10
Brentwood garden and one that crash-landed in
Lexden a few years ago.
Of the other species, the Barbastelle may still
be present in small numbers in wooded parts of
the county. The last record was exactly 20
years ago of an individual found in the church
porch at Bradwell. Whether or not this was a
migrant is unknown.
Overall, Essex bats are declining for climatic
and other reasons. On many occasions at
lectures, older residents tell me of the
numbers they used to see in childhood - sadly
this is part of our past.
JOHN DOBSON
RABBIT WARRENS
The rabbit is thought to have been introduced
to Britain early in the twelfth century, some
of the earliest archaeological records being
from south—east Essex from Rayleigh and
Hadleigh. By the thirteenth century the
animal had become commercially important and
rabbits were kept in special areas called
warrens. The largest of these were on
heathland. Lakenheath Warren, in neighbouring
Suffolk, was over 2,000 acres in extent, but
much of this warren is now obliterated by
Lakenheath Air Base. This warren was set up
probably in the twelfth century by the Bishop
of Ely. Warrens principally produced rabbits
for meat, but their pelts were also valuable.