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Hainault Forest Railway 1857 |
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The Eastern Counties Railway line through Ilford had been in existence for about 20 years when a plan and proposal for a branch line was lodged at Essex County Hall in 1857. Railway lines sprung up all over the Country and were fragmented and owned by small companies. There often appeared to be no regard as to whether a railway would have sufficient passengers and freight to support it. |
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The total length of the planned branch line would be 5 miles and 8½ chains and would start at Ilford Station and go eastwards for one mile then branch northwards following Seven Kings Water to Hainhault Forest terminating at Lord's Old Pond. |
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Land surveyors' linear measures prior to metrication: 1 link = 7.92 inches 1 chain = 100 links 10 chains = 1 furlong 8 furlongs = 1 mile |
Conversion table (square measure) 1 acre = 0.4047 hectares 2.71 acres = 1 hectare (10,000m²) |
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The route of the line is shown
below superimposed on the first edition Ordnance Survey map July 12th
1844. In 1851 Hainault Forest was disafforested and almost
immediately 3,000 acres of woodland belonging to the Crown was cut down
and the cleared area was divided up into Crown farms like Foxburrows,
Forest and Hainault Farms which were set up in 1856/7. New roads were
built - New North Road, Forest Road and Chigwell Row to Collier Row road
was improved. The restored Hainault Forest did not come into being
until 1903/6. What was the purpose of the railway? What did the shareholders aim to achieve? It could have been for residents of Chigwell Row for travel to Ilford and London. It may be that produce (milk, grain, vegetables) from the farms would be transported to the markets in London.
The line was never built. |
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Thanks to the Essex Record Office. The engineers maps can be seen at the ERO Ref Q/RUm 2/117 |
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