68 Nature protected 
Hampstead. The sloping banks of 
one valley in particular are covered 
with an indigenous vegetation. Hack- 
ney Marsh, of 339 acres, extends to 
the eastern boundary of the London 
county ; and it is partly skirted and 
partly intersected by the original course 
of the river Lea. Hainault Forest, 
in the county of Essex, is the largest 
single area under the control of the 
council. It comprises about 805 acres, 
and is part of the area once covered by 
the historic forest of Hainault, which, 
like Epping Forest (page 71), was 
anciently included in the great forest 
of Essex or Waltham, and was a 
favourite royal hunting-ground. Un- 
til 185 1, the forest of Hainault retained 
its original woodland character ; but 
under an Act passed in that year, the 
tract was disafforested, the timber of 
the greater part of the forest grubbed 
up, and the area converted into arable 
