28
A NEW FOREST OF WALTHAM.
westwards to the wooded ridges of Epping Forest, eastwards over
the hedge-row elms of Essex, and southwards across the Valley
of the Thames."
From the above sketch it will be gathered that the re created
Hainhault would comprise :—
Acres.
Lambourne Forest .................................... 188
Chigwell Manor Land, 14 + 52 + 22 .................... 88
Lambourne Common .................................. 52
Fox Burrow Farm .................................... 475
803
Grange Hill Forest.................................... 80
883
To secure the option of purchase of these lands and manorial
claims Mr. Buxton has had to conduct five separate negotiations.
The estimated cost of the main blocks, Lambourne and Hain-
hault, is about £22,000, and of Grange Hill, £9,000.
In considering ways and means of purchase, Mr. Buxton has
separated the Lambourne and Hainhault blocks from the
Grange Hill portion. Towards the main scheme about £2,500
has been privately subscribed, while the Essex County Council,
the Corporation of West Ham, and the district Councils of
Leyton, Wanstead, and Ilford, have passed resolutions agreeing
to contribute. To the surprise and regret of their own Epping
Forest Committee as well as of the general public, the Corpora-
tion of London declined to contribute or to take part in the
scheme. Application was then made to the London County
Council, and that body has agreed to contribute £10,000, and to
accept and manage the land as an open space tor the benefit
of the public. Several details yet remain to be settled, and to
avoid certain legal difficulties with regard to the contributions
from local authorities, Mr. Buxton has promoted a Bill in Parlia-
ment to authorise the acquisition of the lands. The conduct
of this Bill will be taken over by the London County Council.
Considerable progress has been made towards the acquisition
of the Grange Hill portion of the scheme, but until the various
difficult negotiations in connection with it are finally settled, it
will be best to defer details. It the London County Council
decline to take the land over, it is hoped that some plan of local
control may be arranged. This bit of forest appears always to
have lain apart from the main Hainhault Woods; under the Acts