3 July 2007
£5m lottery boost to conserve Epping Forest’s medieval
past
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has pledged* £5million to
conserve and significantly improve Epping Forest for
visitors. The former Royal Hunting Forest is an historic gem
and London’s biggest green space, with internationally-important
biodiversity and landscapes, ancient trees and grazing cattle
forming the ultimate escape from city life.
Epping Forest covers nearly 6,000 acres (24 km²) of grassland,
heath, rivers, bogs and ponds. Stretching between Forest Gate
in the south and Epping in the north, it is approximately 18 km
long in the north-south direction.
HLF has awarded the City of London, which owns and manages the
site, a development grant of £233,250 to work up final plans for a
major project that secures the future of the Forest’s rich
resources and opens up its past for visitors to explore. If a
subsequent application is approved, then a further £4,760,492 will
be rolled out to kick-start the scheme.
Conservation work will focus on saving historic pollarded trees
that are currently at risk of collapse, reintroducing the grazing
cattle that are essential to maintaining the Forest’s mosaic of
habitats, and dramatically improving facilities for the millions of
people who visit each year. There will be new gateways and
visitor hubs, surfaced pathways and guided walks, refreshment
kiosks and toilets.
In addition, a new visitor centre will be created in the coach
houses next to the Grade II Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge.
This will have a viewing platform enabling members of the public to
enjoy views over the whole area and relive the past when Henry VIII
and Queen Elizabeth I hunted in the forest, watched by members of
their court.
Carole Souter, Director of the Heritage Lottery Fund comments;
“Epping Forest is an oasis of calm that has been largely unchanged
for hundreds of years, yet despite the fact that it is at the end
of the Central Line, many Londoners have never been. The
proposed work will be enormously beneficial for all visitors,
enabling everyone to explore the rich history of the Forest and
ensuring that the wonderful trees and landscapes are conserved for
generations to come.”
Wendy Mead, Chairman of the City of London’s Epping Forest and
Commons Committee, adds; “We are delighted that the HLF has chosen
to support the City’s work in Epping Forest. We believe that
the facilities this funding enables will enhance the public’s
enjoyment of the unique and special qualities the Forest has to
offer”.
The name of Epping Forest was first recorded in 1662, although
its history stretches back to medieval times and earlier. There is
evidence of Iron Age, Roman and Saxon history in the forest but the
legal Royal Forest was probably formed in the 1130s. The forest is
thought to have been given legal status as a royal forest by Henry
III in the12th century. This status allowed commoners to use the
forest to gather wood and foodstuffs, and to graze livestock, but
only the king was allowed to hunt there.
In the 1870s the City of London was concerned that access
to the open countryside around London was threatened by development
and campaigned for its protection. The Epping Forest Act of
Parliament, passed in 1878, entrusted the ownership of Epping
Forest to the City of London, to protect and conserve the unique
open space in perpetuity.
Eleanor Laing MP for the Epping Forest comments; “I am very excited
about the prospect for the future of Epping Forest as a result of
this Heritage Lottery Fund grant. Queen Victoria dedicated Epping
Forest "to the enjoyment of my people forever". I am very pleased
the investment, that will now be possible, will enable more and
more people to enjoy and appreciate our beautiful forest. This is a
great boost to our local community.”
* A ‘Stage One Pass’ means that money has been earmarked by the
Heritage Lottery Fund for the project in question. Competition at
this stage is tough, and while a Stage One Pass does not guarantee
funding, it is an indication of positive support, and money for the
scheme is set aside. The applicant can then progress to Stage Two
and submit a further, fully developed application to secure the
full grant. On occasion at Stage One, funding will also be awarded
towards the development of the scheme.
Ends
Notes to editors
- HLF enables communities to celebrate, look after and learn more
about our diverse heritage. From our great museums and historic
buildings to local parks and beauty spots or recording and
celebrating traditions, customs and history, HLF grants open up our
nation’s heritage for everyone to enjoy. They have supported more
than 26,000 projects, allocating almost £4billion across the
UK.
- Epping Forest is the largest public open space in the London
area, at almost 6,000 acres. It stretches 12 miles from Manor Park
in East London to just north of Epping in Essex. As well as being a
popular area for recreation and enjoyment it is also of national
and international conservation importance with two thirds of it
designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area
of Conservation.
For media enquiries and photography please contact:
Michelle Poole, City of London Press Office – 0207 332 3450 /
07795 301 502
Alex Gaskell, HLF Press Office - 020 7591 6047