The woodland flora of the Forest of Writtle and surrounding area
woodlands on similar soils at nearby Stock but which in this area is limited to a single locality, namely,
a wet boundary ditch on the northern edge of Well Wood. The plants have benefited from the recent run
of wet winters.
Rosaceae Rose Family
Raspberry Rubus idaeus: Locally common in hedgerows throughout the survey area but as a woodland
plant confined to The Grove and Ellis, Writtle Park, Bushy and Osborne's Woods.
Bramble Rubus fruticosus agg.; Common and widespread in woodlands throughout the area but it
only reaches abundance in sites that are open to the light, such as young coppice, where it often dominates
the vegetation for several years. The distribution of the numerous micro-species is poorly understood
but I am currently compiling a herbarium of the area's Brambles for future analysis. In the 1960s, J.R.
Ironside-Wood recorded Rubus echinatus from Writtle Park; R. rufescens from Fryerning Wood,
Highwood and Mill Green; R. dasyphyllus. Mill Green; R. sprengelii. Mill Green and Birch Spring; R.
cardiophyllus, Mill Green; R. lindleianus, also Mill Green; R. macrophyllus, Mill Green and Birch
Spring; R. polyanthemus, Mill Green and Birch Spring; and R. brittanicus, Highwood and Writtle. In
more recent times, Alec Bull has recorded R. brittanicus and R. rufescens from South Wood together
with R. insectifolius and R. vestitus.
Tormentil Potentilla erecta: Confined to woodlands on acidic soils. Recorded from grassy rides and
bridleways in Great and Little Edney Woods, Ellis Wood, Barrow Wood, Birch Spring and South Wood;
coppiced areas in Deerslade, Stoneymore, College and Fryerning Woods; roadside verges and grassland
at Mill Green Common and a wet meadow alongside Elmfield Farm Copse.
Barren Strawberry Potentilla sterilis: A plant of woodland margins and clearings, roadside banks
and dry grassland that apart from Nightingale Wood seems to be restricted to neutral to acidic soils in
this area. Recorded from a total of seventeen sites, of which six refer to woodland, namely, Great
Edney, Barrow Wood, The Mores (and other areas of Mill Green Common), The Hyde Lake, Fryerning
Wood and Woodbanks Spring.
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca; Unlike the above species this plant is confined to woodlands on the
boulder-clay and has been recorded from Sandpit Wood, Skreens Wood, Skreens Park Wood and
calcareous areas of Hylands Park, including South Wood.
Field Rose Rosa arvensis: A common hedgerow and woodland edge species throughout the survey
area.
Dog Rose Rosa canina; Found in similar situations to the above and even more common.
Wild Cherry Prunus avium; There cannot be a single tree-planting scheme in the past quarter-century
Ihat has not included this species and as such it is found commonly throughout the survey area. As a
genuine woodland tree, however, it is confined to three sites, namely. The Grove - at least nine mature
trees; The Hyde Lake - five young trees, and Fryerning Wood - two mature coppice on the south-east
boundary, and of these all but the last were probably deliberately introduced.
Crab Apple Malus sylvestris: The vast majority of apple trees recorded from the survey area have
been Malus domestica and genuine Crab Apples appear to be rare and declining. As a woodland tree
my records are confined to single mature specimens in Fryerning Wood and on Mill Green Common
but Mark Hanson has also recorded it from Hylands Park. Although this is undoubtedly not a true
picture of the species status it does indicate bow scarce it is the area al present. Perhaps it always has
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