throughout the Forest. It is probable that many of the elms have been introduced by the hand
of man. Only on two or three occasions have I found a group of elms that appears to be long
established natives in the Forest.
In this account I have taken Epping Forest to mean the area under the jurisdiction of the
Conservators and defined on their 1983 Ordnance Survey Map. I have, however, excluded the
elm flora of the green lanes to the north-west of the Forest. A useful distinction always to be
borne in mind is that the modern jurisdiction includes not only the Chapman and Andre
topography of 1777 but areas added to the Forest at a later date, for example Wanstead Park,
Birch Wood, Yardley Hill and also former enclosures now returned to the Forest. These areas,
rather than those shown as the physical Forest on the Chapman and Andre map have the most
extensive elm flora.
Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra)
A rather uncommon tree in Epping Forest. I would guess that most occurrences are due to
planting. It was a 19th century tree planter's favourite. This tree is most frequent in Wanstead
Park. I noted some six or seven small trees at the southern end of the Ornamental Water, a total
of a dozen small trees being noted in the Park. Ferris (1980) reported the Wych Elm to be
devastated by Dutch Elm Disease. A small tree at the eastern end of the Perch Pond may be a
contorted cultivar of Wych Elm. The single tree I found on Wanstead Flats and the small trees
on Bell Common and Warren Hill are, I assume, the result of plantings. The largest tree outside
the Hatch Grove Woodbank and those nearby along the Ching Brook are possibly a native
occurrence. There is a large dead ivy-clad elm (g.b.h. 9 ft.) along the Ching Brook which was
almost certainly a Wych Elm. These trees are probably those referred to by F. W. Elliott in
1898. Also of note is that the Ching Brook Wych Elms are the only elm I have seen browsed
by cattle in Epping Forest. Wych Elm at Wansfell may also be a native occurrence.
Wych Elm Sites in Epping Forest 1989
Bell Common TL 453014
Ching Brook TQ 398934
Gilwell Lane TQ 382961
Hatch Grove TQ 396935
Wansfell TQ 445000
Wanstead Hats TQ 404862
Wanstead Park TQ 382961
Warren Hill TQ 413954
English Elm (Ulmus procera)
I have records of this species from sixteen sites in Epping Forest (excluding the green lanes to
the north-west of the Forest). As I have already noted, this species has been devastated by Dutch
Elm Disease and generally suckers only are to be found. I have found one largish tree in the
hedgerow around Yates Meadow. Typically the suckers of this species are now 25-30 ft. high
and the leaves are almost invariably galled to a greater or lesser extent by Eriophyes
campestricola.
I would guess that at every site I have visited English Elm has been planted or has invaded
from a nearby hedgerow. In Lords Bushes, Buckhurst Hill, the elm clone, on the Forest Edge
side of the woodland, is on an old field boundary, the fields being built on in the 1930s.
Presumably the suckers near the entrance to North Farm, Loughton are the product of a hedgerow
English Elm. Near this latter site, on Warren Hill, is another clone of English Elm. This I
assume to be quite long established. A 'Stocks Elm' is mentioned for this site in about 1820.
Village greens seem to have been a favoured site for planting English Elm. I have found suckers
on Woodford Green, Debden Green, Theydon Green and Bell Common. Trackways, too, seem
to have acquired English Elm. There are numerous suckers at Oak Hill. This group occur along
the edge of what is now merely a horse ride, but up to about 1829-30 this was an old trackway
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