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origin), long known from the Quarry.
Nearby, the only example of Stinking Iris
(Iris foetidissima) may, at last, be
spreading; one or two seedlings were
visible. Also in the climax woodland to
the south of the reserve, Sanicle (San-
icula europaea) has recently been recorded
for the first time.
The final leg of the nature trail ended at
the south-eastern corner, near the barrier
with the housing development. This is
probably the oldest section of woodland
now remaining. Here a tunnel, previously
linking this to an adjacent quarry, has
been bricked-off some way along its length,
and will shortly be sealed at the opening
by a metal grill or plate. Negotiations
are underway to modify the inside of the
tunnel to suit roosting bats, providing
them with a place of entry and exit, which
will also be vandal-proof.
The future of the reserve is still somewhat
in the balance, though the prospects are
good that a twenty-one year lease will shortly
be signed between the Essex Naturalists' Trust
and Blue Circle, the landowners. This is
the minimum that could have been hoped for,
after ten years of action and anguish
experienced by local conservationists
concerned with the fate of this unique place.
STEVE
PREWER