presence of one or other of the great "movers and shakers" of a particular period in history.
I also met the odious Sir John Gates in Havering Park and Fairmead Park, Epping Forest.
Lord Richard Rich (rich by name, rich by nature) seems to crop-up regularly as a collector
of parks and estates after the Dissolution (1536-40) in Essex. Much of the history of
Essex has been played-out against aparkland backdrop. This book is, however, not primarily
about wealthy owners and their grand houses. This is covered in many other publications.
Rather it is about the evolution of parks from deer park through to landscape park and
public park, their everyday uses and lastly, their wildlife.
The book is in two sections. The first gives a brief outline history of parks in Essex and
the second takes a look at the history and wildlife of one particular park. - Hylands Park
near Chelmsford. This book seeks to put Hylands into some sort of context and to establish
its true identity. It also describes how its history has influenced the wildlife found there. It
also puts on record the results of a three-year survey undertaken by the Essex Field Club
from 2000 to 2003. I hope this will be of great use, not only to current generations of
Essex people interested in parks and their history and wildlife, but hopefully also to far-
distant generations.
I have to record a debt to three particular authors who have written very scholarly, but
readable accounts of parks with references to Essex (see also Bibliography and References):
Oliver Rackham and his book Ancient Woodland (1980); Susan Lasdun, The English
Park (1992) and Harold Smith, whose History ofthe Parish of Havering-atte-Bower (1925)
contains what must be one of the best researched and detailed accounts of the workings of
a royal deer park - Havering Park - from its creation in the 12th century through to its
disparking in 1652 and even beyond that. The book also includes the histories of Pyrgo
and Bedfords.
Although much of our emparked landscape no longer exists, parks and their owners (and
their owners careers!) have had a profound affect on the history and landscape of Essex.
The people of Essex should be immensely proud of their parkland heritage.
M.W.Hanson
2 Essex Parks: Section 1 - Parks in Essex