30
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB : REPORTS OF
MEETINGS.
IN SUPPORT OF THE SCHEME FOR THE RE-AFFORES-
TATION OF PART OF OLD HAINHAULT FOREST.
Saturday, June 14th, 1902.
THE details of Mr. Buxton's grand movement and its present position are dealt
with in a separate article.
On this day a meeting, organised by the Club at Mr. Buxton's request, was
held for a public inspection of the woods and lands proposed to be re-afforested in
Lambourne and Hainhault forests.
A very large number of invitations had been sent to members of the Essex
County Council, the West Ham Town Council, and the Councils of Barking,
Ilford, Woodford. Buckhurst Hill, Wanstead, Leytonstone, Leyton, Walthamstow,
Chingford, and to members of the Commons Preservation Society ; to the Press ;
to gentlemen known to be favourable to open spaces ; and to the body of members
of the Club.
Conveyances were in attendance at Stratford, Ilford, Woodford, &c., and the
first rendezvous was at Grange Hill, Chigwell, to inspect the piece of well-wooded
land of about 70 acres, which is included in the scheme.
Unfortunately the weather for days previous, and on the day of the meeting for
part of the time, was exceedingly bad, and although at least 200 visitors were ex-
pected, only about 80 attended the meeting. The Conductor was Mr. E. N.
Buxton, who exerted himself to the utmost to explain his plans and ideas.
Leaving Grange Hill, the ride was continued through Chigwell Row, past
the well-known "Beehive" Inn. and the Lambourne Forest was entered at Crab-
tree Hill.
The Times of June 17th gave an excellent report of the meeting, "from our
Special Correspondent," and we cannot do better than quote from it, omitting those
paragraphs descriptive of the scheme itself, which are unnecessary in view of the
paper in another part of the present number :
" The fine idea of re-creating Hainhault Forest and adding it to Epping for an
East London play-ground, bids fair to be realised in no long time. It has excited
much interest, which was put to a severe practical test on Saturday, when a party
of over 80, including three or four courageous ladies, faced the weather at the
invitation of the Essex Field Club and tramped over the ground under the guidance
of Mr. E. N. Buxton, the Verderer of Epping Forest. They will not forget it.
The day may have struck people as rather wet elsewhere—at Lord's cricket ground
for instance—but the wetness of the forest in a rainy season is a thing apart, not to
be measured by ordinary standards or encountered in ordinary clothes. The turf
was a sponge, every tree and bush a shower-bath, every hollow a pond, and all the
little grassy water-courses, that have been dry season after season tor years, were
swift running streams. But Mr. Buxton spared the visitors nothing and they
shirked nothing. For the best part of three hours they tramped the turf, jumped
the water-courses, plodged through the ponds, squelched through the mud, and
scrambled through the bushes, not without damage, but with unflagging interest
and good humour. It does not sound enjoyable, but it was. Nobody grumbled.