A BRYOPHYTE FLORA OF ESSEX
83
A Bryophyte Flora of Essex
By A. J. Pettifer
To Eric Saunders, B.E.M., this flora is dedicated, In a short space of
time he not only contributed many new county records for Essex, but
refound many old recorded species. Every walk of his was a bryological
treasure hunt.
"Passing Bow-Bridge,where the County of Essex begins,
the first observation I made was that all the villages that
may be called the neighbourhood of the City of London
. . . are increased in buildings to a strange degree, within
the compass of about twenty to thirty years at most."
From Daniel Defoe, 1724, Tour through the
Eastern Counties.
This is my reason for attempting an up-to-date bryophyte
flora of Essex. The building, which apparently was taking place
over two hundred and forty years ago in a small way has ac-
celerated and in its latest report the South Eastern Economic
Planning Council suggests that Chelmsford, Basildon, Rayleigh
and Southend areas should be studied as to the possibility for
future development. Many old bryophyte habitats have dis-
appeared and more are likely to disappear in the future.
General
Essex with 907,855 acres (Whitaker's Almanac, 1967) is the
eighth largest county in area in Great Britain. For the purpose
of this flora, Essex still begins at Bow Bridge but it must be
remembered that administratively many acres were taken away
from the county to help form the present Greater London. Much
of the county, apart from the Chelmsford and Colchester districts,
the new towns of Harlow and Basildon, the suburbs of London
and along the River Thames from West Ham to Tilbury, remains
remarkably rural with agriculture the oldest industry of all. Many
acres of barley, wheat and mixed corn are grown annually and
quantities of eggs, milk, poultry and fruit are produced. There is
also a quite extensive seed-growing area around Coggeshall, Kel-
vedon and Marks Tey and this, in season, attracts attention by
reason of the colourful display. In Saxon times a great deal of
the county was composed of natural woods, grassy commons and