Fig. 4 The boundary of Knighton Wood and Lords Bushes at Buckhurst Hill
The Pulpit Oak in Lords Bushes, off the Monkhams Lane trackway. I have suggested (Hanson,
1983). may be marking a boundary that has since moved. The boundary (between Chigwell and
Woodford) carries on down the unmetalled Tuttlebee Lane (also locally called Muddy Alley) one of
the Forest green lanes. I don't know if the boundary existed first and became a track way, or vice-versa.
An 1880 Ordnance Survey map shows boundary posts present in the lane. This same boundary carries
on across Whitehall Plain as a ditch.
Another ditch, rather deeper, runs across the middle of Chingford Plain. The ditch, about 4 ft. deep
and 4 ft. across, is a man-made feature. 1 assume it was primarily for drainage. Chingford Plain was
cultivated in the 19th century; the ditch may originally have been dug to define the manors of
Chingford St. Paul's and Chingford Earls.
Some boundaries are marked by a bank of sorts. The Loughton and Theydon Bois Parish boundary
runs through Birch Wood, actually outside the physical Forest. Birch wood was a former coppice
woodland, although I have been unable to find any trace of the boundary in the wood. Where it crosses
the Brook, that separates the western most pastures of Birch Hall Farm from the Forest, a small bank
(Fig. 2.7) about 18 ins. high defines the boundary and further north-westwards the bank deteriorates
to an ill-defined bank about 9 or 10 ins. high, which in places is obliterated by gravel workings.
Some boundaries were indicated by man-made boundary posts. The manor of Walthamstow Toney
is marked with a cast iron post near the Eagle Pond. The post bears the inscription 'Visct. Maynard's
Manor of Walthamstow Toney And High Hall' (Law and Barry, 1978). A later boundary marker also
in cast iron is to be found on Woodford Golf Course near one of the ponds. The boundary marker
reads - WUDC 1901. There are no other traces of a boundary, but this is a formerly enclosed tract of
Forest land and it is possible that, if cultivated, this could have destroyed whatever was left of the
boundary. Some ridge and furrow is to be seen on the golf course. A single marker stone of shelly
limestone, with the inscription 'Birkbeck 1872' occurs south of Whitehall Plain. It marks an enclosure
boundary of the Birkbeck Freehold Land-Society.
Another set of historic boundaries within the Forest are the hundred boundaries, originating in
Anglo-Saxon times. The Forest was covered by three Hundreds. Beacontree the southern parts (and
Hainault); Ongar the northern parts; and the Waltham Half-hundred, the western parts. All three
boundaries met at one point on the Ching Brook just east of Hatch Grove at Chingford. The Hundred
boundaries are at least in part coincident with the previously mentioned parish boundaries. Many modern
political boundaries, i.e. County and District Councils, appear to have their origin in old parish boundaries.
One ancient boundary I have not yet mentioned is the Yardley Hill/Gilwell Lane boundary bank
(Fig. 5). This area was formerly outside the physical Forest but was given to the Forest by E. N. Buxton
in the late nineteenth century. Here the ancient boundary bank has an interesting array of trees and
shrubs including very large pollard Oaks. Wild Service. Maple, English Elm. another type of Elm.
Butchers Broom and Midland Thorn. In places Ivy covers the bank and an adjacent possible track
way is covered with Ramsons and Yellow Archangel.
Enclosure Boundaries
Enclosures (see p. 78) have gone on in Epping Forest over many centuries. Some enclosures were
sanctioned by the Lord Chief Justice, others were illicit. In the 17th century there were relatively few
inclosures. However, by the late 18th and early 19th century the momentum towards large scale
enclosure driven by various factors gathered pace. Enclosures were made simply by taking the piece
of land you wanted, perhaps adjoining your existing property or by taking a piece of land by a road
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