other uses of the term see Enclosure (disambiguation) Enclosure (also inclosure) is the process of conversion of common land to private ownership. ... Thomas Willingale (1799-1870), lived in the village of Loughton in Essex, UK. He was instrumental in the preservation of Epping Forest and is commemorated for his actions. ... Loughton is a residential town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. ...

The Epping Forest Act was passed in 1878. The forest was saved by the Corporation of London from illegal enclosure, halting the shrinkage of the forest that this had caused. Epping Forest ceased to be a royal forest and the Crown's right to deer and venison was terminated. Pollarding was no longer allowed although grazing rights continued. This act laid down a stipulation that the Conservators (i.e. the Corporation of London) "shall at all times keep Epping Forest unenclosed and unbuilt on as an open space for the recreation and enjoyment of the people". When Queen Victoria visited Chingford on 6 May 1882 she declared "It gives me 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 Corporation of London still own and manage Epping Forest in strict conformity with the Epping Forest Act without any money for its upkeep coming from local rates or taxes. 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Coat of arms of the City of London as shown on Blackfriars station. ... Subfamilies Odocoilinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Venison is the modern term for the meat of deer, elk, red deer, moose, caribou, and pronghorn. ... Pollarding is a woodland management method of encouraging lateral branches by cutting off a tree stem two metres or so above ground level. ... Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India from 1 May 1876, until her death on 22 January 1901. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ...

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 the southern part of the forest. Cattle were reintroduced in 2001 but their movements are now more restricted to reduce conflict with traffic.^[2]

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.

The Conservators administer the forest from the Grade II* listed Warren House, in grounds laid out by Humphry Repton in Loughton. Buckingham Palace, a Grade I listed building. ... Notable gardeners Luis Barragán Geoffrey Bawa Lancelot Capability Brown Charles de lÉcluse Esther Dean Charlie Dimmock A. J. Downing Ian Hamilton Finlay Bob Flowerdew Pippa Greenwood C. Z. Guest Robert Hart Michael Heseltine Hotsukimaru Derek Jarman Thomas Jefferson Gertrude Jekyll William Kent André Le Nôtre Peter Joseph...

Ecology

The age of the forest and the range of habitats it contains make it a valuable area for wildlife, and it is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Its former status as a working or pasture forest have had a great effect on its ecology. This is particularly evident with the pollarded trees, which, as they 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 the trees an unusual appearance, not known 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. A Site of Special Scientific Interest or SSSI is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. ... Divisions Chytridiomycota Zygomycota Ascomycota Basidiomycota The Fungi (singular: fungus) are a large group of organisms ranked as a kingdom within the Domain Eukaryota. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ...

Predominant tree species are English oak, European Beech, European Hornbeam, Silver Birch and European Holly. A wide range of animals are found, including Fallow Deer, Muntjac and European adders. Binomial name Quercus robur The Pedunculate Oak or English Oak (Quercus robur L.) is native to most of Europe, and to Asia Minor to the Caucasus, and also to parts of North Africa. ... Binomial name Fagus sylvatica L. The European Beech or Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. ... Binomial name Carpinus betulus L. The European Hornbeam or Common Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is a hornbeam native to western, central and southern Europe, extending eastward as far as western Russia and the Ukraine. ... Binomial name Betula pendula Roth. ... Binomial name Ilex aquifolium L. The European Holly Ilex aquifolium is a holly native to western and southern Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. ... Binomial name Dama dama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Fallow Deer (Dama dama) is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Vipera berus Linnaeus, 1758 The Crossed Viper, also known as the Common Viper and the European Adder (Vipera berus) lives farther north than any other snake and is known for being remarkably resistant to low temperatures. ...

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 pollarded trees allowed light through to 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. In addition, the area surrounding the forest is now to a great extent urbanised; the corresponding reduction in grazing has led to former areas of grassland and heathland being overcome by secondary woodland — this has been exacerbated by the majority of the forest's deer being enclosed to stop them being injured by vehicles on the major roads that run through the forest. In recent years, the Conservators have experimented with pollarding in selected areas of the forest, and a herd of English Longhorn cattle has been reintroduced to graze the forest floor. Rainforests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ... Secondary succession: trees are colonizing uncultivated fields and meadows. ... Subfamilies Odocoilinae Cervinae Hydropotinae Muntiacinae A deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. ...

Cultural references

The forest was featured on the 2005 television programme Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the London area, in an episode presented by Bill Oddie. Seven Natural Wonders is a television programme that aired on BBC Two from 3 May to 20 June 2005. ... Bill Oddie William Edgar (Bill) Oddie, OBE (born July 7, 1941 in Rochdale, Greater Manchester) is a comedy writer and performer, author, composer and musician. ...

The horror writer James Herbert used Epping Forest as the setting for his novel Lair. In the book, a horde of Giant Black Rats establish a colony in the forest and embark on a murderous campaign against humans. Herbert mentions a now obscure legend attached to Epping Forest, the legend of the white stag. Supposedly, the sight of a white stag in Epping Forest was an omen of trouble and death ahead. Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction in any medium intended to scare, unsettle, or horrify the reader. ... James Herbert (born 8 April 1943, London) is a best selling English horror writer known for his simple yet compelling sensationalist novels, which are notable for their use of horrific set pieces. ... Giant black rats are a fictional species of ferocious radiation spawned rodents featured in James Herberts Rats Quadrilogy (The Rats, Lair, Domain and The City) and the 1982 film Deadly Eyes. ... Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal apes belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin for wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (known as the great apes). ... A legend (Latin, legenda, things to be read) is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude. ... Genera About 15 in 4 subfamilies. ... now. ...

The song "The White Buck of Epping" by Sydney Carter (1957) refers to a sighting of (and subsequnt hunt for) a white buck in the forest.

The detective story writer, R Austin Freeman, set part of his Jacob Street Mystery (1940) at Loughton Camp. R(ichard) Austin Freeman (1862-1943) was a British writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr Thorndyke. ...

The forest has criminal associations. The highwayman Dick Turpin had a hideout there. The tree cover and the forest's location close to London have made it notorious as a burial area for murder victims. Folk image of a mounted highwayman This page is about the criminal occupation of highwayman, for groups of that name, see The Highwaymen. ... A 19th century illustration of Dick Turpin Richard (Dick) Turpin (bap. ...

The British rock band Feeder shot one of the scenes their first ever video for the single Stereo World (1996) in Epping Forest. Feeder is a rock band that formed in Newport, South Wales in 1992. ...

The progressive rock band Genesis has a track titled The Battle of Epping Forest on their album Selling England by the Pound. For the unrelated Swedish music movement, see progg. ... Genesis are an English progressive rock band formed in 1967 (see 1967 in music). ... Selling England by the Pound is the fifth studio album by the progressive rock band Genesis and was recorded and released in 1973. ...

Mountain biking

Mountain bikers from all over the south east of England visit Epping Forest. Damage caused by mountain biking in ecologically and archaeologically sensitive areas of the forest as well as along the footpaths is a cause of ongoing concern to the Corporation of London which manages the forest.

References

1. ^ City of London Epping Forest web page
2. ^ City of London Epping Forest wildlife web page

See also

• Edward Buxton (conservationist), who played a part in saving the forest for public use

Edward North Buxton (1 September 1840 – 9 January 1924) was a British conservationist and politician. ...

External links

• Epping Forest Field Centre
• Epping Forest SSSI (English Nature)
• Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers