The City of London's Habitat Restoration Programme starts at Lord's Bushes in mid-August — restoring glades along the Rowan Trail, revealing veteran trees, and creating 50+ new pollards to secure the forest's future.
Full details here
From the Redbirdge Arboricultural and Horticultural Manager
We have been liaising with CoL about the Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road, which Redbridge maintains on behalf of the CoL.
The leaf miner does not appear to be as prevalent as it has been in the past, which means less damage to leaves, and the trees then are able to create more energy to grow, heal and store energy for the following year.
The bleeding canker, which kills off the bark and active cells beneath, is still present some of the Horse Chestnut trees. The canker stops/slows down the flow of sugars, minerals and water between leaves and roots and can cause branches or whole trees to die. We have seen signs of tree’s healing over old canker wounds and in some cases, there has been secondary fungal infections that the decay the internal wood and can cause branches or trees to collapse.
We are inspecting the Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road annually and carrying out safety work where required.
The inspection this year will be looking to confirm the number of missing Horse Chestnut trees on the High Road, as planting was suspended due to the leaf miner and bleeding canker. We have records of 41 absent trees or tree stumps and 163 existing Horse Chestnut trees – please see link to map https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1_NE3CRH1PNH1EAAPxliKz_gI3sY1J_A&usp=sharing
The WGAG understand that he current plan is that, once data is collected, Redbridge and CoL will design a planting plan and then consider the next steps, which should include public consultation.
If you drive down the main road through Woodford Green you cannot fail to notice the open common land and many trees along the roadside. They are a remnant of the ancient Forest of Essex, now known in this area as Epping Forest. The City of London Corporation, as Conservators of the Forest, owns these green spaces, and it was the Corporation which planted the horse chestnut trees in 1892.
Redbridge does not abound in old houses. Hurst House, the white building near the Churchill statue, was erected around 1714 and is one of the earliest to survive in Woodford, although it was badly damaged by fire in 1936 and much of it is now a reconstruction. However, there are much older features in the district, in some of the trees and hedges which have survived the centuries. Looking at old maps, it is not difficult to recognise field boundaries which still define the line between the back gardens of houses in one road and another. Perhaps the oldest hedge which is still recognisable is that along the back of the Green at Broomhill Road. When cricket was first played on the Green in 1735, this hedge was already well over 250 years old.
I dare say many of you know how to tell the age of a hedge. The theory is that if you measure a stretch of 30 yards (say 30 adult paces) and count the number of woody species, that number gives the approximate age of the hedge in centuries. Of course, some common sense is needed in selecting a typical section — it is much better to check a number of consecutive lengths and take an average. The species in the Broomhill Road hedge, recorded a few years ago, included apple, blackthorn, elder, elm, field maple, hawthorn, laburnum, oak and sycamore, with the occasional cherry, hazel, holly and horse chestnut. Overall, the average was 5.2 species per 30-yard length, making the hedge at least 500 years old. Incidentally, blackberry or bramble and woody climbers such as ivy should not be included in the count, and only one side of the hedge is recorded.
Laburnum and horse chestnut represent the more recent history of the hedge. However, the presence of field maple and hazel would indicate that the hedge is indeed ancient, and could be older than the 500 years suggested. The fact that bluebells can be seen flowering beneath the hedge in May also points to an ancient hedgerow — provided they are wild plants and not garden waste.
Recording the species in the hedges of the Debden House camp site near Theydon Bois suggests an age of around 600 years. Without documentary evidence, it seems very likely that this area was cleared from the forest in the early medieval period, so the date is probably accurate. There is, however, a hedge near Piercing Hill at Theydon Bois with over seven species per 30-yard length, suggesting a date of around 1250. Documentary evidence confirms that it is the purlieu hedge recorded as the legal boundary of the forest in 1301. Given the pressures of being so close to human habitation over the centuries, it seems quite possible that the Broomhill Road hedge is of a similar age.
Thank you to Georgina Green of the Woodford Historical Society for the article
Visitors to Whipps Cross Hospital will have noticed the newly opened 500-space multi-storey car park, representing phase 1 of the proposed redevelopment. Green hoarding now marks the footprint of a planned ten-storey hospital building, though construction remains a decade away at the earliest.
Concerns persist about the state of the hospital grounds, with litter and general waste visible, as restrictions on staff recruitment have left only one person managing grounds clearance. The telephone system installed some years ago also continues to cause frustration, with many extensions still not functioning correctly.
On a more positive note, a new A&E department is in development — much needed given how heavily overloaded the current one is — though plans are being approved in phases, leaving the final design unclear. Despite the hospital's challenges, many staff continue to work hard to deliver good care under difficult conditions.
The Coop has let us know that the Community card has stopped , we have earned a small income form members using their cards when shopping.
We would like to thanks those members who have the card and teh Coop for supporting us in the past.
We have published all our planned litter picks for this year, details can be found under Local Events and on our Facebook page
Meet your local police team, full details on our events page Meet & Do
Help shape the future of nature in London
Epping Forest staff have contributed on-the-ground insight from the Forest to the London Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). Now its your turn.
Public consultation is live and runs until 29 October 2025 - A vital opportunity for Londoners to help shape the future of nature recovery across the capital.
What is the LNRS?
The LNRS sets out a strategic approach to restoring and enhancing nature across London. It identifies priority habitats, species, and opportunities for recovery, aiming to support biodiversity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.
How to Get Involved
Visit the consultation platform: https://londonlnrs.commonplace.is
Share your views via interactive maps, surveys, and comment sections.
Encourage others to participate, everyone’s input matters!
You can review hard copies of the consultation materials at
The Epping Forest Visitor Centre at Chingford
The Chingford Golf Shop
The London LNRS is led by the Greater London Authority, for queries contact: biodiversity@london.gov.uk