6 THE RE-AFFORESTATION OF HAINHAULT.
and Commissioners were appointed who made their award in
May, 1861, allotting certain portions of the commons lands
not dealt with in 1851, in satisfaction of those rights. Subse-
quently the Enclosure Commissioners made orders for the
enclosure of the remainder of the Forest, except 50 acres for the
purpose of recreation in Chigwell, 9 in Woodford, go in Nave-
stock, and the open land at Lambourne which has been recently
acquired as part of the new Hainhault Forest. It would appear,
therefore, that the whole of the lands now acquired by and vested
in the London County Council formed, until 1851, part of the
unenclosed waste which lay to the north of the King's woods.
Of the arable land 475 acres, coloured pink on the plan, were
purchased direct from the Crown, to whom it was allotted under
the award of 1852. The remaining 51 acres of arable land which
are coloured purple On the plan annexed were purchased from
Colonel Lockwood, and formed part of the allotment made to his
predecessors, by whom this 51 acres were enclosed and broken
up in or about the year 1867. Of the land coloured green 189 acres-
were allotted as common of Lambourne under the Act of 1858 and
the award of 1861, the soil and timber being vested in the Lord of
the Manor, whose rights have been purchased, the remaining 14.
acres being similarly acquired from the Lord of Chigwell Manor.
These 203 acres are still subject to rights of common of pasture.
Of the remainder of the land acquired, 72 acres, coloured yellow,
was purchased from Capt. Ethelston, by whose predecessors it is
believed to have been enclosed, and to whom it was probably
awarded under the act of 1858 and award of 1861. From this
account it will be seen that the green land, 203 acres, like the 50
acres of Chigwell recreation ground on the south-west of the
Romford Road, remains in more or less its original condition,
save for the growth of the pollard trees since the disafforesta-
tion, and it is here that we can trace the effect of those ancient
rights and customs which have been already referred to. Nothing
can exceed the beauty of this fragment of the ancient Forest.
The tall oaks rising above the gnarled and spreading pollards,
the dense undergrowth of holly and fern broken by winding
cattle paths and grassy lawns, present a charm and variety
which could be attained in no other way, and tell their own story
of the days that are gone. In the adjoining strip of land
purchased from Captain Ethelston, another feature of great