66
The Essex Naturalist
reduced. It was agreed to leave a four metre wide boundary around the whole
field and the first cut to implement this was made in March 1997. By mid-
summer, the results of this were already evident, with attractive displays of ox-
eye daisies flourishing on the embankments and masses of yarrow lining the
spreading hedges.
The remains of clinker filter beds comprised much of Area 3. Little plant
growth had obtained a footing on this, though bramble was spreading and
specimens of whitebeam Sorbus aria existed. On the grassy embankments
adjacent to the Redbridge Field are found dark mullein Verbascum nigrum and
great mullein V. thapsus.
South of the filter beds was an area comprising both the foundation of
buildings and what appeared to be an old basement in the form of a large walled
pit. This is shown in Fig. 1 as Area 3a. A number of plants associated with
gardens were found here, such as snow-in-summer Cerastium tomentosum and
balm Melissa officinalis, as well as trees and shrubs which were to be retained
after the development works. These included a dogwood Cornus sp., cherry-
laurel Prunus laurocerasus, butterfly-bush Buddleja davidii and a wild cherry. A
quantity of common horsetail Equisetum arvense grew along the edge of the pit
and some shining Cranesbill became established in 1993. Associated with the
trackway nearby are such plants as hairy bitter-cress Cardamine hirsuta, creeping
Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans and wall pepper Sedum acre, as well as mosses and
lichens.
In the grassland between here and the drying pans are two patches of lesser
celandine, weld Reseda luteola and much hoary cress Cardaria draba.
The 11 Acre or "Wilderness" Site
The 11 acre or "Wilderness" site was that area to the east of Redbridge's field
and the City of London Cemetery, with the River Roding forming the whole
eastern boundary. It is shown in Fig. 1 as Areas 4, 5 and 6. It is separated from
the Park on the north by a similar bank to that described earlier. Its western
edge from this bank southward to the bridle path was a wire fence with stiles as
at the other side of Redbridge's field, but with a metal access gate from their
roadway. The wire fence was removed in 1994, though luckily here the hedge
was already more established.
As on the other side of the "field", the difference between the mown grass and
that which has developed in the works is extreme. Area 4 is mostly rank
grassland with some patches of bramble and elder with some willow to the south.
A track with an old hedge which now consists mainly of elder on its eastern side
runs from the park end of the works, separating Area 4 from Area 5 which was
an old sludge lagoon. The northern half of Area 5 was landscaped using a pebbly
gravel, and the flora is evolving. The southern end consists of rank vegetation
which includes cleavers, nettle Urtica dioica, cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris and