backed shrike and nightjar, both were not uncommon breeding species in Epping Forest
at the turn of the century.
A Forest with all its wood-pasture features intact is just as much an historic
monument as for example is any ancient building and equally deserving of the highest
conservation priority. In Epping Forest we have tangible evidence of a way of life that
until the 19th century had probably little altered in over 900 years. Since then, these
factors have brought about quite a fundamental change to the ecology of Epping Forest
resulting in uninteresting beech woodland with much reduced grassland, heath and bog.
The builders of the A. 11 Epping New Road in the 1830's could not have foreseen
the effect the invention of motorised transport would have on grazing in the Forest. It is
now impossible for Epping Forest to become working wood-pasture once again but I
believe it would be greatly beneficial if, in selected areas of manageable size, the old
wood-pasture traditions (pollarding and grazing or its modern mechanical equivalent)
could be reintroduced. This would certainly benefit the flora and fauna and at the same
time be a very valuable educational asset. The events in recent years in Lords Bushes
have shown that not only is it feasible but could be carried out with very successful
results.
CONCLUSION
Many people would regard the events after 1976 in Lords Bushes as tragic: 'another
few hundred of the ever diminishing number of trees lost to the British countryside' but,
as I hope I have shown, Lords Bushes and indeed Epping Forest are suffering from too
many trees (of the wrong type) with a subsequent loss in the diversity of habitat, a loss of
many of the ancient historic features, the plains, heaths and pollards and a decline or
outright loss of the associated flora and fauna. Lords Bushes has changed from an
overmature floristically poor woodland to one which now maintains a healthy diversity of
plant species and a correspondingly richer fauna. Perhaps one can regard this as a
restoration of a heathy plain that existed in Lords Bushes many decades ago. In the
absence of grazing pressure this plain, like all the others, will disappear; merely a
transient phase one of several 'seres' it will go through until in a hundred years or more
it is a beech woodland once again. Some attempt will, I hope, be made to arrest this
process.
I fervently hope the 'Regents Park Atmosphere' described by the author of the
extract reproduced in the editorial of this booklet never materialises!
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK
BIOLOGICAL RECORDING
a. It would be most useful if groups of plants and animals not, or incompletely,
worked on the present survey (such as the Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Araneae or the
Fungi) could be recorded.
b. A common bird census should be undertaken on part of the burnt and disturbed
area.
c. The changing flora and fauna of the woodland should be monitored.
d. An analysis of the contemporary pollen rain could be undertaken and compared
with that recorded after the lime decline in Epping Forest.
e. A study of the annual rings of felled trees should be made.
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