Lodge," which was transferred by the Crown to the Corporation at
the passing of the Epping Forest Act, to be preserved "as an object
of antiquarian interest," and which is in itself so well worthy of
examination.*
As the Museum is intended to be a purely Local one, it was
necessary at the outset to accurately define the district from within
the confines of which the objects placed in it should be obtained. It
would be practically impossible to limit the source of the collections
to the woodlands of Epping Forest, now under the immediate care
of the Corporation. From several considerations the limits of the
old Forest of Waltham, as defined by the last perambulation (that of
17th year of Charles I., 1641) have been chosen as an excellent basis
of operations. The district includes the site of Hainault Forest (of
which some charming remnants still exist), and comprises some 60,000
acres. The limits are roughly laid down on the accompanying
Sketch-Map, and are more precisely defined on the Large-scale
Ordnance Map hung up in the Museum.†
It is obvious that to display adequately the productions of a
district so wide and prolific will need a large expenditure of time,
energy, and, we may add, of money; while considerable space will
eventually be required. All that can be accomplished with the limited
time and means at present at our disposal is to exhibit some collec-
tions which will serve to show the kind of objects which should find
a place in such a Local Museum :—
Commencing with Geology, Mr. T. Hay Wilson has got together a small
collection of Rock Specimens from the Gravels of the Forest and Fossils from
the Boulder-Clay, which will demonstrate the fact that Glacial conditions formerly
extended over the greater part of the Forest Districts in common with other parts
of Essex. This collection will be further illustrated by Geological Maps and
"Sections." The Pleistocene Period, when the land was at a much higher
level than at present and Britain was part of the Continent of Europe, is illustrated
by the series of bones of Rhinoceros from Clapton (presented by the Rev. J. W.
Kenworthy, and kindly certified by Mr. E. T. Newton), and by Mr. Greenhill's
collection of the remains of animals and Mollusca from the Gravels and Brick-
earth forming the slopes of the Lea Valley.
The presence of Man at this period is shown by the series of Paleolithic
(or Old Stone) Implements from these gravels, also lent by Mr. Greenhill, and
forming part of his magnificent private collection.
* A description of the Lodge from the architectural and antiquarian points of view, by
Mr. Cubitt and Mr. W. C. Waller, will be given in the "Guide" alluded to above.
† It is also intended to include in our collections the animals and plants, &c., of the
Roding and Lea and the valley slopes of both rivers. This would bring in the Barking and
Dagenham Marshes. It is found to be practically impossible to exclude these districts
without doing damage to collections already in existence, and dividing good faunal and
floral districts.