THE BADGER IN ESSEX
273
better informed and the Badger seems to be more tolerated
nowadays. There are still, however, those who persist in persecu-
tion of any animal which lives in a burrow.
The present distribution of the Badger in Essex seems to be
fairly general although the South East of the county is still his
greatest stronghold. It is this area that a section of the South
Essex Natural History Society has given much time to in connec-
tion with the Badger, and I am grateful to them for their records
and their work with Badger preservation. The area comprising
Thundersley, South Benfleet and Hadleigh has a high Badger
population and there are at least a dozen setts here. The woods
around Hockley also contain several setts, and apparently Badgers
still hold out in Canvey Island. Other areas in the region are the
Hanningfields and Danbury, where the Badger is fairly common.
The Langdon Hill and One Tree Mill also come in this section
of the county and have some setts. There is a sett on record at
Wickham Bishops but this fringes on a piece of ground which
has not been fully investigated.
The Colchester area and North East Essex have their setts
and it is this part which is being investigated by Mr. C. E. Owen,
Natural History Curator of the Colchester and Essex Museum.
The more wooded West and North West of the county are
places also fairly well dotted with Badger setts. Epping Forest
has several setts though not all are now in use. At Loughton
Camp, in the forest, there are three setts, one below the path and
rampart, one dug actually into the rampart, and one well inside
the rampart ring. This latter may be more than one actual sett
and is riddled with holes, many of which are ruined and fallen in.
I understand that these workings were gassed during the war to
destroy some of the Foxes living there and this may well have
cut down the Badger population. It certainly looks as if it was
once a very large and active sett. The holes in the rampart itself,
midway between the other two setts, are also old. One in par-
ticular has a large mound of spoil that stands right out on the
side of the rampart and is very evident to any walker along the
ride. Three other entrances may be seen here but the one with
the mound is most used. The third sett below the ride consists
of five holes, one of which also has a large mound of spoil. These
three setts are used in turn as far as my records go, and in each
of the last three years litters of three cubs have been born and
reared. Another site of Badger activity in the forest is a sett
behind Broadstrood Lodge. This is on a slope about half a mile
from the Loughton road. According to other observers Badgers
were very active here several years ago, but this year none of
the holes have been used. My theory is that it is used alterna-
tively by Badgers from a sett on private land near Birch Hall,
Theydon Bois. Saint Thomas Quarters, a piece of forest land
behind the Wake Arms also has a Badger sett, although this has
only been the home of Foxes in late years. Another sett also
disused is situated behind High Beach church but this is now
almost hidden by undergrowth. One sett that is active not far