History of Linder's Field LNR

Today, the Linder’s Field we all know is a local nature reserve, but have you ever thought about why it's there?

Using old maps we have been able to the date the section of woodland on the reserve back over 225 years. The manorial records of 1775 for a M.H Beach Esq. show one large wood named Pluckett's Wood. By 1850 Pluckett's Wood had been split in two with a large section lost probably from the construction of the railway. This can be clearly seen on the Tithe Map of Loughton for that date which shows the wood split in two parts now called Pluckett's Wood and Little Pluckett's Wood.

It is not known exactly when the last fragment of Little Plucketts Wood was destroyed for the construction of housing on Little Plucketts Way, but it was between 1920 and 1930. What is certain is that, apart from a few ancient trees surviving in gardens, the small fragment in Linder's Field is all that now remains of the former woodland.

By the 1930s the land had become a garden! Part of St Just on Powell Road owned by Charles Linder. Linder was a local businessman, District Councillor and magistrate. He was always very public spirited and allowed the “field” to be used by the local community for a whole variety of events. This ranged from cricket and public fetes by the British Legion through to concerts by the Buckhurst Hill Operatic Society. It was also well used by local school children and scouts.

The fairs held at Linder’s Field were by all accounts spectacular affairs. A Colonel Print, a local showman used to take a large plot and rent out stalls. There were also displays of caged birds, rabbits and even dogs! And in the afternoons a brass band would play to packed audiences.

Besides the many stalls there were also many attractions, sideshows, roundabouts and swings and on one occasion there were even elephants!

One of the highlights of the fair was the famous “Lindberg Brothers”. Their act consisted of the two brothers diving from a high platform into a small tank of water. This they did every afternoon at 3pm. At 10pm each evening they would repeat the performance, this time dousing the water with a flammable liquid and setting the pool alight for the dive.

In February 1952, Mr Linder signed a conveyance with the then Chigwell Urban District Council to allow the Council to manage the site as public open space.  This initial declaration was for 35 years, but in 1963 the Linder family signed a second covenant giving the land over on a permanent basis.

Since 1990, Linder’s Field has been managed by Epping Forest Countrycare, the District Council’s Countryside Management Service. Working closely with local volunteers, Countrycare has undertaken a whole range of habitat management and access improvement works for the benefit of both local people and wildlife.

In May 1996 Linder's Field was declared a County Wildlife Site by the Essex Wildlife Trust and in August 2000 Epping Forest District Council declared the site a Local Nature Reserve.