4) Hedgerows
As early as 1320 hedgerow elms are reported from Essex, bordering the garden of Sir Henry de
Hadham at Witham (Rackham, 1986). Hedgerows are the classic elm habitat in lowland
England. In Essex Dutch Elm Disease has robbed the county, I would guess, in excess of 90%
of its mature elms over the last 20 years. The photographs on pages 68 to 8 5 include a permanent
record of the elms we have lost from the Essex hedgerows. Dutch Elm Disease is not only to
blame: over the last 40 years many miles of hedgerows have been grubbed up in the interests
of agricultural efficiency and much former agricultural land has been built on. Harlow new
town is a good example. The view across Wood Street in Walthamstow (Plate 8), with its
hedgerow elms, is now completely obliterated by urban development.
Suckering elms are still abundant in the Essex landscape. The hedgerows of north Essex are
full of a great variety of elms. In south Essex English Elm suckers dominate some hedgerows
to the detriment of other tree and shrub species.
In Essex the name 'Elm Farm' is very common. It is particularly evident on the Chapman
and Andre map of 1777. 'Elm Field' is also a common Essex field name for the obvious reason.
Elms were apparently planted in hedgerows. A lease from Writtle dated 1634 (Rackham, 1986)
reads thus:
Simon Breakneck .. . shall.. . sett, plant and mayntayne to grow ... for fier
woode in . . . every perch in length . . . upon the bankes ... of all such hedges as
shall bee cutt and newe made one younge sale (?sallow) ashe or elme.
Richard Warner, the celebrated Woodford botanist, wrote of the elms he found in his local
area (1771). He seems to have identified his elms with a fair degree of accuracy and the
comments he makes on each species are as valid today as they were in his time.
East Anglian Elm
(As the Smooth leaved or Wych Elm, Ulmus folio glabro)
'In hedges. Found before Mr. Norris's house, in Woodford, almost opposite the
eight mile stone.'
Wych Elm
(As the Wych-Hasel, or broad leaved Elm, Ulmus folio latissimo scabro)
'In hedges and woods. Found in a copse belonging to Mr. Warner, adjoining to
Ribton-lane: very uncommon.'
English Elm
(As the Common Elm, Ulmus vulgatissima folio lata scabro)
'In hedges: very common.'
In places elm was far commoner than Oak or Ash. A survey of Little Henny in 1799 recorded
77% of the trees being elm and at Aveley in 1799-1801 another survey recorded 90% of the
trees being elm (Rackham, 1986).
The trees recorded in hedgerows were of two types:
1) Timber.
2) Pollard trees.
Although not often specified, a crucial difference was that the timber trees (including Oak
and Ash) were generally the property of the landowner. The regrowth from the pollard trees
was the property of the tenant. A tree once pollarded was of little value as timber.
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