and rotting and fallen over the ditch: and lastly an old Maple pollard growing with one of the previously
mentioned Oak pollards on the other side of the ditch. The Maple pollard, with a completely rotten
interior (but g.b.h. 5 ft. 1 in.), showing a great tenacity of life. Notably, eight of the ten pollards are
growing on the ditch rather than the bank side (Fig. 2.2).
At the High Beach site, there are three pollard Oaks (gbh 12 ft.. 12 ft. and 12 ft. 9 ins.) and the
remains of two other large pollards, one of which is a huge hollow shell. The boundary bank also has
other Oak standard trees. Blackthorn, Holly, Midland Thorn, Honeysuckle, Hornbeam and Rowan
amongst the trees and shrubs growing on it (Fig. 2.1).
At Debden Green a ditch and bank occurs with Oak and Hornbeam pollards on the boundary bank.
The trees from a distance appear regularly spaced and could have been planted. A large Butcher's
Broom also occurs on the boundary bank here, as it does in at least two other places in the Forest, at
Gilwell Lane and Woodredon(Fig. 2.3)
At Copped Hall Green (TL 4200/01) the boundaries (as elsewhere) have become much encroached
by scrub and other secondary growth, particularly Blackthorn. At one place (TL 425006) the boundary
of the green is demarcated by a brook. Elsewhere a ditch and bank defines the boundary. Trees along
the boundary bank, generally not pollards here, include Oak. Hornbeam, Ash, Elder and Maple. There
is a Maple pollard just off the boundary bank and a Maple stub on a bend in the brook where it forms
the boundary of the green (Fig. 2.5).
At Sewardstone the north boundary of Hawk Wood (TQ 386957) (not a coppice wood) again has a
ditch and bank in places and, typical of many of the boundary banks in Epping Forest, Ivy covers the
bank in patches; a feature of disturbed ground in ancient woodland. Most interestingly, there is a large
colony of Ramsons (Wild Garlic) which has colonised along the length of part of the ditch. On the
bank side of the boundary are a few Hornbeam pollards. On the Hawk Wood side are Hornbeam, Oak
and Maple standard trees, also Dogwood, Wood Sorrel, Giant Fescue and Hedge Woundwort.
Between the Forest and the Copped Hall estate (TL 434004), not far from Ambresbury Banks, there
is a boundary bank surmounted by a park pale (Fig. 2.4). This is part of the original boundary between
the estate and the Forest. The Chapman and Andre map of 1777 shows an extensive coppiced woodland
just inside the boundary of the estate but separated from it by a narrow strip of grassland (Fig. 3). The
coppiced woodland has since been cleared. A few big Sweet Chestnut standards and Hazel stools
remain and the wood has been replanted but the boundary bank, here surmounted by the wooden pale,
may have doubled up as the boundary bank of the wood and of the park itself.
Fig. 3 Detail from the Chapman and Andre map of 1777, showing the boundary of the Copped Hall
Estate near Epping
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