North Farm Project Description

As part of the Forests buffer lands North Farm comprises of several fields of agriculturally improved grassland of little or no conservation value. It is one of these fields that the Centenary Trust will be aiming to develop to increase its conservation value. The 1.2-hectare field is located along the southern boundary of the North Farm holding.

The field itself is in two sections divided originally by a barbed wire fence. Agricultural grass that has either been grazed or cut for hay dominates the larger section that is approximately 0.8 hectares in size. The smaller area, approximately 0.4 hectares, is made of scrub and brambles with a small area of willow marking the site of an old overgrown pond. More recently trees have been planted in this section with limited success due to lack of aftercare management and possible vandalism.

Access to the field is possible from several paths running around and through North Farm. The nearest access is Buckhurst Hill footpath number 47 leading form Powell Road adjacent to the Lugano care home. The footpath also allows access to Epping Forest District Councils Linders Field Local Nature Reserve (LNR) that borders the Trusts field to the east and south.

Aim and Objectives

The Epping Forest Centenary Trust (EFCT) aimed to develop this 1.2-hectare field to improve its nature conservation value. To do this the Trust involved the local community by inviting schools, scouts and special needs groups to carry out both practical and educational tasks.

Once the project was approved, the Trust produced a management plan for the site. Individual projects were devised to improve site and were discussed in detail with the Corporation of London's Conservation Department. These projects were as follows:

1. Restoring the overgrown pond to open water and marginal vegetation
2. The planting of several new wildlife hedges
3. The planting of hazel for future coppicing intermixed with standard trees of crab apple and hawthorn
4. The creation of a flower rich meadow from seed
5. The creation of a minimum intervention area
6. The construction of an easy access path to the pond site and the maintenance of grass mown rides throughout the site

The majority of the above objectives were successfully completed by 2008. Work still continues at North Farm by regular groups to help maintain the site so it can continue to be enjoyed by the local community.