Epping Forest

Epping Forest is a large area of open green spaces and woodland extending from East London right out into Essex and beyond the town of Epping itself. As well as being a popular area for recreation and enjoyment Epping Forest is also of national and international conservation importance. Two thirds of the forest are within areas which have been designated either a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI) or a Special Area of Conservation (SAOC). People who lived in the forest used to have special rights to grazing, forestry and minerals, and there were still herds of cattle grazing unenclosed on the Wanstead Flats near Manor Park as recently as the 1980s with rumours of plans to bring the cows back once again.