Follow the Forest is a new project by artists Shaun C. Badham and James Ravinet exploring the unique ecology, land rights and history of Epping Forest. The project draws inspiration from the organised protest and lobbying that led to the Epping Forest Act 1878, and the many residents, community groups and organisations that have succeeded in protecting the vitality of the forest environment ever since. With its protection enshrined in law, the forest is a rich ecosystem of wildlife and heritage that provides respite, meaning and exploration for residents and visitors alike.
Join one of two guided-walks this summer from Highams Park to the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge in Chingford. This short yet abundant 2-mile forest walk will take you via the meandering flow of the river Ching, through Hatch Forest and Whitehall Plain and onwards to the ancient trees of Barn Hoppit. The walk concludes at the Epping Forest Visitor Centre by Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in Chingford.
The guided walk will follow the forest to explore and observe the natural environment, registering the layering of social histories, governance and ecologies that converge along the way. From the history of forest retreats and the Victorian temperance movement to the site of the first known Eid prayers in London. Two variations of the walk will include contributions from The Highams Park Planning Group, Epping Forest Heritage Trust, Chingford Historical Society, The Ching Brook Action Group and local historian Georgina Green, who will each provide us with an insight into their work and knowledge around Epping Forest.
Walk 1: Saturday 31st August 2024, 11.00am to 2.00pm. Book your free ticket here.
Walk 2: Saturday 7th September 2024, 11.00am to 2.00pm. Book your free ticket here.
A representation of this walk will be produced as an audio-work and map later this year.
Image: Fallen tree at Highams Park, April 2024. Photo: James Ravinet.Follow the Forest explores the unique ecology, land rights and history of Epping Forest. The project draws inspiration from a historic walking path that traverses the green spaces of Waltham Forest, first established in 1978 to mark 100 years of the Epping Forest Act 1878. Concentrating on a small 2-mile stretch of the route from Highams Park to Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge in Chingford, the walk passes the London-Essex boundary line, ancient woodlands and open spaces that were once the subject of organised protest and lobbying in a bid to protect them from enclosures and development of the land. With its protection now enshrined in law, the undulating forest is a rich ecosystem of wildlife and heritage that provides respite, meaning and exploration for residents and visitors alike. Comprising a series of free public guided-walks and associated audio-work taking place in 2024, participants are invited to follow the forest to explore and observe the natural environment, registering the layering of social histories, governance and ecologies that converge along the way.
‘Follow the Forest’ emerges from an earlier project titled ‘Marking the Land’ (2023), which sought to explore the preservation of public rights of way along The Essex Way; an 81-mile long waymarked route from Epping Forest to Harwich, Essex. The route was first established by students from Chelmsford Technical College in 1972, but made accessible and popularised thanks to the voluntary work of the West Essex Ramblers. This same group has strong ties to Epping Forest, working alongside conservation and community groups to uphold the protection of the forest, and maintaining or promoting walking routes in the area. In this sense, the walking route and project is indicative of how access to greenspaces can connect us, both literally and historically, promoting shared values and cultures associated with upholding the protection of access to open spaces.
Follow the Forest is made possible by Waltham Forest Council’s Make It Happen grants programme.
