Study Area

Epping Forest is an historic woodland lying in the west of the county of Essex on the ridge of high ground which separates the Lea Valley on the west from the Roding Valley on the east, and which extends southwards into what are now the London Boroughs of Redbridge, Newham and Waltham Forest.

Clicking on the (non-italic) names on the Map will take you to information about that area

Since 1975 members of the local WREN Conservation Group have gathered records of the flora of the southern end of Epping Forest. The Group has a commitment to biological recording in the Forest south of the Waterworks Corner roundabout on the North Circular Road on behalf of the Epping Forest Conservation Centre. For the purpose of biological recording, the Epping Forest Conservation Centre divides the forest into 38 areas, of which the four most southerly comprise the area of study of the Wren Conservation Group.

The Epping Forest areas the Group has studied include Wanstead Park, Wanstead Flats, Bush Wood, Leyton Flats, Gilberts Slade and the Exchange Land - the disused Redbridge Southern Sewage Work which is now part of Epping Forest.

In addition the Group has taken an interest in other sites in the area. These include St Mary's Churchyard at Wanstead; the Friends Meeting House grounds in Bush Wood; the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park; the Alders Brook area between the City of London Cemetery and the River Roding, Manor Park Cemetery; and just outside of the Forest area, St Mary Magdelene's Churchyard nature reserve in East Ham.

In more recent years, the Group has tended to restrict its area of prime interest to Wanstead Park. Records of the areas wildlife - always thought to have been an important area of the Group's work - have become sparse due to lack of recorders, but practical work takes place usually each month in Wanstead Park. Similarly, field trips to other areas take place.

As I have kept records for the WREN Group for some years, I feel that these should be accessible to any that wish to view them, so the Wanstead Wildlife website might help that aim. Similarly, it may be useful for people to be able to see what some of our local wildlife looks like, so a collection of photographs is available on the site.

The WREN Group has its own website at www.wrengroup.org.uk

Another good site for photos of local wild-life is EastLondonNature)

For more information about the Parklands of Wanstead - its history, archaeology and the people that use it - try the Wanstead Parklands Community Project website

Please use the list below to find out more about some of these these sites. The information relates mostly to the botanical aspects of the areas, but also may include information about birds and other wildlife as well as a description and historical information. Links to photographs are also provided.