28 A NEW FOREST OF WALTHAM. 



westwards to the wooded ridges of Epping Forest, eastwards over 

 the hedge-row ehiis of Essex, and southwards across the Valley 

 of the Thames." 



From the above sketch it will be gathered that the recreated 

 Hainhault would comprise : — 



Acres. 

 Lambourne Forest ^ i88 



Chigwell Manor Land, 14 + 52 + 22 88 



Lambourne Common , , 52 



Fox Burrow Farm , 475 



803 

 Grange Hill Forest ' 80 



883 

 To secure the option of purchase of these lands and manorial 

 claims Mr. Buxton has had to conduct ^/^z;^ separate negotiations. 

 The estimated cost of the main blocks, Lambourne and Hain- 

 hault, is about ^22,000, and of Grange Hill, ;^g,ooo. 



In considering ways and means of purchase, Mr. Buxton has 

 separated the Lambourne and Hamhault blocks from the 

 Grange Hill portion. Towards the main scheme about ^2,500 

 has been privately subscribed, while the Essex County Council, 

 the Corporation of West Ham, and the district Councils of 

 Leyton, Wanstead, and Ilford, have passed resolutions agreeing 

 to contribute. To the surprise and regret of their own Epping 

 Forest Committee as well as of the general public, the Corpora- 

 tion of London declined to contribute or to take part in the 

 scheme. Application was then made to the London County 

 Council, and that body has agreed to contribute ^10,000, and to 

 accept and manage the land as an open space tor the benefit 

 of the public. Several details yet remain to be settled, and to 

 avoid certain legal difficulties with regard to the contributions 

 from local authorities, Mr. Buxton has promoted a Bill in Parlia- 

 ment to authorise the acquisition of the lands. The conduct 

 of this Bill will be taken over by the London County Council. 

 Considerable progress has been made towards the acquisition 

 of the Grange Hill portion of the scheme, but until the various 

 difficult negotiations in connection with it are finally settled, it 

 will be best to defer details. If the London County Council 

 decline to take the land over, it is hoped that some plan of local 

 control may be arranged. This bit of forest appears always to 

 have lain apart from the main Hainhault Woods ; under the Acts 



