We invited Mark Gorman, author and local historian, as a guest blogger to share a brief overview of his book: Saving the people’s forest: open spaces, enclosure and popular protest in mid-victorian London
In July 1871 thousands gathered on Wanstead Flats for a protest demonstration. In the largest political meeting ever held in Epping Forest, the crowd had gathered to oppose the fencing off of large sections of the Flats by the Lord of Wanstead manor Henry Cowley.
1871 Save Epping Forest poster © London Borough of Newham Archive
Victorian London was rapidly expanding, and landowners across Epping Forest saw the opportunity to turn their landholdings to profit by selling for housing. The ancient forest was threatened as never before.
In the 1860s opposition to this rampant growth became a movement to preserve the London commons. The history of this campaign is usually told by the members of the metropolitan upper middle class who appointed themselves as spokespeople for all Londoners and played out their battles mainly in parliament and the law courts.
But there is another story – of the key role played by popular protest in the campaigns to preserve Epping Forest and other open spaces around London. The contests in parliament and the law courts were fought out in a context of vociferous protest, through meetings, petitions and political lobbying. For east Londoners Epping Forest was their time-honoured open space, often referred to as the “people’s playground” which they were determined to defend.
During the summer of 1871 meetings across east London called for an end to the enclosure of Epping Forest and its preservation for the use of the people. This culminated in the great demonstration of July 1871 which in turn galvanised a response from parliament, with the passing of the first of several Epping Forest Acts. At the same time the City of London stepped in to take over the management of Epping Forest, a role which it maintains to this day.
The great historical ecologist Oliver Rackham has called the battle to save Epping Forest the origin of the modern conservation movement in Britain, and in this struggle ordinary Londoners played a key, but largely forgotten role.
Note:
“Saving the People’s Forest: open spaces, enclosure and popular protest in Victorian London” by Mark Gorman, is published by the University of Hertfordshire Press. It is available here and from independent booksellers