the community tree strategy - theydon bois, … bois tree strategy.pdf · this community tree...

An assessment of the trees, hedgerows and woods of the parish in their historic, physical, socialand cultural context, with guidelines for their future management.

Prepared by Epping Forest District Council, with Theydon Bois Parish Council, Theydon Bois RuralPreservation Society, the Theydon Bois tree wardens, and The Corporation of London:Conservators of Epping Forest.

Published by Epping Forest District Council, March 2003Epping Forest Distrcit Council, Planning Services, Civic Offices, High Street, Epping, Essex CM16 4BZ. For further information please call 01992 564120.

Epping ForestDistrict Council

THE COMMUNITY TREE STRATEGYFOR THEYDON BOIS

This Community Tree Strategy for Theydon Bois is respectfully dedicated to the past and present treewardens of the parish: John Conroy, Bob Day, Robin Llewellyn Jones and Jane Turner, and to JohnPlume, all of whom have given generously and selflessly of their time and energy for the good of theircommunity, but in particular to the late Ernest Crouch, whose enthusiasm, wisdom and guidance wereinvaluable to the early stages of the project and who will remain an inspiration to those who knew him.

On behalf of the Tree Council, I am pleased to be able to endorse the Community TreeStrategy for Theydon Bois. It is an excellent piece of work that puts the trees in their fullcontext as both historical and landscape features, whilst also revealing what they mean tothe community.

Across the United Kingdom there is an increasing understanding of the importance oftrees, both in the town and the countryside, not least to our health and well-being.However, achieving a well tree’d environment and conserving its key features is far fromeasy. It needs a thorough assessment of the current treescape and an understanding of its‘meaning’. It needs the right kind of action, at the right time. Achieving that requires theinvolvement of, and cooperation between, all the relevant parties: the community, thelandowners and the various authorities.

The involvement of all of these in the development of the strategy, to be continued in itsimplementation, has produced a model of great potential, that we hope will be followed in other parts of the district, but which could also be used by other local authorities across Britain.

All those involved in the creation of the strategy are to be commended on this innovativeand farsighted piece of work, which can only be to the long term good of trees both withinEpping and elsewhere.

FOREWORD

Pauline Buchanan-BlackDirectorThe Tree Council

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This is the second of the proposed district-wideseries of Community Tree Strategies, the firstbeing that for Stapleford Abbotts, published inJune 2000. It has been developed by EppingForest District Council with the activecooperation and support of the local communityand partner organisations. It follows theprinciples of “Trees Please”, the tree strategy forthe district. It incorporates the results of twopublic meetings and extensive consultation. Weintend that the information and guidance that itcontains will promote the protection and activeconservation of trees and encourage publicparticipation in projects to enhance the localenvironment and so influence long-term changefor the better.

The scope of the project is to:

• Assess the current treescape of the parish;

• View it in its physical, historic, social andcultural context; and

• Give guidance for all concerned on itsconservation, management andenhancement for the future.

Publication of the strategy will meet a key aim inour Community Plan for 2000-2005 and alsoassist with the implementation of the EssexBiodiversity Action Plan. The linked action plansets out the key initiatives that follow from thestrategy, to be undertaken in partnership withthe local community.

The decision to choose Theydon Bois as one ofthe two pilot projects for local tree strategieswas very much influenced by the knowledge

there would be strong local support. As well asits Parish Council, Theydon Bois has a numberof active local voluntary groups, notably theRural Preservation Society, formed in 1943 “topreserve the rural character of the countryside inand around Theydon Bois as an appropriate andnatural setting to Epping Forest” and the VillageAssociation, formed in 1948 to co-ordinate local organisations.

When we introduced our Tree Warden Scheme in1994, the Rural Preservation Society and theParish Council nominated a total of four treewardens. The wardens quickly showed an abilityto undertake local projects, including aphotographic survey of notable trees in theparish, and then a further photographic survey torecord the condition of all the street trees in thevillage in advance of cable TV installation in 1997.

The tree wardens took an active role, withofficers of the district council, in the discussionswith the cable TV company, then Bell Cable-Media, to ensure that no harm would come tothe trees through trenching operations. Thepositive impression they made was such thatBell Cable-Media subsequently contributedfinancially to another project, with the agreementand support of the Conservators of EppingForest and the help of children from the primaryschool, to remove much unsightly, diseased elmscrub from the Green, along Coppice Row. Newtrees were then planted: one by the Piercing Hillcrossroads, another near the junction withLoughton Lane, and a third opposite the villagehall, surrounded by five groups of oak,hornbeam and crab apple.

