racing regularly occurred, and the popularity of the latter led to the establish-
ment of a now-vanished local tavern "The High Flyer".
Alderman Mechi arrived in Tiptree in 1841 with his revolutionary ideas on
agrarian reform including land reclamation techniques, field drainage systems
and liquid manuring. He proved that the unpromising local soil could produce a
good yield, whereupon the rate of enclosure of the Heath accelerated. By the
early years of this century just 61 acres remained as an island in a sea of
agriculture, mostly soft fruit production and seed growing, both of which
require light soil conditions. The Heath has been steadily drying out for many
years due to the lowering of the water table by the intensive drainage and
cultivation on all sides. The apparent coup-de-grace was delivered during the
last war, when common land laws were suspended and the Heath was ploughed
up, bearing undistinguished crops for several years.
In 1955 the Heath was seeded with grass and left to its own devices. A
natural succession was unleashed which owed much to the absence of rabbits,
resulting in the unchecked development of scrub and secondary woodland.
Several large areas however have reverted to ericaceous treeless heathland,
breeding true to the combination of acid soil, dormant seeds, climate, fires and
other factors.
During the period 1965/1975 the village of Tiptree grew to become a small
town and the Heath was subjected to the range of threats with which we are now
so familiar; public pressure, amenity development, gravel extraction, rubbish
dumping and general public apathy. The battle for the Heath was fought by the
late Mr F. D. Buck with the support of the Nature Conservancy Council and the
Essex Naturalists' Trust, and a degree of automatic protection was obtained
when the Heath was designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1973 — a
welcome and overdue promotion in status. The management committee was
formed in 1971 and the conservation group in 1975.
MANAGEMENT OF TIPTREE HEATH
The Heath is under the control of the Colchester Borough Council although
the Lord of the Manor, Mr F. Wilkin, still has manorial rights. The Borough
Council has delegated to the Tiptree Parish Council the adminstration of the
Heath, which is planned by the management committee and executed by the
conservation group. The nature conservation viewpoint on the management
committee is presented by nominees from the Nature Conservancy Council, the
Essex Naturalists' Trust and the Colchester Natural History Society.
The Heath is a public open space and nature conservation and public
amenity are of equal importance. Amenity management projects have included
the construction of two log bridges across the stream, widening footpaths,
improving car parking facilities and opening up a network of overgrown
firebreaks. Car-borne dumping has been practically eliminated since a ditch
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