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Meeting to the Colne Valley at Sible Hedingham 11.5.74
The following notes are condensed from a fall
report by Miss A.J.Griffiths of the Nature Conservancy
Council.
Three main habitats were studied, 1. Alderford
Street, a sunken lane with steep sides and thick
hedges; 2. Purlshill plantation - Oak/Hazel woodland
with old gravel and brick workings; 3. Colne Valley
grazing meadows.
1. Sunken Lane. A great variety of plants were
recorded from this habitat. Both chalk loving and acid
loving plants were present. The number of woody species
recorded in the hedgerow (10spp.) reflected the
probable great age of the hedge. In parts Hornbeam was
the dominant tree, and showed signs of having been
coppiced in the past. Hazel and thorn were overall
dominants, the other species occurring in approximately
equal abundance. The hedge had been affected to a
small extent by burning (probably caused by stubble
fires). There were many wood ants and rabbit burrows
in the sandy soil forming the hedge banks. 37 flowering
plants were recorded.
2. Purlshill Plantation. The woodland was much
disturbed by both past management activities (clearing,
gravel winning) and present motorcycling and public
use generally. Sycamore was readily colonising although
oak and hazel were regenerating also. The undergrowth
was dominated by bramble and bracken reflecting the
acid sandy nature of the soil. The flowering plant
list (19spp) was considerably less varied than the