and dating of the hedgerows using Hooper's Rule revealed one 30m section with nine
tree and shrub species making the hedge approximately 900 years in age. The hedge-
rows have Spindle Euonymus europaeus, Dogwood Cornus sanguinea, a 6m tall Crab
Apple Malus sylvestris and plenty of old Hazel coppice stools, with an understorey of
Dog's Mercury Mercurialis perennis. Cowslip Primula veris (1 plant) and Black
Knapweed Centaurea nigra. The lane may also have Glow-worms Lampyris noctiluca
as they have been seen on a coal heap at Rivetts Farm making it a very important nature
reserve, more so when you consider it is surrounded by intensively managed arable
farmland.
Whilst speaking to other landowners about PROW clearance projects on their land, we
became aware of another two sightings, the first was at Goosebury Hall at the western
end of Epping Long Green, and the second at Cannon's Green, Fyfield. Both sites are
abutted by green lanes (Table 1) of some considerable age. The hedgerows that run
along the Essex Way at Cannon's Green contain Spindle, plenty of coppiced Hazel and
have an understorey of old woodland indicators such as Dog's Mercury and Town Hall
Clock Adoxa moschatellina. The Essex Way here forms a sunken lane (a very muddy
one at that!) with extremely thick hedgerows, ideal habitat for Dormice. Epping Long
Green is an ancient droveway with dense hedgerows with plenty of Bramble at their
bases. Both records were of sightings of Dormice indoors, at Cannon's Green a dead
one was brought in by a cat, and at Goosebury Hall a very drowsy Dormouse was spot-
ted going to sleep by the fireplace in September 2005, this individual was probably
looking for a warm place to hibernate! Tubes have been put out at Epping Long Green
to hopefully confirm the presence of nesting Dormice in 2007 (Table 1).
By far the most bizarre reported sighting came via Ken Hoy and was from a farm in
Lippitts Hill, High Beach (Table 1). The owner of the farm (J. Moya) told Ken that she
had found a Dormouse living in the base of her washing machine! Ken rather cheerfully
refers to it as the 'washing machine Dormouse'. This is not the only report of Dormice
in the area, one was found drowned in a sump 2-3 years ago, and another was caught in
the kitchen of the farm (again possibly brought in by a cat) and released in a nearby
hedgerow. Ken has also been in contact with Peter Adams, a Verderer of Epping Forest,
who says he has found evidence of distinctly nibbled Hazel nuts along green lanes east
of Sewardstone Bury Hills (TQ391974).
To conclude it seems that Dormice may be found along green lanes in the Epping Forest
area and therefore the sensitive management of these ancient habitats by ECC is para-
mount. It must be stressed that all of the sightings mentioned in this article are uncon-
firmed. It is hoped that evidence of Dormice will be found using the tubes supplied by
EBP and installed by EFCC.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 54, September 2007 11