26
"A NEW FOREST OF WALTHAM."
patients from the adjacent Claybury Asylum should not take
exercise on the land, if acquired as an open space, and not being
able to agree to this somewhat ridiculous stipulation, the London
County Council decided not to entertain this part of the
scheme. It is most sincerely hoped that wider views will yet
obtain, and that some time this beautiful piece of forest will
become part of the regenerated Hainhault.
The different pieces of land were as follows, as detailed in the
County Council's Report:—
(a) Lambourne Forest, the last remaining unenclosed portion of the Forest
of Hainhault. This tract was still forestal and subject to common rights, and
covered an area of 188 acres. It was pointed out that large numbers of tramps
used it as a camping ground, and were continually committing depredations on
the forest, and that the neighbourhood suffered both morally and materially
thereby. The price asked for this piece was £600, or about £3 an acre.
(b) Another portion of the Forest of Hainhault, in the Manor of Chigwell,
adjoining Lambourne Forest, and 66 acres in extent. Fifty-two acres of this
land had been enclosed for several years, but remained in a forestal condition.
For this piece £1,300 was asked, or about £25 an acre. The remaining 14 acres
was common land, for which no payment was required. In order to make a
communication between this portion and the Chigwell Recreation Ground, a
portion of the original forest in public ownership, it was desirable to procure a
plot of well-timbered land on the Romford Road, 22 acres in extent, for which
£2,200 was asked.
(c) A tract of land, 52 acres in extent, lying to the south. This portion was
originally set out as a Common Allotment for the parish of Lambourne, but had
for many years been under cultivation. The price asked for it was £1,730, or
about £33 an acre.
(d) Foxburrows Farm, 475 acres in extent, and the property of the Crown.
This portion of the ancient forest was disafforested by Act of Parliament in 1851,
The price asked was £16,000, or about £34 an acre.
There is a slight discrepancy in the acreage, as in another part of the
report it is stated that the land as taken over from the Crown and other vendors
comprised an area of 804 acres, of which 253 were forest (including the portions
of rough pasture and waste) and 551 arable, consisting of Foxburrows Farm and
some adjoining fields. These figures again differ from those given in Messrs.
Dent and Dymond's paper (ante p. 2), where the whole acreage is given as 801.5.
In 1904, Mr. Buxton purchased out of certain funds at his disposal, and trans-
ferred to the Council as an addition to the Forest, two acres of land opposite the
"Beehive Inn" at Lambourne End.
It will be seen that the total price asked for the land forming
the main or Hainhault scheme was £21,830. The raising of this
sum is explained in our former paper (l.c, p. 28). The County
Council adopted the recommendations of their own committee,
and to take over the management of the land on 20th January,