INTRODUCTION

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+Jack’s Hill

Coppice Row

Birch Hall

Loug

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Lan

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Blunts Farm

Thrifts Hall Farm

Theydon Hall

Piggotts Farm

Little Gregories

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Piercing Hill

AbridgeRoad

Gaunts Wood & Redoak Wood

St Mary’s Church

Parsonage Farm

Wansfell College

BlackacreFarm

Longshaw

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THEYDON BOIS LOCATION PLAN

Village

Woods

Motorway

River Roding

Roads

Parish Boundry

Railway

Embankment

Cutting

KEY

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O R E S T

The Bull

LocationTheydon Bois village is located approximately 2miles south west of the town of Epping.

The M11 passes through the east of the parish,and the M25 just to the north. It has a station, onthe Central Line of the London Underground.The 1991 census found a total population for theparish of 3946, in 1530 households, of whom414 lived outside the village.

The landform is gently undulating, rising from theriver Roding, which forms the eastern boundaryof the parish at 25m above sea level, to a ridgeof just over 70 m at Thrifts Hall Farm, beyondwhich the land falls again to a sheltered valley, inwhich the village is situated. To the north westthe land then rises to the Epping Forest Ridge,the parish boundary being at around 115 m. and within the Forest just east of the B1393 Epping Road.

In terms of landscape character it is within theNorth Thames Basin, an area centred uponNorth London, but extending from Watford in thewest to Harwich and Southend in the east.

Within that framework Essex CountyCouncil have recently published theirLandscape Character Assessment for thecounty, according to which the parishmostly falls within the Roding Valleylandscape character area, other than theslopes west of the village, that fall within theEpping Forest and Ridges area.

The key characteristics of the Roding Valleyare said to be:

• Wide valley, deepening to the south.

• Gently to moderately undulatingvalleysides, occasionally intersected bysmall tributary valleys.

• Strong pattern of valleyside vegetationwith thick hedgerow field boundaries,many hedgerow trees and scatteredsmall woodlands.

• Meadows on flat valley floor, withoccasional riverside trees.

• Tranquil character except in the south.

Those of the Epping Forest and Ridges are:

• Elevated moderate to steep sided ridges,crowned by woodland.

• Very large crescent shaped block ofancient deciduous woodland to the west.

• Wooded skylines.

• Distinctive grassy plains and large pondswithin Epping Forest, greens andcommons associated with settlements.

• Small to medium scale pattern ofhedged pasture and arable fields withfrequent hedgerow trees.

A key component of landscape character isthe range of tree and shrub species that areindigenous to the area. Across the farmlandof Theydon Bois elm, hawthorn andblackthorn dominate the hedgerows, withtrees of oak and ash. Hazel and field mapleare common, with occasional dogwood,elder, sallow, spindle and holly. Sycamorehas colonised many hedgerows. In theForest hornbeam and oak dominate thelower parts, with beech on the higherground. Holly and birch are common wherethe canopy has been broken.

Landscape CharacterThe overall landscape of the parish fitswithin the character zone of the NorthThames Basin, as defined by theCountryside Agency in their CountrysideCharacter Assessment for England. Itcontains elements – as a result of theunderlying clay – that are characteristic ofthe clay lowlands to the south, and alsoelements that associate with the sandywooded ridges to the north and east.

Key guidance from the Countryside Agency on the priorities for action includesthe need for:

• Sensitive management of veteran trees;

• Conservation of hedgerows, preferablythrough traditional techniques, but whereappropriate replanting – in particular withelm; and

• Conservation of margins within arable fields.

THE TREES OF THEYDON BOIS

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Jack’s Hill

Birch Hall

Loug

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Blunts Farm

Theydon Hall

Piggotts Farm

Little Gregories

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70 - 100m

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Thrifts Hall Farm

NTHEYDON BOIS TOPOGRAPHY

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Coppice Row

E P P I NG F

O R E S T

KEY

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The existing treescape of Theydon Bois has beenshaped by physical factors – particularly climateand soil - but mostly by the activities of people.Perhaps the most interesting – and surprising –result of recent research is that, while theappearance of the landscape continuallychanges there are elements within it, includingtrees, woods and hedges, which show continuity not only over hundreds but eventhousands of years.

