New-York tribune., 1902-12-17
HAINAULT FOREST.

Current news concerning Hainault Forest re-
calls some fascinating chapters of history as
we'll as suggests danger of gross Numbering on
the mart of the Common Council of the City of
London. The very name of the old woodland
is redoent OF historic lore 1t is part or the
stored Forest of Waltham. or Essex. another
part of the same original being now known as
Epping Forest Strictly speaking, Hainault
Forest ceased legally to exist in 1851, when it
was "disafforested" by act of Parliament and
since that time it has been in danger of obliter-
alton. Indeed, some portions of it have already
yielded to the zeal of the suburban builder and
land "irnprover" But there still remain more
than eight hundred acres. much Of which is COW
cred with the fine old forest growth almost as
II was centuries ago
Hainault Forest used to be most famed for the
gigantic Fairlop Oak, one of the most note
worthy trees in all England. A hundred years
ago it was still hale and hearty though 1t was
estimated TO be more than eight centuries old.
Its boIe was twelve feet IN diameter. and its
eleven almost horizontal arms extended from
fifty to sixty feet from the centre, thus shading
an area more than three hundred feet In cir
cumference. The tree might have lasted for
other centuries but for the attention which was
bestowed upon it of Injurious kind. Every
year for generations fair was held beneath It's
within the circle described by their e1tremities.
In connection with the fair fires were built be-
meath the tree, some of them directly against its
bole and even In the cavities which decay had
begun to cause therein In this way the trunk
and some of the branches were seriously burned,
and in 1905, eighty years after the institution
Of the fair, the great tree was reduced TO the
condition of q charred and mutilated wreck.
Nevertheless. the fame of its earlier glories is
still attached to the forest of which 1t was once
the pride.
We have said there was danger of blunder
being committed by the London Common Coun-
ell. The circumstances are that the eight hun
dred acres of Hanault Forest have been Sc
cured by a public spirited citizen for the
prisingIy small sum of S11O.500, and he offers
to convey it TO London for a public pleasure
ground forever if the corporation will pay $50
600 of the purchase price. What bargain that
would be is to be estimated from the fact that
the Corporation of London paid 81 100000 for
Epping Forest, the other half of old Watham
Forest. Moreover, such a park is much needed
in that region, for East London is the most
rapidly growing part of the whole metropolis.
Fifty years ago West Ham was a name and
little more but now 1t is community of more
than three hundred thousand people, and it and
other rapidly growing communities immedi-
atey adjoin Hainault Forest Yet the London
Corporation is said to be hesitating over the
matter. We cannot blame it without in
curing the reproach of dwellers in glass houses,
for precisely such folly has more than once
been exhibited here But it would be pleasant
to know that London had been wise enough to
secure goodly heritage, and that the groves
and glades of Hanault were to be preserved in
fact as we'll as in memory