38
EPPING FOREST,
for the intersecting roads, to Epping. This Fair-
mead Thicket is a fair sample of the denser parts
of the Forest. The great majority of the trees,
(consisting chiefly of oak, hornbeam, and beech)
are pollards, but among them there is a con-
siderable number of straight-grown "spear" oaks,
of 100 to 150 years' growth, which have never
known the axe. In the drier parts of the Forest
beeches to a great extent take the place of oaks.
These " spear" trees will make fine timber for
future generations, provided they receive timely
attention by being relieved of the competing
growth of the unpicturesque hornbeam pollards.
Throughout the wood, between Chingford and
High Beach, this has been recently done, to the
great advantage of the finer trees, as well as the holly,
thorn, and other undergrowths; nevertheless this
thicket is still very dense in some parts, and owing
to the confused maze of narrow cattle-tracks, it is
not always easy to keep the true direction.
The walks to High Beach may be varied to any
extent, but I will endeavour to indicate four routes
which are tolerably well defined. It will assist the
pedestrian to obtain a clear idea of the direction
to follow if he will first visit Queen Elizabeth's
Lodge, from the upper room of which he will ob-
tain a good bird's-eye view of the district to be
traversed. Let him take note of the spire of High
Beach Church, which is the best landmark, though,
from the inside of the thicket, it is only occasion-
ally visible.