EPPING FOREST. 



when it was arable land, and which sadly mar its 

 grace. The conservators will be grateful to an}- 

 one who will suggest a cheap and effectual means 

 of levelling these regular irregularities. To the 

 left of this lies the great mass of the Forest, which 

 extends from here nearly to Epping in a broad belt, 

 4 miles long, and comprises in one block about 

 4000 acres, nearly the whole of which is covered 

 with a thicket, more or less dense, of oak, beech, 

 hornbeam, crab, maple, thorn, birch, and holly. 

 The whole of this wild and beautiful wood is 

 worthy of exploration by the visitor, but from the 

 absence of landmarks, and the intricacy of the 

 glades and rides, it is not very easy to indicate 

 clearly the best routes. 



The immediate purpose being to cross it to 

 Loughton, follow the highest part of the ridge, 

 which leads in a curved line to the " Bury Path'' 

 an old forest way from Chingford to Sewardstone, 

 which has recently been gravelled. Crossing this, 

 immediately to the left of the head-keeper's house 

 of red brick, seen on the right front, follow a 

 narrow ride which leads from this point, in an 

 easterly direction, to Connaught Water ; or else, 

 keeping rather more to the left, enter a picturesque 

 green glade which runs eastwards from the "Wood- 

 man's Arms," a small inn on the edge of the Forest. 

 This leads in a few hundred yards to a little wind- 

 ing rill called " Cuckoo Brook.'' Follow its right 

 bank for 100 yards, then cross it by a well-defined 

 track, and ascend the opposite hill to some shallow 

 ponds known as the " Cuckoo Fits." Soon after 

 passing these, the visitor, if he does not lose his 

 way in the mazes of this part of the Forest, but 

 keeps his head, and his easterly direction, comes 



