Epping Forest
An ancient pollarded woodland of 2,400 hectares on London's edge, managed by the City of London under heavy recreation pressure.
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- United Kingdom
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Evidence
8 figures, each threaded to its source
Visits in 2023
10 millionvisits
2 sources
“projected to receive over 10 million visits in 2023, a record for the site”
Area of Epping Forest
2,400hectares
3 sources
“The City of London Corporation, which manages Epping Forest as a registered charity, commissioned HUQ to survey footfall across the 2,400 hectare Forest using mobile phone data.”
Ancient veteran trees
55,000trees
2 sources
“Epping Forest is home to 55,000 ancient 'veteran' trees, more than any other single site in Europe.”
Epping Forest Act
1878year
3 sources
“The Forest has been maintained as a public open space since the passing of the Epping Forest Act 1878.”
Visits in first quarter of 2023
2.7 millionvisits
“In the first quarter of 2023 the Forest received close to 2.7 million visits”
Value to society
1.9 billionpounds
“New report: Epping Forest valued at £1.9 billion to society”
Length of the forest
19kilometres
2 sources
“Epping Forest is London's largest green space, stretching some 19 km (12 miles) from Manor Park in east London to Epping in Essex.”
Ponds in the forest
101ponds
2 sources
“There are three Visitor Centres in Epping Forest, 101 ponds, 189 km of paths, 7 listed buildings, 3 scheduled monuments and much more”
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Background
Epping Forest is an ancient deciduous woodland on the boundary between north east London and Essex. It stretches about 19 kilometres from Manor Park to just beyond Epping and covers 2,400 hectares, making it London's largest open space. Oak, beech and hornbeam dominate, above holly, grassy plains, bogs and scores of ponds. The forest survived because commoners held rights to graze animals and cut wood, and when landowners tried to fence it off in the 1800s the City of London Corporation stepped in. The Epping Forest Act of 1878 made the Corporation its conservator and required it to keep the forest open and unenclosed for public enjoyment forever. Centuries of pollarding, cutting trees above head height so animals could not eat the regrowth, produced around 55,000 ancient veteran trees, more than any other single site in Europe. Today the pressures are recreational. The forest received over 10 million visits in 2023 from walkers, riders and cyclists, and it sits just inside the M25 with busy roads crossing it. Two thirds of it is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation.
Causes
Commoners' rights shaped the trees
For centuries local people held the right to lop wood for fuel, so trees were pollarded, cut above head height where cattle and deer could not reach the regrowth. Repeated cutting kept trees alive far longer than normal, which is why the forest still holds about 55,000 ancient veteran oak, beech and hornbeam pollards.
Victorian law saved it from enclosure
As London grew, landowners began fencing off parts of the forest for farmland and housing. Protest and court cases followed, and the Epping Forest Act of 1878 handed the forest to the City of London Corporation as conservator, with a legal duty to keep it unenclosed and open for public recreation.
Millions of nearby residents bring pressure
The forest sits on the edge of one of Europe's largest cities, within easy reach of millions of people by Tube, car and bus. Free access all year brings dog walking, cycling, riding and events, and footfall passed 10 million visits in 2023, concentrating wear on paths, verges and the most popular sites.
Effects
Primary
- More than 10 million visits in 2023 made it one of London's most used green spaces.
- Trampling compacts soil and wears away ground plants along popular paths.
- Old pollards left uncut since 1878 have grown tall, heavy crowns that shade the ground and can split.
Secondary
- Heavy shade from lapsed pollards and spreading holly has reduced the variety of ground flora.
- Car parking, litter and dog fouling spread pressure into sensitive areas.
- Air pollution from surrounding roads enriches soils and changes plant communities.
Social
- The forest gives millions of Londoners free access to ancient woodland on their doorstep.
- Walkers, cyclists and horse riders sharing paths sometimes come into conflict.
- Outdoor centres and volunteer programmes connect schools and communities with the forest.
Economic
- A 2024 report valued the forest's benefits to society at £1.9 billion.
- The City of London Corporation, not the taxpayer, meets the multimillion pound annual cost of management.
- Cafes, riding stables and visitor centres around the forest support local jobs.
Environmental
- Two thirds of the forest is protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
- Ancient trees and their dead wood support rare fungi, beetles and bats.
- Reintroduced grazing by longhorn cattle keeps the plains and wood pasture open.
Responses
Immediate
- Keepers manage events, patrol busy sites and repair damaged paths and verges.
- Surfaced paths, fencing and signs steer visitors away from the most fragile habitats.
- Litter clearance and car park management protect heavily used sites such as High Beach.
Long term
- The City of London Corporation manages the forest under the 1878 Act as a charity, at no cost to taxpayers.
- Conservators have restarted pollarding and cut new young pollards to give the veteran trees successors.
- Longhorn cattle grazing has been reintroduced to restore wood pasture and open plains.
- Management plans agreed with Natural England protect the SSSI and Special Area of Conservation.
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