The 2003 AGM address. Veteran trees and saproxylic invertebrates at Hylands Park
The remaining 18 pollards are almost certainly more recent in origin, being trees planted and
subsequently pollarded in the 18th century as part of various landscaping schemes. Notable trees
include the giant Horse Chestnut (girth 18ft 6.5ins - 5.65m) and the probably bundle-planted Ash
(girth 19ft 5.5ins - 5.93m).
Locations and girth of some of the more notable pollard trees are given below (girthed at 1.3m):
Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur pollards
Football Field TL 67989 04646 14ft 9ins 4.5m
Writtle Hills TL 68010 04648 15ft 4.58m
Nr Pond Plantation TL 68451 03449 15ft 8ins 4.76m
Nr Pigeon Plantation TL 68068 03928 19ft 2ins 5.83m
Writtle Hills (Great Oak) TL 68082 04545 20ft 1 ins 6.11m
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus pollards
Nr Writtle Wood TL 68300 04630 9ft 4ins 2.8m
Nr Pond Plantation TL 68335 03468 llft 3ins 3.42m
Nr Home Farm Plantation TL 68078 04164 13ft 2ins 4.0m
Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum pollard
Lake Field Boundary TL 68503 04848 18ft 6.5ins 5.65m
Ash Fraxinus excelsior pollard
Nr Ice House Plantation TL 68850 04448 19ft 5.5ins 5.93m
(Possible bundle-planting)
Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus pollard
Formal Gardens TL 68564 04259 llft 6.5ins 3.51m
This lack of pollard trees, when compared to other sites, probably partly accounts for the rather (as
far as is known) limited saproxylic beetle fauna. Notably, no Red Data Book beetles have been
found at Hylands. Flies, with a number of RDB species recorded at Hylands, mostly rare saproxylics,
are more mobile than beetles and may be less confined to a particular site than the corresponding
Essex Naturalist (New Series) 20 (2003)
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