The Essex Amphibian & Reptile Group working with the Essex Field Club Herpetofauna
Group would like to hear from anyone who would like to be trained and licensed to
survey for crested newts - An Ecology and Survey Workshop on Amphibians is planned
for the 28th May 2005 at Wat Tyler Country Park. An afternoon and evening session to
learn about Essex Amphibians and the Great Crested Newt the cost is only £2.50 and it
would be good to see members of the Field Club attend.
Acknowledgements
Ray Cranfield, Gemma Fairchild, Simon Irvine, Jane Gilbertson, Graham Hart,
David Scott, Andrew Woodhouse, John Wright
References
Cranfield J (2002) European Green Frogs in Essex. Essex Field Club Newsletter 39.
Cranfield J (2003) Adder Vipera berus observations at Hadleigh Castle Country Park
2002. Essex Field Club Newsletter 40.
Cranfield J (2003) Reptile refugia- a new survey method for Glow-worm! Essex
Field Club Newsletter 42.
Cranfield J & Scott D (2005) Amphibian and Reptile report for 2004. Essex Field
Club Newsletter 46.
Scott D (2004) Amphibian Notes - Spring 2004. Essex Field Club Newsletter 44
Scott D (2003) Adders at Hadleigh Castle Country Park. Essex Field Club Newsletter
41.
Thoughts on Elm in the English countryside
David Bloomfield Horton, Mascalls Lane, South Weald, Essex CM14 5LJ
After seeing the paper about Elm in Nature 1 decided to read R.H. Richens Elm, soon
followed by his paper in Forestry, Essex Elms, about the distribution of Elm in Essex -
probably the county with the most diversity. The scattered and intermingled pattern of
the different clones of Elm easily supports his claim that the Elm stock was brought here
by Man at some time since the Neolithic.
The article by ICen Adams in the previous newsletter (January 2005, No. 46) deals with
vine growing according to Columella and Pliny (the elder) and the use of Elm for sup-
porting the vines. I cannot doubt Elm came here during the Roman period for this pur-
pose, although it is unlikely vines were grown here before the Romans, or much, if at all,
afterwards until the late Saxon or Norman times. Even in Roman times I cannot imagine
the vineyards could be numbered in more than hundreds. This does get Roman Elms
here, although it hardly gives the distribution we now know or remember. With the
almost certain demise of vineyards in the Dark Ages, the survival of this stock, which is
sterile but does sucker freely, would seem in doubt without some other use.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 47, May 2005
17