New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-02
CPPING FOREST.
LO.<DON'S BEST PLEASURE-GROUND-
TREES AND WILD LIFE
THE MAYPOLE.

this season Epping Forest is the pieasure-srouu
where many thousands OF them nnu ie'ie"
during the Easter holidays, ana reJoioe " W"
promise of genial summer weather.
,ova,v exnapso Of woodland and common whlch
is entered at Chlngford only nine miles i'o'''
IIverpool-st 1t is a remnant OF wha' was ''
centuries a royal hunting ground ooroei"e
upon ancient London and stretching hiie "i'e
mile in heathery waste over the couh''es VI
Essex and Hartford. A century ago the "'
land domain, with its grassy heaths anu 100
waited glades still embraced an acreage Vi i-
,u, thu, was barely a nth of the old time heri-
tage of the Crown. That hfth mas "o"
d,,ooa IN lesa than tenth the peoples pleas
foreground owned by the Corporation Vi '"e N'
of London. and acquired by purchase from 'ne
Crow, being about $500 acres in extent "hile
:, &c on uuinclosed park opened to the puoiio
ui,bout restriction. its natural aspects as
woodland waste have been preserved. III 10
the loveliest Of all the recreation GROUNDS VI
suburban London. with open spaces TOT '''e MAJ
ding crowd and the best of sylvan roaos io'
wheelmen. and with bride paths ana py"aSS
where ramblers may study wild lie !" ue'''
th,ckets and swamp lands
The closest approach to Epping from Lohuo''
is Forest Gate whence Wanstead fla's may NC
crossed TO the decaying avenues OF LIE! 'o'''
planted one hundred and fifty years ago ny on
Iosa,h Child with the outlying Wanstead PARK
ord its groves ponds and islands. From Ley
tonstone there Is walk Of six miles through VII
h.r,.s Glade and Woodford Green to Buckhurst
YIN v.bere fine oaks and beeches are to be
seen Chingford Station is. however, the Hos'
convenient gateway for visiting the hhes' po'
tions of the forest Close by is the Royal FOREST
Hotel. where carriages. drags or bicycles can NC
hired by visitors who are willing 10 oehy 'hei'-
selves the high privilege Of rambling through 'he
thicket and a little further on is the Quaint
hunting lodge with arched ROOF anc piache'eo
t,mbers which is identified by ambiguous ira
dlt;on with Queen Elizabeths outdoor sPor''
To the right through a grove Of old OAKS opens
natb along Ching Brook to Chingford Hatch and
Woodford Green: and to the left by the BURY
Path mast the headkeeper's house another into
BURY and Hawk Woods; but the best tracks
are those leading directly through the wood
land. either by Ludgate Plain or the CooKoo
Pits. to High Beach, less than three miles dis
tant with its memories Of Tennyson and the
"Tslking oak" Thence there are byways ana
omen roads running northward to Corpel Hall,
with It's Scotch frs and TO Epping village
through the two Monk Woods, with their hlgn
trees or TO the right or the left TO Loughton or
WaItharn Abbey. The visitor who is content 10
drive along the main roads from Chingford to
High Beach and Epning village can nave oni!
a faint idea Of the characteristic wildness ana
natural beauty Of the forest. The rambler VINO
follows the cowtracks and explores the most
secluded glades and swamp lands sees what Is
best in Eppng
THE HISTORY OF THE TREES.
Mr. Warner remember. In his excursions In
Nova Scotia discovered at low tide how much Is
added TO the general appearance OF a river by The
presence OF water. The superficial observer in
passing through Epping is reminded In the same
spirit that trees essential to the natural as
rect OF forest. There large tracts OF this
forest which are open heaths without trees. and
most OF the timber that is seen has been mutat-
ed by being cut back or "pollarded" for fuel dur
ing the early half of the century. There are few
giants of the forest here rugged in majesty and
hoary in age Large portions Of this woodland
domain Of the crown formerly under tillage,
and the timber rights farmed out during
successive reigns Consequently. there are broad
spaces Of grassland in which not tree remains,
and even the best Of the woodlands have been
sacrificed TO the merciless looping process There
are fine trees in Monk Woods Epping Thicks and
High Beach. but while oaks and beeches of ma
testic proportions are 10 be seen here and there.
much Of the timber has been dishgured and mutt
lated and not allowed TO have unrestricted
growth.
The woodlands indeed are made up to a large
extent of 'poarded" trees with dense under
growth OF seedlings crabs. hoes and thorns
Wherever the soil is dry the holly grows luxu-
riantly throughout the forest. The blackthorn is
almost as common and helps 20 make the thicket
impenetrabie. The common varieties OF crab and
hawthorn are TO be seen at every turn. The
oaks. beeches. birches and hornbeams having
been planted close together and then Topped for
frewood. have been shut out from air and sun
light by this underground OF smaller trees and
aggressive bushes like brambe and bracken.
Thinning out Is now the requirement of intelli-
gent forestry. and 1t is in progress. but 1t has
not yet reached a stage where the pollards re-
ceive much RELIEF or where the woodlands have
lost their essential character az dense thicket
Of underground. There IS splendid oak near
Paramount Lodge. with a girth measurement Of
nearly twenty-three feet. and another one. Grim
stons, half way to Chingford. There are SPLEEN
did beeches. also. which have never been cut
back in Epping Thicks; but most of the old
trees are contorted and stunted boles. which
while picturesque and weird IN aspect. not
fine examples Of natural, free forest growth
The windswept heaths and tangled mazes OF
Epping are beautiful in midApril. when nature
is opening ou:. The trees are beginning to show
their delicate satny leaves but the foliage Is not
vet so dense as 10 hide the beauty Of massive
stem and gnared branch. Primroses, lilies OF the
valley bluebells and anemones are in full bloom;
the blackthorn is in svery blossom. the crabs
and lilacs are deepening In color. the hawthorn
is almost ready to vie with them, and the gorse
shows here and there CLEAN of yellow. Ferns.
rushes and watergrasses are rich In their deep
greens freshness of tinting and grace of form.
There is room in the forest. with its dry. clayey
soils and its boys. for every English wild flower
and shrub: and although the spring has been cold
and raw they all pressing forward to keep
their appointed dates. and are bursting into leaf
or bloom. While the oaks holding back with
wo0dla N on