THE TREES AND WOODLANDS OF ESSEX 143
up to a further 4,000, so that the area of reasonably-well-
grown woodland in the county will not exceed 10,000 acres,
or less than 1 per cent. In addition, there are large areas,
such as the three forests already mentioned, which contain
large open spaces intermingled with wooded areas and
groups and belts of trees. In general, the present top storey
of trees in these areas does not contain much of timber
value, although there are some areas where young oaks are
being encouraged by the removal of the old hornbeam
pollards, and, of course, much of this forest area has
enormous amenity value in its present condition.
Although geologically the county consists chiefly of heavy
clays, there is a considerable diversity of soil, and one finds
a chalk-belt running west to east in the north-eastern corner
of the county, and another near the Thames estuary. There
are also numerous areas of sands, ballasts and gravels
throughout the county in small isolated outcrops or larger
areas such as the coastal belt. Generally speaking, the only
soils that would not naturally support forest growth are
some of the sands, gravels and chalks, carrying an extremely
thin layer of top soil. Where they occur, heathland and
downs are found, such as the series of heaths that stretch
across the county from Dedham nearly to Maldon, and
which include Dedham, Ardleigh, Boxted and Tiptree
heaths. These areas and others like them will never have
been covered by forest. Today most of the deep clay soils
have been cleared of forest and now form rich arable farms,
whilst most of the remaining woods and forests are on sands
and gravels.
The most outstanding wooded area left in Essex today is,
of course, Epping Forest. In the 6,000 acres of its un-
dulating contours, open spaces and glades, a great diversity
of sylvan beauty is found. The trees are chiefly hornbeam,
with some woods of beech and many oak, the latter being
in groups or singly, whilst in some parts birch is the out-
standing tree. The number of oak is far fewer than in
similar woods in the county, the reason being probably the
proximity of the Forest to London, where the best oak would
be used for building naval craft during many centuries. The
hornbeam are chiefly old pollarded trees which were at one