During the middle of the nineteenth century, a number of initiatives were started to protect the rights of the public to use open spaces and for the areas to be conserved for their specific environmental features. Some notable people of the time devoted themselves to societies such as the Commons Preservation Society, now known as the

Open Spaces Society The Open Spaces Society is a campaign group that works to protect public rights of way and open spaces in the United Kingdom, such as common land and village greens. It is Britain's oldest national conservation body and a registered charity. Found ...

, in order to gain protection for some clearly defined areas . One of these areas was

Epping Forest Epping Forest is a area of ancient woodland, and other established habitats, which straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The main body of the forest stretches from Epping in the north, to Chingford on the edge of the London ...

on the outskirts of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. It was an area beginning to suffer encroachments of building development and enclosure. The local people of

Loughton Loughton () is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex. Part of the metropolitan and urban area of London, the town borders Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill, and is northeast of Chari ...

were also, by tradition, taking a limited quantity of wood from the forest under what was termed their 'lopping rights'. The enclosure of the lands within the forest bounds was threatening the performance of the annual lopping tradition and thus, a dispute also arose over the removal by private individuals of forest considered to be in public ownership. Following the intervention of a number of bodies and interested parties, some

Acts of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliament ...

were enacted gradually bringing about the desired protections. The Epping Forest Act 1878 brought together the diverse rules and prescribed how the Forest was to be protected. The Act formally records the Crown renouncing rights over the land and the

Corporation of London The City of London Corporation, officially and legally the Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London, is the municipal governing body of the City of London, the historic centre of London and the location of much of the United King ...

, having bought acres of unenclosed Epping Forest land, named as the official conservators.

Purpose

A local Act of the United Kingdom parliament for the disafforestation of

and the preservation and management of unenclosed parts thereof as an open space for the recreation and enjoyment of the public. The management of the forest became, via the Act, the Corporation of London. The Act removed the rights of

householders to lop wood within the forest for which, in substitution, a public hall was constructed in the town. The hall was named The Lopping Hall. The Lopping Hall is maintained, and its business carried on, by the charity organization called The Lopping Endowment, a UK registered charity number 228236.

Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

s with special powers granted under section 43 of the Act are known as Forest Keepers in order to ensure the proper protection of the forest.

References

{{reflist United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1878 Epping, Essex