Epping Forest is a massive area of ancient woodland in the south east of England that straddles the border between Greater London and Essex. The forest has a long and illustrious history. In Tudor times Henry VIII and Elizabeth I used the forest as a hunting ground. In the mid 19th Century tree fellers threatened the forest, but the Corporation of London took responsibility for the area in 1878 and since then has been one of the most popular retreats from the capital for its residents.