144
THE ESSEX NATURALIST
time, prior to the administration of the Forest by the
Corporation of London, lopped to provide fuel, etc. They
were cut at a height of seven or eight feet, and it would seem
that this method of pollarding resulted in a heavy canopy of
leaves being formed, so that there was little natural
regeneration of oak. Possibly, oak regeneration was also
prevented by pigs feeding on the acorns and by deer
grazing. During the last year or two, judicious clearing
operations, in which old hornbeam, etc., have been removed,
have opened up some very nice groups and belts of young oak
and silver birch. There is still a considerable number of
crab-apple trees growing in the Forest : these were originally
established so as to feed the deer.
The main wooded areas after Epping Forest are the
Writtle High Woods, predominantly oak, ash and elm, with
hazel and hornbeam coppice; the Brentwood district, where
we find oak, chestnut (trees and coppice), larch and Scots
pine, old pollarded hornbeam and hornbeam coppice; the
area around Saffron Walden, containing many woods, and
where, on account of the calcareous soil, beech is found in
quantity, as well as oak, ash and elm and hazel coppice; the
Colchester area, where the woods have chestnut, hazel and
hornbeam coppice, whilst oak is the dominant tree. In
the Dunmow-Hatfield district, the wooded areas such as
Hatfield Forest have been devastated during the two world
wars, and although regeneration of oak will re-stock some
areas, large parts that were well-wooded at the beginning
of the century seem to be doomed as woodland.
Oak is the outstanding woodland tree in the county, and
in general the Common Oak is likely to be found and to
succeed in the sheltered woods, whilst the Durmast Oak will
succeed on the drier, more exposed places. Of course, in
many woods and parklands both species and their hybrids
are found, but in general the very fine oaks with huge trunks
which have become famous in history, have been the
Common Oak, Quercus pedunculata. In suitable sites,
particularly when trees have been felled, natural regeneration
may be excellent, but it is unpredictable. For example,
parts of Thorndon Park show good natural regeneration,
whilst elsewhere on similar soil there is none at all.