When the glaciers last retreated from the valleysof the Roding and the Lea some 12,000 yearsago the massive flows of melt-water left the formof the land largely as we find it today. From theopen valley of the Roding in the south, the landrises gently towards a low ridge above TheydonHall, now cut by the M11, then falls gently to thesite of the present village, before rising again tothe Epping Forest ridge, beyond which is the Lea Valley.

The melting glaciers left behind them bothLondon and Boulder clays – mixed clays withchalk, pebbles, sands and other materialsgathered from many locations. These havemostly eroded away, except for the ridgebetween Blunts Farm, Theydon Hall Farm, andThrifts Hall Farm above the village to the east.To the west, the Epping Forest ridge east ofJack’s Hill is topped by pebble gravel. TheRoding Valley floor is alluvium, with gravel atPiggotts Farm.

The soil of the parish is otherwise formed fromthe underlying London Clay, which was laiddown under warm seas millions of years ago. Bynature it is heavy and difficult to work, wet in thewinter and dry in the summer and therefore goodland for grass, but not for ploughing. It restrictsthe height of trees in comparison to those onmore open sorts of soils nearby, for example thegravels of the Lea Valley. Pebble gravel givesrise to poor soils, unsuited to agriculture.

As the climate warmed, the wildwood of Europespread northwards by natural seeding, theforerunners of which were the willows, birchesand hazels. Probably the first impact of peoplewas the creation of pathways and of clearingsnext to running water for homesteads. The lowerand more fertile land would then have beencleared for crops and pasture. In Theydon Boisthere is evidence that the meadows by the

Roding were indeed cleared at an early stage. It is known from archaeological evidence elsewhere in Essex and the east of England that the people of the Neolithic and Bronze Ageenjoyed a complex relationship with trees andwoodland. Farming was first introduced intoBritain during the Neolithic period but there wasno sudden change from a hunter-gatherer to afarming economy. Evidence from east Essexindicates only small-scale woodland clearancewith wild food sources at least as important ascultivated ones.

It seems certain that from earliest times selectedspecies of trees would have been harvesteddeliberately for their qualities and products. Themain uses would have been for shelter, fuel,domestic implements and fodder. The wildwoodwould also have been a hunting ground withevery path and every tree known intimately. Inautumn the woodland would have provided nutsand berries for food. Nests of wild bees inhollow trunks would have been greatly prized fortheir honey. The medicinal properties of sometrees, such as the anaesthetic effect of willowbark, may also have been appreciated. It alsoseems likely that trees were celebrated andworshipped in recognition of their importance topeople’s lives. Circumstantial evidence for thishas been revealed by excavations at a majorNeolithic ritual monument at Springfield nearChelmsford, and more directly by the remarkableinverted tree trunk at the centre of the‘seahenge’ timber circle on the Norfolk coast.

WildwoodWildwood is the term denoting the whollynatural woodland, which developed afterthe last Ice Age unaffected by humanactivities. Recent research shows that italways contained a substantial componentof open land, as a result of grazing by wildanimals. There is no pure wildwood left inthis country. In Epping Forest the land hasbeen managed but never cleared, so it is aparticularly special form of what it is termedsemi-natural woodland. Unlike recentplantations, it is particularly important as ahabitat for a wide variety of plants andanimals, and contains significant elementsof the wildwood.

Prehistory

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Jack’s Hill

Birch Hall

Loug

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Blunts Farm

Theydon Hall

Piggotts Farm

Little Gregories

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Thrifts Hall Farm

THEYDON BOIS SOILSN

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Gravels

Boulder Clay

Older Clay Alluvium

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London Clay

Coppice Row

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How quickly clearance of the woodland occurredlocally. However, there is good evidence fromeastern England for widespread and extensivewoodland clearance during the Early/MiddleBronze Age (c. 1800-1500 BC). By the laterBronze Age (c.1500-800BC) Essex was relativelydensely populated, with a well-developed societytrading widely, and with a complex fullyagricultural economy. There were arable fieldsand many of the crops familiar to today such aswheat, barley, oats, peas and beans were grown.Sheep, pigs, goats, deer and cattle grazed thewoodlands, beneath the shade of pollardedtrees. There were also extensive areas ofenclosed pasture, ditched and probably hedgedto control livestock and many drove ways, usedto herd the cattle. Some woodland may alsohave been protected by hedges and ditches, sothat it could be managed more productively ascoppice. Woodlands were the major source of raw materials for the technology of the day,used for everything from buckets to boats and buildings.

