historical ecology, popularised in recent years by Oliver Rackham and others. It
describes the importance of deer in the history of the Forest, and the extinction of both
roe and red, the latter partly as a result of poaching, leaving fallow as the only species
for much of the 19th Century. And as a foretaste of late 20th Century biodiversity
action, the re-establishment of both lost species to their rightful home:
Whatever may be said of the destructive habits of deer, I cannot but think
that the naturalists of Essex will rejoice to welcome back within the limits of
this forest the timid roe, which years ago existed here, and to reckon once
more amongst the larger mammalia of the county the three kinds of deer
which I have here attempted to give some account.
James English in his Entomological notes from an old pocket-book details some of the
entomological riches of Epping Forest and area between 1838 and 1862. And what
riches! Records of wood white, heath fritillary, dusky marbled brown (two of only
three British records, ever!), broad-bordered bee hawk-moth, large red-belted
clearwing, argent and sable . . . Even in 1887, these years were recognised as
remarkable:
The forest has not greatly changed since these grand entomological seasons.
What unknown cause has occasioned the dearth of these interesting insects
in recent years? The woods are there, the food-plants sill flourish; but where
are the insects?
With hindsight, we might suggest the increasing pollution load arising from the
Industrial Revolution may provide part of the answer, although long-term climatic
fluctuation may also have played a part.
Similarly fascinating is J C Shenstone's account A report on the flowering plants
growing in the neighbourhood of Colchester, which is a partial update of Gibson's
1862 Flora of Essex. Among his many new reports is rock samphire at Great Oakley:
/ should imagine that the patch of Samphire found by Mr. Harwood was of
recent introduction, for not only has it never been recorded on our coast
before, but the Essex coast is a most unsuitable spot for its growth. On our
flat coasts there can be few points which are not some time or the other
submerged by exceptionally high tides, in which event the plant would be
destroyed.
Clearly the plant knows better! It is still there, in quite possibly the exact same spot,
and I can vouch from personal experience that it has been washed over by high tides
several times in recent years.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 33, September 2000
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