The London/Essex border - Buckhurst Hill

The London/Waltham Forest/Essex boundary comes south east from Brook Road and goes down Tuttlebee Lane to cross Epping New Road. It continues down Beech Lane, crosses Woodford High Road and continues on the same trajectory across Knighton’s Green and Knighton’s lane, down Monkham’s Lane.
TQ 40540 93824

A series of greens and pubs on the old A11 road out of London into Essex

Post to the north Buckhurst Hill
Post to the east Buckhurst Hill
Post to the west Friday Hill
Post to the south Woodford Wells

Sites on the London, Redbridge side of the border

Brook Road
Rigg’s Retreat. Tea house and other refreshments. Owned by a Mr. Riggs – but there seem to be other sites with the same name,
The Birkbeck. Grassland meadow area cut for hay.

Epping New Road
Road built by MacAdam in 1834 across Fairmead Bottom
Lodge House. This was the lodge to Knighton House, home of Edward North Buxton, a leading campaigner for Epping Forest and it is consciously picturesque who in 1866 had the main road moved away from his house. It is at the comer of The Glade opposite Bancroft's School, a thatched cottage, busily detailed with half-timbered gables, latticed windows and diagonal chimneystacks
Reid’s Forest

Knighton Wood
Knighton Wood. Bought by Corporation of London from Buxton Estate in 1930 and added to Epping Forest. Remains of the gardens of Knighton House. Pond – man made.Pulpit Oak ancient tree on the boundary of Epping Forest District and the London Borough of Redbridge. It is thought to have been a rallying point for commoners to fight (eventually unsuccessfully) against attempts by Lords to enclose Knighton Wood – in 1572, 1670 and 1781.rhododendron bushes planted when part of the woodland was owned by the on Buxton family.

Loughton Road
Realigned 1866 and the fork with Epping New Road moved slightly

Woodford Greenr
Pest House originally on this site which had been forest waste. Replaced by Manor House built by city merchant Thomas Read. Replaced by the school 1870. 
Bancroft's School. Built 1889 and designed by A. W Blomfield in ‘collegiate Tudor on a grand scale. The school was originally in the Mile End Road and was part of a foundation from the bequest of Francis Bancroft in 1728 for an almshouse and school for 100 boys, with the Drapers' Company as Trustees. The original buildings were replaced by the People's Palace. Above the entrance arch is a stone inscription and coat of arms rescued from Bancroft's tomb in St Helen, Bishopsgate. There is a War Memorial in the centre of the quadrangle, 1920, by Sir Reginald Blomfield with iron gates added in 1950. 
There is an Assembly Hall from 1937 by E.N. Clifton with a cloister leading to 1960s classrooms; plus a gym and swimming pool built in 1972. The Art rooms are 1987the science block 1910. Across the playing fields is a 1990s Prep School with hall and classrooms. Chapel, and library in the original assembly hall, computer room.
Headmaster's House,
St Aubyns school founded 1884 in cottage opposite Bancrofts

Woodland Way
A typical road on the Knighton estate, developed from 1931 with spacious houses on the woodland edge

Sites on the Essex side of the border
Fairlands Avenue
Fairlands

High Road
Buckhurst Gate, housing on the site of a Reservoir of the East London Water Co., water tower, 1879, 70,000 galls. 328’ above OD.
Bald Faced Stag. Pub. Until 1853 the Epping stag hunt used to start on Easter Monday from here. This custom commemorated a time when the citizens of London had their common huntsman and claimed the privilege granted them by Edward IV of hunting in Waltham Forest. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen always attended it, but after the forest near Buckhurst Hill was enclosed the hunt finished,
Roebuck Hotel. Closed. 18th building tarted up.
Holly House Hospital. Private hospital.

Knighton Lane
Buckhurst Hill House

Monkhams Lane
An ancient trackway following the Anglo-Saxon boundary between the Manors of Chigwell and Woodford, running between Lords Bushes and Knighton Wood. It is the area’s oldest path and up to the 1960s it was a legal right of way for carts and motors.

Tuttlebee Lane
School

Sources
Bald Faced Stagg. Web site
Bancroft School. Web site
Metropolitan Water Board. History
Victoria County History. Essex

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'd love to know more about 'The Birkbeck' in Woodford Green IG8-0SA and whether this has anything to do with land purchased by the Birkbeck Freehold Land and Building Society (which I am researching) - similarly the Birkbeck Roads in Brentwood CM13-2RL and Ilford IG2-7LP (I have got information on most of the other 'Birkbeck' places in London). Please feel free to contact me at richc@gmx.com
Thanks
Richard Clarke
20 February 2013 at 14:58
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