Situated within the protection of the woods onthe Forest ridge just outside the Parish boundaryand now beside the B1393, the iron-age camp,Ambresbury Banks, is thought to date from thefifth century B.C. Even today its scale isimpressive. Its total area is approximately 5hectares (12 acres), originally cleared of treesand enclosed by 3 metre earth walls, within aditch 3 metres deep. Its use, which continuedfor up to 500 years, was probably as a holdingarea for livestock, possibly in times of conflict orin connection with trading.

Roman and Saxon PeriodsThere is archaeological evidence of Romanactivity in or near the parish, particularly alongthe Roding Valley. There was a villa near HillFarm, and possibly a settlement just west ofAbridge. The Roman Road from London toDunmow crossed the parish in the south. FromPiggotts Farm it ran north to Garnish Hall andHobbs Cross, from where its route is wellpreserved running north east to Theydon Mountand on through Bobbingworth and Moreton. Itmay be observed in straight sections of hedges,field boundaries and present day roads.London grew from nothing to succeedColchester as the Roman capital in the firstcentury A.D. because of its importance as a

trading port. Its rapidly growing population wouldhave required food from the countryside andwood for fuel, construction and domestic uses.Because of their proximity it is probable that thewoods and hedgerows of the parish would have been more intensively managed to help produce the increased quantities that would have been demanded.

PollardingPollarding involves cutting the branches oftrees back to the main stem or trunk on aregular cycle. While broadly similar tocoppicing, pollarding was practisedhistorically where the land beneath the treeswas regularly grazed, often as part of thesystem of wood pasture. Wood pasturedates from Anglo Saxon times and possiblyearlier. Animals were pastured, normally oncommon land, amongst trees that would bewidely spaced allowing light onto theground vegetation. The system encouragedthe formation of an older tree population,because saplings tended to be browsed,preventing establishment of younger trees.

New shoots could only flourish above thereach of the animals so pollard trees werelopped at 2 or 3m above the ground. Thisproduced a supply of wood for manyhousehold uses and for charcoal. Twigsand leaves were used as animal fodder.

Pollards are the characteristic form of treein Epping Forest. Continued pollardinginduces a characteristic shape, with abulbous head from which the new shootsgrow. This shape can still be recognised inold pollards, even those that have not beencut for tens or even hundreds of years.Regular pollarding keeps trees young but ifthe practice stops they mature and die inthe normal way. An unpollarded tree isknown as a “maiden”.


With the decline of Roman Britain and the arrivalof the Saxons, some elements of the landscapereverted to woodland but many continued inworking order and were maintained under themanorial system until the Norman Conquest.Something can be inferred about the generalstate of the countryside of that period fromWilliam the Conqueror’s Domesday survey. Theentries relevant to Theydon Bois are in the LittleDomesday Book, which dealt with Essex, Suffolkand Norfolk. It tells us that southwest Essexgenerally was a relatively well-wooded area aswas Theydon Bois itself. As well as woodland,there was ploughland, pasture and meadow. Ofthese the meadow, then as now by the Roding,would have been the most valuable.

According to the Little Domesday Book themanor of Taindena (probably Thain = Lord, andDun = Hill), which also then comprised TheydonGarnon and Theydon Mount, had mostly beenthe property of a Saxon named Hacum.Hacum’s lands and those of another Saxon,Alwyn, were passed to the Norman, Peter DeValognes, Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire.From him, the manor of Theydon was held by the family of de Bosco (from which probablyderives “Bois”). The north east of the currentparish was a separate manor – Gregories, from a certain Gregory who held the manor in the 13th Century.

In or before 1289 the main manor was passedfrom John de Tany to the Abbot of Waltham whoretained it until the dissolution of the monasteriesin 1540 when it passed briefly to the Crown andthen into private ownership.

