The Great Oaks of Essex Parks and Other Trees
Salix fragilis, S.alba, S.viminalis, a weeping willow (S. x pendulina), andS x reichardtii. Perhaps
the most unusual tree is the cut-leaved variety of Alder (Alnus glutinosa var laciniata) near the old
ornamental bridge. Notably at Gaynes, an old oak from the park survives in an adjacent garden.
Stansted Hall in the west of the county lias an astonishing treescape, with Wellingtonias in quantity
- particularly in the garden area, but liberally dotted about the park. It also has many fine specimen
trees, including Redwood. Black Mulberry, London Plane. Scots Pine, Robinia, Tulip Tree, Holm
Oak (possibly including var. Bicton), Beech (pollard). Box, Sycamore (pollards), Cedar of Lebanon
and Fern-leaved Beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Heterophylla'). Notably it also has what is the largest
Sweet Chestnut (a pollard, girth 24ft 7.5ins) I have so far come across in Essex. The park also
contains much dead wood (up to whole trees) and is still grazed by a number of horses and ponies
and the odd bullock. It is likely to be another important site for saproxylic invertebrates in Essex.
The grounds of Wivenhoe House (now a hotel) have two ancient (but unmeasurable) Cork Oaks
(Quercus suber) said to have been brought back by General Rebow from Iris Peninsular War campaign
in 1814.
List of Trees Commonly Found in Essex Parks
A cer pseudoplatanus Pinus sylvestris
Aesculus hippocastanum Platanus x hispanica
Cedrus libani Quercus ilex
Fagus sylvatica Quercus robur
Fraxinus excelsior Sequoiadendron giganteum
Larix decidua Tilia x vulgaris
The above tree species seem to crop-up regularly in lists of trees and shrubs from Essex parks.
Sycamore and Plane are surprisingly frequent as pollard, as well as standard trees. Horse Chestnut
also seems to be ubiquitous as a parkland tree - presumably because it is easy to propagate, quick
to grow and stunningly beautiful when in full flower. Wellingtonia, introduced to cultivation in
1853, was a 'must have' fashion tree of Victorian times, planted in sizeable (and not so sizeable!)
parks and gardens. Beech is a good landscape prop, due to its light-grey smooth bark and billowing
outline. I assume that species such as Larch. Scots Pine and Oak (as standards) were planted for
effect, but ultimately for their timber. Holm Oak, a native of the Mediterranean, is also surprisingly
frequent in Essex parks. Braxted lias a fine avenue of them, Stansted Hall lias some very fine
standard trees and Havering Park has a couple of good sized pollards.
Problem areas for some trees in parks, particularly those that have been encroached upon by urban
development and are therefore accessible, include persistent vandalism. In Dagnam Park. Harold
Hill, several old trees (including a probable 18ft+ girth ancient, hollow oak) have been set fire to
and destroyed. Even 'old knobbly' at Mistley, our second largest Essex Oak, has been the victim of
attempts to set fire to it. Elsewhere I have also seen trees ring-barked and others sprayed with
graffiti. However, this damage is dwarfed by the ravages of some diseases, notably Dutch elm
disease, which has destroyed most of our best ancient elms. The classic example of this is the mile
and a half long elm avenue along the causeway at Littley Park near Great Waltham (shown on the
Chapman and Andre map of 1777). Planted probably some 300 years ago, the trees succumbed to
the disease in the 1970s and today just a few gaunt, dead, shorn, pollards remain near Littley Park
farmhouse. The famous Wych Elm avenue at Gaynes was obviously destroyed by housing
development. In many former parks, old trees have been removed in the interests of agricultural
Essex Parks: Section 1 - Parks in Essex
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