Forest of Essex facts for kids

Map of disafforestations and boundaries in 1301

The Forest of Essex was a special area of land in England. It was called a royal forest. This type of forest was set up around the year 1100. It stopped being a royal forest in the 1200s.

When the Normans took over England, they brought new laws. These laws created "royal forests." A royal forest was not always a place full of trees. It was a legal area where the King had special rights. The King could hunt deer there. He also made special "Forest Laws" for these areas.

At first, a royal forest might not have many trees. It was just a legal area. But over time, the word "forest" started to mean a place with lots of trees.

What Was the Forest of Essex?

The Forest of Essex covered almost all of the county of Essex. But this does not mean all of Essex was covered in trees. A scientist named Oliver Rackham studied old records. He looked at the Domesday Book. This book was a survey of England from 1086.

Rackham found that only about 20% of Essex had trees in 1086. The areas along the Thames and North Sea coasts had fewer trees. These areas were not usually part of the Forest of Essex. So, the parts that were royal forest had a bit more woodland.

How the Forest of Essex Changed

Over time, parts of the royal forest were "disafforested." This means they were removed from the special Forest Law.

Disafforestation in 1204

In 1204, the people of Essex made a deal with the King. They paid him 500 marks and five palfreys. A mark was a type of money. A palfrey was a special horse. In return, a large part of the Forest of Essex was disafforested. This area was "beyond the Causeway." This was a road between Colchester and Bishop's Stortford.

The End of the Forest of Essex

In 1327, King Edward III made a new rule. He confirmed the Charter of the Forest. This removed most of Essex from Forest Law. This was the end of the main Forest of Essex. After this, Forest Law only applied to royal manors. These were lands owned by the King. It also applied to very wooded areas in southwest Essex.

New Forests Were Created

When the large Forest of Essex ended, new, smaller forests were made. These new forests were in areas with more trees. They included:

• Waltham Forest: This included areas like Epping Forest and Hainault Forest.
• Hatfield Forest
• Writtle Forest
• Kingswood Forest: This forest was near Colchester. It is now lost.

Hatfield and Writtle were royal manors. Kingswood was connected to the town of Colchester. But the King still owned the trees and had grazing rights there.