Thousands expected at Hainault Forest centenary
Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on Hainault Forest Country Park, near Chigwell, Essex, when it hosts a massive festival to mark its centenary on July 15.
Hainault Forest was formally dedicated to the public at a special ceremony on 21 July 1906, led by the then President of the Board of Agriculture, Earl Carrington. The ancient113-hectare (280-acre) site has since been put in the hands of national environmental charity The Woodland Trust, which continues to oversee, manage and safeguard it for all.
But at 2.30pm on July 15, the original dedication ceremony will be recreated when Earl Carrington’s nephew Lord Carrington, officially opens the centenary celebration along with the Mayor of Redbridge and other special guests. It will be the centrepiece of a day of activities at Hainault Forest Country Park including a 32-class companion dog show and scurry, which gets underway from 11am, followed by displays, dancing, fairground rides, football, cricket, archery and netball competitions. In the showground arena there will be live music and dancing overseen by a team from Red FM. At 4.30pm a guided walk through Hainault Forest will be held for Trust supporters.
Woodland Trust woodland officer Geoff Sinclair is organising the big day.
He said: “We are delighted Lord Carrington has offered to formally open the centenary celebration. Hainault Forest is a fabulous site and a tribute to the vision and foresight of his uncle, Earl Carrington, and all the many local people who campaigned at the beginning of the 20th century to get it preserved for all and put in public hands.
“July 15 will be a superb day. There is absolutely loads going and there will be something for everyone. We are expecting thousands of people to come along. I’d like to thank the London Borough of Redbridge, which has been an enormous help in getting this event off the ground.”
The centenary celebration coincides with The Woodland Trust’s £2 million acquisition of Park Farm Havering. The investment will see more than 50 hectares (around 115 acres) of arable land converted into woodland to help safeguard more than 1,000 animal and plant species and buffer Hainault Forest’s ancient tracts. The site will eventually see more than 65,000 native tree species planted by thousands of school children who will create a wonderful legacy and inspirational woodland for generations to come.
Hundreds of local residents and a number of funders generously supported the acquisition of Park Farm Havering. They include Biffaward, GrantScape, the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and WREN.
Directions: Hainault Forest Country Park is on Foxburrows Road, off the A1112 / Romford Road, near Chigwell, Essex.
