This morning, the Epping Forest and Commons Committee conducted one of their regular site visits, which helps both keep new Members of the Committee informed of work on the ground and helps to provide informal advice to staff about approaches to take in the operational management of Epping Forest.
Our visit started with a discussion on wildfire controls, given the prolonged heatwave and the emergence of more fires appearing in Epping Forest.
Yesterday, Wanstead Flats fell victim to a 14-acre fire which 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines and emergency response vehicles to bring under control, with additional support from Epping Forest Keepers. Thankfully, our team have pro-actively been running joint training operations (as referenced here and here) with London Fire Brigade annually to ensure when these issues do occur, they are able to be brought back under control swiftly.
We begun by reviewing some of the asset maintenance work required at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre in Chingford, including the replacement of oak balustrades and decoration of the outside of the building.
We then inspected progress being made on the new Gloucester Ride path, connecting Queen Elizabeth I’s Hunting Lodge with Connaught Water. The new path is named after Epping Forest’s Ranger, HRH The Duke of Gloucester, who broke ground on the path in February in celebration of his 50 years service as our Ranger. Connaught Water is named after our first Ranger, HRH The Duke of Connaught and the road which runs alongside the new path is called Ranger’s Road.
The paths team are making good progress and are doing so in challenging conditions, both in terms of the heat, but also in navigating the huge numbers of users who are already using the path around the clock. Today we saw running teams, cyclists, walkers and those participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s scheme. A very popular new attraction.
The path is flanked by our new Brambly Hedge trail, which celebrates the story books written by local author Jill Barklem.
It’s wonderful to see so many people interacting with the wood carved sculptures, which not only add a creative element to Epping Forest, but also support wayfinding and help to ensure people stick to the surfaced paths in an area which has experienced extreme visitor pressure, damaging the roots of trees nearby.
We then walked the 1km accessible path around Connaught Water, looking at some of the viewing and fishing platforms which have reached end of life. The Committee must consider whether it renews some of these or not, given angling licenses are rarely requested now.
We also discussed the bench sponsorship scheme, which is shortly to be re-launched. There is already a long waiting list of applicants keen to dedicate benches in memorial from those who have loved Epping Forest over the years. Historically, this has been difficult to manage as the client often wishes to dictate the location of the bench, which rarely works because it requires an accessibility assessment, approval from Natural England and it cannot sit beneath ancient trees which could fail and drop on the benches.
Therefore, the new scheme will allow Epping Forest staff to identify the locations and offer an opportunity to sponsor a plaque on the bench for 10 years. More on this to follow!
Given the challenges Epping Forest is having retaining water in it’s 125 man-made, clay-lined ponds, lakes and reservoirs, it’s lovely to see this one thriving! It was also lovely to see the wildlife enjoying the surroundings.
Finally, we made a visit to Newham Council’s Debden House and Campsite. The site directly adjoins Epping Forest and has offered residential education since 1949. It has been an absolute haven for residents in Newham who have had such restricted access to green space, offering cheap access to camping facilities, accessible via public transport.
We then returned to The Warren in Loughton to discuss much of the business on the forthcoming agenda of the Committee. You can always follow along with our business here: Agenda for Epping Forest & Commons Committee on Thursday, 17th July, 2025, 10.00 am – Modern Council