Hainhault Forest Railway cont.

The route of the line is shown 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.

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)

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.

Written by Brian Ecott.