SECTION II - HYLANDS PARK
Introduction
M.W.Hanson
The second part of this book is devoted to the results of a three year (2000 - 2003) survey by the
Essex Field Club of Hy lands Park, Chelmsford. The park is owned and managed by Chelmsford
Borough Council. The survey sought to record all aspects of the park's natural history from mosses
and lichens to flies, birds and beetles. A preliminary aim was to record and assess those species of
conservation value found within the park. Because of the wood-pasture nature of the site, an
assessment of the saproxylic invertebrate fauna was thought to be a priority.
The survey was important for a number of reasons - as far as I am aware, it is the first time a 'full'
survey of an Essex park has been undertaken with the results being published. Many other wood-
pasture sites in Britain - for example, the New Forest, Windsor Forest and Moccas Park - have for
decades been famous for their rare saproxylic beetles. Hylands was a relatively unstudied and little
known site. Hylands is also obviously not in the 'Premiership' league of sites, such as Windsor
Great Park, Richmond Park, or Moccas Park (in fact, it probably barely scrapes into Division I!)
yet it still provides records of Red Data Book saproxylics such as the hoverfly Callicera spinolae,
which have yet to be recorded from more famous sites.
Hylands is also important, probably as much for what has not been recorded here as for what has.
Being a park created in the 18th and 19th centuries out of existing meadow, pasture, coppiced
woodland and a few pre-existing ancient trees, later augmented with numerous ornamental plantings,
the species lists should make a useful comparison with lists from earlier medieval. Tudor and
Stuart parks elsewhere.
The survey also highlights our general lack of knowledge of the wildlife of Essex parks. Hylands
has produced records of 59 nationally notable or Red Data Book invertebrates. I suspect that many
other Essex parks could surpass this total and would make an even more significant contribution to
nature conservation in Essex than Hylands.
One aspect of looking into the wildlife of Hylands Park is how contemporary much of the biological
recording is. Some twelve years ago I published a book about Epping Forest and this involved
researching an immense amount of historical material from a very wide range of sources. With
Hylands this aspect has been (pleasantly!) largely absent.
It would take many lifetimes and the co-operation of numerous owners to achieve a comprehensive
list of the wildlife of all Essex parks, but I hope this section on Hylands will give at least a flavour
of what could be expected to occur in other Essex parks.
Essex Parks: Section 2 - Hylands Park
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