EPPING FOREST. 



for the intersecting roads, to Epping. This Fair- 

 mead Thicket is a fair sample of the denser parts 

 of the Forest. The great majority of the trees, 

 (consisting chiefly of oak, hornbeam, and beech) 

 are pollards, but among them there is a con- 

 siderable number of straight -grown "spear" oaks, 

 of loo to 150 years' growth, which have never 

 known the axe. In the drier parts of the Forest 

 beeches to a great extent take the place of oaks. 

 These "spear" trees will make fine timber for 

 future generations, provided they receive timely 

 attention by being relieved of the competing 

 growth of the unpicturesque hornbeam pollards. 

 Throughout the wood, between Chingford and 

 High Beach, this has been recently done, to the 

 great advantage of the finer trees, as well as the holly, 

 thorn, and other undergrowths ; nevertheless this 

 thicket is still very dense in some parts, and owing 

 to the confused maze of narrow cattle-tracks, it is 

 not always easy to keep the true direction. 



The walks to High Beach may be varied to any 

 extent, but I will endeavour to indicate four routes 

 which are tolerably well defined. It will assist the 

 pedestrian to obtain a clear idea of the direction 

 to follow if he will first visit Queen Elizabeth's 

 Lodge, from the upper room of which he will ob- 

 tain a good bird's-eye view of the district to be 

 traversed. Let him take note of the spire of High 

 Beach Church, which is the best landmark, though, 

 from the inside of the thicket, it is only occasion- 

 ally visible. 



