38
Downhill bad' to meandering Loughton Brook
where once there was another road-dammed
pond, now quite silted up and where it is
being cleared and piped and fitted with
debris-trapping bars to prevent flooding
in Loughton. From here it was a five
minute walk back to our starting point.
For a Spring walk there was little of
emerging life to be seen, or bird song to
hear, but the history and character of each
pond holds fascination too.
IRENE BUCHAN
MOSSES AND LIVERWORTS, 4th May, 1986
Seven intrepid explorers arrived at Rayleigh
Station as the sun broke through the clouds
to give a pleasant warm spring day for the
meeting. As the New England Woods had been
explored fairly thoroughly before it was
decided to investigate the bryology of
nearby Potash Wood, Hockley, and Hyde Wood,
Canewdon, our leader Tim Pyner having
obtained permission to visit both sites in
advance.
Potash Wood consists of an extensive area of
rather run-down hornbeam and sweet chestnut
coppice, with oak and a few ash standards.
In the north-west an area of elm appears to
have invaded (most of it now dead). The
understorey was very open and sparce, with
local patches of wood anemone, bluebell,
bramble, yellow archangel and wood sage.
At the time of our visit an area in the north-