been planted 'time out of mind' when the biblical Adam was alive. Later the name was
corrupted; it was variously called Allen's Elm, 1850, a nearby farm was called Ellen Elm Farm,
c. 1872, although the tree itself seems to have disappeared c 1840 (Reaney, 1935). The tree is
marked on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1843.
The Smugglers Elms, Paglesham
These were also called the 'Old Maids'. These three fine elm pollards were 'lost' in about 1983,
with one dead trunk, a smaller stump and the other completely gone; apparently no trace remains
of them today. They were called the Smugglers Elms because, big and hollow, they were
suitable for hiding contraband from the prying eyes of the excise men (Plate 11).
Elm Wood - Its Uses
Elm wood has unique and peculiar properties when compared to other woods. It has a very
distinctive ring growth which makes it readily identifiable in archaeological investigations and
the coarse texture and irregular grain give the wood a delightful 'partridge breast' figure. The
irregular grain gives rise to an extremely tough and durable wood. Elm wood is almost
impossible to split (Wych Elm can be an exception). It will not yield to the wedge or froe, the
adze could be used on it but the only viable way of working elm was to saw it. Elm wood
generally has a pinkish cast. Wych elm wood, although I have never seen it, is said to have a
greenish cast. Elm wood is vulnerable to attack by fungi and this has limited its usefulness.
However, under permanently water-logged conditions it is virtually indestructible and this has
led to its frequent use where there are permanently wet conditions.
Elm was an abundant hedgerow tree in Essex and although used in the construction of
buildings over the centuries oak was the preferred timber.
Before the advent of steam saws, elm was sawn by hand in the local saw pit. One traditional
use of elm was the the 1 in. and 3/4 in. thick boards used for coffins. As late as 1912 two sawpits
in Hadleigh Wood were used to cut coffin boards (Rackham, 1986) and a photograph of a sawpit
still in use at Terling in 1948 appears in 'Woodland Crafts in Britain' (Edlin, 1949). The sawpit
also provided wavey-edged weather boarding, the wavey edge being left now as a decorative
margin to the wood, but in the times when hand cutting was the order of the day it was a real
saving in time (and wood) not to have to cut this extra edge. Elm cladding is still used in Essex,
the wood is usually painted with tar to prolong its life. The irregular grain of the elm causes the
cladding to warp slightly, opening up gaps between the boards and in at least two houses with
elm cladding, one at Little Baddow and another at Great Waltham, bats (Pipistrelles) have made
their roosts (J. Dobson, pers. comm.).
Another use of elm planking, often where a tough timber was needed, was in the floors of
carts. Gerard's Herbal (the 1633 edition) mentions the preferred use of East Anglian Elm timber
over English Elm for the construction of carts (Wilkinson, 1978). Elm was also used for the
divisions of stables and in mangers. Oliver Rackham (1988) notes the use of elm floorboards
in the lodge in Hatfield Forest.
Elm was used where a wood was needed that would not split. Elm was the wood generally
used for the hubs of cart and carriage wheels, being able to withstand having at least twelve,
usually ash, spokes driven into mortices in the hub without causing it to split. The outer rim of
the wheel was often made of elm felloes. The dished seats of Windsor chairs were also made
of elm. Many of these chairs have survived from the 19th century, still in regular use. I have
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