A HISTORY OF ESSEX 



A smithy and wheelwright's shop stood near by in 

 i848.>5 Between the 'Bull' and the 'Queen Victoria' 

 is a row of weather-boarded cottages probably built 

 early in the i8th century. Facing the green on its east 

 side are a few scattered cottages which may date from 

 the 17th century or earlier. By the early 19th century 

 there were a number of cottages in the northern part 

 of Coppice Row. There were also some in the north 

 of the ancient parish, now part of Epping Urban 

 District.'* In 1801 the population of Theydon Bois 

 was 334." It rose to 676 in 1831 but sank to 538 in 

 1841. It was 591 in 1851 and 610 in 1861. 



The extension of the railway from Loughton to 

 Epping and Ongar in 1865 had a rapid effect on 

 Theydon Bois, and must be held mainly responsible 

 for building development there during the later 19th 

 century and after. Building had, however, started a 

 little before 1865, perhaps in anticipation of the rail- 

 way extension. In Theydon Bois, as in Loughton (q.v.) 

 and the other forest parishes, there was a strong move- 

 ment to inclose the forest, and in some cases to clear it 

 for building.'* As early as 1848 the sites of the houses 

 now called Manor Villas were laid out on newly 

 inclosed land to the north of Theydon Green." The 

 houses themselves were built between 1870 and 1872. 

 Farther north, beyond the golf course, are houses of 

 similar character standing in good gardens. The most 

 imposing of these is Theydon Towers, dating from 

 about 1880. It is an irregularly shaped house of brown 

 brick with a four-story tower-like feature forming part 

 of the entrance front. In this area there are also some 

 largish houses of a later date. Building in this area was, 

 however, checked by the preservation of Epping 

 Forest. 



Elsewhere the development, although extensive, is 

 composed of smaller units. Terrace houses on the 

 south-west side of Theydon Green date from between 

 1890 and 1910. Theydon Park Road, which leaves 

 the Green at its south corner and finally becomes an 

 unmade track parallel to the railway, is built up with 

 small houses and bungalows. Some of these date from 

 the late 19th and early zoth centuries but the majority 

 were built between the two World Wars. Two cul- 

 de-sac roads on its west side are of similar character. 

 A new shopping centre has been formed immediately 

 west of the station and a large new residential area 

 is under construction between here and Piercing 

 HiU. 



There were formerly two 'Retreats' in Coppice Row 

 about 100 yards west of the parish church. Both were 

 destroyed by German bombs in the Second World 

 War^o together with four houses on the north side of 

 the road. 



Red Oaks Mead is an estate on the north-west side 

 of Loughton Lane consisting of ten pairs of roughcast 

 council houses built before the Second World War. 

 Opposite this a post-war layout is known as Graylands. 

 Here there are 40 council houses, including some old 

 people's bungalows. Green Glade and Pakes Way are 



'» E.R.O., D/CT 349. 16 Ibid. 



" Census figures 1801-1901 are from 

 KC.H. E$tex, ii, 350. 



" For the forest see below. 



» E.R.O., D/CT 349 ; A. A. West, MS. 

 Hist. Theydon Bois. 



" Theydon Bois Official Guide, p. 5. 



" Ceniui Reports, igzi, 1931. 



" Census Report, 1 95 1. 



'1 B. Winstone, Epping and Ongar 

 Highway Trust, 9 1 . 



two new crescent-shaped roads on the east side of 

 Theydon Green. They form a large council housing 

 estate, recently completed. 



The population of Theydon Bois has naturally 

 reflected these developments. It increased steadily to 

 1,257 in 1 90 1 and then remained almost stationary for 

 20 years. There was an increase from 1,267 in 192 1 

 to 1,504 in 1931.^' The population in 1951 was 

 2,665." 



Until the construction of the new road between 

 Loughton and Epping early in the 17th century the 

 main road from London to Newmarket and Norwich 

 was via Abridge Bridge and Coopersale (in Theydon 

 Garnon, q.v.), and part of it thus ran through Theydon 

 Bois.23 After the 17th century the parish roads were 

 of purely local importance. There was a full report on 

 them in I720.^-* When the railway was built it crossed 

 the Abridge road by a level crossing. This was replaced 

 about 1940 by a bridge, and the road itself was trans- 

 formed from a winding country lane into a good motor 

 road. ^5 



The bridge between Abridge and Theydon Bois has 

 already been treated under Lambourne (q.v.). Theydon 

 Bois was sometimes held responsible for the foot-bridge 

 which lay alongside Abridge Bridge. In 1625 the 

 inhabitants were indicted because of its ruined condi- 

 tion.^* In 1652 it was described as a 'long footbridge' 

 to be repaired by the county.^' In 1665 it was said to 

 be impassable; again the county was responsible.^* 



Until the coming of the railway Theydon Bois was 

 dependent for communications with the outside world 

 mainly upon coaches and other horse transport using 

 the main roads via Epping and Loughton, to north and 

 south, and via Abridge to the east. Travel to the west 

 was for long difficult and dangerous because of the 

 barrier of Epping Forest. There was indeed a road 

 through the forest from Theydon Bois as early as 

 1594,29 but the prevalence of highway robbery there, 

 which was still a menace in the late i8th century.'o 

 must have deterred travellers from using this route. 



The branch railway line from London, which had 

 been carried as far as Loughton (q.v.) by 1856, was 

 extended to Epping and Ongar in 1865, and Theydon 

 Bois station on this line was opened in the same year." 

 The section of the line as far as Epping was electrified 

 in 1949, and became part of the Central London 

 Line.32 



In 1853 a sub-postmaster was appointed on the 

 understanding that his wife performed the duties.'' In 

 1867 the post-office there was reorganized.'* A money- 

 order office was established in 1886 and a telegraph 

 extension in the same year.'' The telephone was estab- 

 lished by 192 1.3* 



Water was supplied by the Herts, and Essex Water- 

 works Co., about 1884." Main drainage presumably 

 existed before 1 896 in the parts of the parish which 

 were then part of the Epping Special Drainage Area,'* 

 and there is now drainage in most of Theydon Bois." 

 Gas was first supplied (from Epping) in 1872.*" 



2< E.R.O., Q/SBb 75. 

 ^5 Theydon Bois Official Guide, p. 13. 

 " E.R.O., (2/CP 3, p. 73; cf. E.R.O., 

 e/SR 250/16. 

 " E.R.O., Q/CP 3, p. 159. 

 " Ibid., p. 274; cf. E.R.O., e/SR 404/ 



20. 



" Norden, Map of Essex, isg4. 



"> See Loughton. 



" Inf. from British Rlys. 



^* Inf. from London Transport. 



" P.M.G. Mlns. 1853, vol. 137, p. 

 405. 



" Ibid. 1867, vol. 61, min. 4393. 



" Ibid. 1886, vol. 306, min. 2612, vol. 

 313, min. 7966, vol. 314, min. 8658. 



" Brit. Post. Guide, 1 92 1. 



37 Inf. from Herts, ic Essex Water- 

 works Co. 



38 See above. 



3' Inf. from Vicar of Theydon Bois. 

 « Inf. from Eastn. Gas Bd. 



250 



