1878- the Corperation of London.

INTRODUCTION

On the 13th November 2001, the lower 5 went on a field trip to the Epping Forest (an area of deciduous woodland in Essex, south-eastern England, now managed by the corporation of London). We went there, to find out how the environment, in temperate deciduous woodland, is conserved and managed.

Epping Forest has been used for recreational activities, for hundreds of years, although it was only in 1878, the corporation of London began to manage it. Since then the corporation’s two aims have been to, create open space for recreation and conservation and to maintain the natural aspects.

Covering about 24sq km between the Lea and Roding rivers, to the north of greater London, it is all that is left of woodland, which in prehistoric times covered a much larger area.

1878- THE CORPERATION OF LONDON

In 1878, following protests against plans to convert the forest for farmland – involving among other objectors, the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, who lived in the area – the corporation of London began to manage the forest. Since then the oaks, beeches, birches, hornbeams, and limes of Epping Forest have been protected along with the deer, badgers, foxes and red squirrel that live among them.

PRE 1878

Before the changes of 1878 the forest had been used mainly for, grazing animals, for collecting firewood and it was also part of the royal hunting grounds (as it was home to many types of deer, such as muntjack and fallow). During the 18th century the highwayman Dick Turpin stopped coaches passing through the forest and stole the passengers’ property.

LOPPING

In Epping Forest firewood was collected by two ways, one was called pollarding and the other was coppicing. Both included cutting the trees every 25-30 years.