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Epping
Forest is an historic woodland lying in the west of the county of Essex on the
ridge of high ground which separates the Lea Valley on the west from the Roding
Valley on the east, and which extends southwards into what are now the London
Boroughs of Redbridge, Newham and Waltham Forest.
Since 1975 members of the Wren Conservation Group have gathered records of the flora of the southern end of Epping Forest. The Group has a commitment to biological recording in the Forest south of the Waterworks Corner roundabout on the North Circular Road on behalf of the Epping Forest Conservation Centre. For the purpose of biological recording, the Epping Forest Conservation Centre divides the forest into 38 areas, of which the four most southerly comprise the area of study of the Wren Conservation Group.
The Epping Forest areas we have studied include Wanstead Park, Wanstead Flats, Bush Wood, Leyton Flats, Gilberts Slade and a disused sewage works (the old Redbridge Southern Sewage Works). which is now part of Epping Forest and known to the City of London Corporation as "The Exchange Land".
In addition we have taken an interest in other sites in the area. These include St Mary's Churchyard at Wanstead; the Friends Meeting House grounds in Bush Wood; the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park; the Alders Brook area between the City of London Cemetery and the River Roding, Manor Park Cemetery; and just outside of the Forest area, St Mary Magdelene's Churchyard nature reserve in East Ham.
To find out more about these these sites - their history, their character and the wildlife that has been found, you may visit Wanstead Wildlife : www.wansteadwildlife.co.uk.
The information there relates mostly to the botanical aspects of the areas, but also may include information about birds and other wildlife as well as a description and historical information. Links to photographs are also provided.
