The Cultivated Landscape - Hylands and its planted trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants
combined. However, this was not to continue and Christine Hanbury (the last private resident of
Hylands from 1922- 1962) reduced the greenhouse to a fraction of its original size and created a
swimming pool within. Christine Hanbury also planted Rhododendron borders on the north lawn.
The year of 1966 saw Hylands taken-over by Chelmsford Borough Council. The 'Plant ATree In
73' initiative saw some trees planted at Hylands, including apparently the Blue Atlantic Cedar in
the formal gardens. A number of other trees have been planted to commemorate past mayors of
Chelmsford and others 'in memoriam'. In 1978 some 2,000 trees were planted in the park with the
suggestion that a further 8,000 were needed.
In April 1986 a proposed arboretum was announced, to be created in 34 acres of the park west of
Home Farm and to consist of some 200 varieties of tree. The trees came from a number of sources,
including Writtle College and also from Spains Hall, Nottcutts, Hilliers, Savill Garden, Royal
Botanic Garden, Kew and Wakchurst Place. Unfortunately this joint venture between Writtle
Agricultural College and Chelmsford Borough Council has not been deemed to be a success. A
number of trees have died and the actual planting scheme is visually very unpleasing to the eye.
Most of the trees arc likely to be removed at some future date, but hopefully some of the more
notable, well grown and aesthetically placed trees will be retained as a reminder of the arboretum's
brief existence. Some trees, such as the Gean and Bird Cherty adjacent to Writtle Wood, are an
important nectar source in spring for numerous insects. Others are well worth retaining because
they are rare species in cultivation. (In November 2003 fourteen trees were transplanted to the
grounds of Writtle College, mainly Ashes and Maples).
It is assumed that many of the modern plantations arose in the 1970s, such as Ash, Lightfoot and
Poplar. Similarly, the London Road and Margaretting Belts arose at tins time, presumably to replace
the belts that had been lost to the dualization of the London Road in the 1930s, linear fragments of
which remain in the central reservation of what is now the A414/London Road. Species planted in
the 1970s included Oak, Ash, Beech, Hornbeam, Scots Pine and Hazel. The Writtle Belt is clearly
much older; it is shown as an established entity- on the 1878 Ordnance Survey Map.
The Tower Belt and Lower Belt are obviously of some age. The Tower Belt may be a fragment of
a much larger ancient wood. The Lower Belt is also of some antiquity, but has had some plantings,
including Horse Chestnut, Lime, Beech and Box. Box is present in several parts of the park, notably
in South Wood, where some of them have reached tree size of around 20ft and also in Rook Plantation.
This species and Snowberry are probably relics of the time when the park was an integral part of a
'sporting' estate. Lightfoot Spring, despite being very much 'ancient woodland' (with wild service,
ramsons and bluebell) has also had some planting - most recently Beech and Hazel.
Hylands has three avenues of note - the oldest, The English Elm avenue, running from near what is
now the Margaretting Gate towards Oak Plantation is defined by two rows of suckers - obviously
the trees succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease in the late 1960s or 70s. It follows part of the course of
what was the old road from London Road to Writtle and closed off by owner John Attwood in the
1840s. Roman Walk, an avenue of bundle-planted Common Hawthorn, cuts motorway-like across
old field-boundaries and I suspect does not follow the course of any ancient trackway, but was
called Roman Walk because of its straightness. It is probably an important and possibly unique
landscape feature of Hylands Park dating from the 19th century. It also makes a significant
contribution to the nectar resource of the park when it comes into flower in the spring.
Essex Parks: Section 2 - Hylands Park
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