The Royal Forest of Essex was designated byHenry I in 1130 and originally included most ofthe county. This did not mean that trees coveredthe forested land. It included much opencountryside, and even major towns such asColchester. Its main function was to raiserevenue for the Crown. Edward I eventuallyagreed to reduce greatly the forested area andthe Forest of Essex was broken up into severalsmall royal forests in 1301. Waltham, thesouthernmost of these, was considerably thelargest. It included much of the south and westof what is now Epping Forest District and alsothe adjoining London boroughs. Epping Forestand Wintry Wood are the remaining parts ofWaltham Forest. In Theydon Bois the landsubject to forest law broadly comprised the areasouth and west of Abridge Road and west ofPiercing Hill. It is likely that actual woodlandwas, even in early medieval times, a far smallerarea generally corresponding to the area of theexisting Epping Forest.

Existing common rights were not extinguishedeven after the imposition of the forest laws. Theyincluded rights for cattle to graze and for thelopping of the pollard trees, although the timber

The Saxon and Norman Periods

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and any maiden (unpollarded) trees would haveremained the property of the lords of the manors.Collection of fruit such as crab apples, whichwere food for deer, was also forbidden. On theother hand hazelnuts could still be gathered.

Surviving medieval documents give some insightinto the care of woods. For example, in 1526 thePriory of St Bartholomew Smithfield, whichowned lands around the original church as a giftfrom William de Bosco, leased the rectory toJuliana Fenrother at £4 per annum. In 1527 shewas granted leave, for £2, to cut down and retainall the wood on the property, except the “greattrees”, and provided she did not damage theyoung “springs”. For security, she also had todeposit £4. “Springs” refers to the underwood orcoppice, so the record tells us both that thewoodland was coppiced as might be done todayand that the process of sustainable managementwas understood and capable of enforcement in16th century Theydon Bois.

In 1772-4, Chapman and André surveyed Essex.By the standards of the time the resulting mapwas a particularly good example of their craft.They paparated but now joined together withinthe deer sanctuary. Just to the west is Birch HallWood, now included in the Forest. Below ThriftsHall Farm is shown Thrifts Hall Wood, which waslargely grubbed out in the mid 20th Century. TheGreen is shown with trees bordering CoppiceRow, along the southern edge, east of LoughtonLane, and west of the pond. There are scatteredcottages and farm buildings around the Green,including Pakes Farm, and a cluster of dwellingsaround the tollgate and The Bull. Otherwise fewhouses are shown. Apparently little had changedsince the Middle Ages when, in 1428, the parishwas exempted from tax because there were less than 10 households.

In times of hardship, for example following theBlack Death in the Middle Ages, it is likely thatland reverted to woodland and then later, intimes of prosperity, was brought back to pasture.During all these centuries the produce of thewoodlands and hedgerows would have been amajor part of the local economy. Charcoal(known as coal) came to be the main fuel for the bread ovens of London. Its production was amajor industry before it was eventuallysuperseded by mineral coal. The charcoalburners, or colliers, and their conical ovens

would have been a common sight in the woodsand the Forest. They are commemorated in localnames such as Collier Row (Havering) or ColliersHatch (Stapleford Tawney). With limitedwoodland available, hedgerow timber would alsohave been valued. Ancient pollards inhedgerows show evidence of continued cuttingover many centuries.

CoppiceCoppice trees were cut to near ground levelon a cycle of 15-25 years over timeproducing a complex “stool”. Vigorousregrowth from the stool after coppicingproduces a continual supply of wood formany household and industrial uses and,occasionally, shoots for fodder. Providingthis is done in the winter, the trees sproutagain next spring. Coppice woods arenoted for the variety of flowers and herbsthey shelter, adapted to grow in the partialshade. Exclusion of grazing animals is vitalto successful coppice management as theyoung shoots are particularly appetizing todeer and cattle. As a result even longderelict coppice woodland can often berecognized by the presence of ditches andbanks, originally topped by fences, to protect the stools.

Forest LawsRights to hunt were crucial to the newnorman feudal lords after the conquest.Protection of these rights was a primary aimof normal justice, and of a series of forestlaws. There is a common misconceptionthat the penalties for breaking forest lawswere loss of limbs or even death. Actuallypenalties were financial. A system of forestcourts with officials known as Verderers,grew up to enforce them. Forest lawsbecame a substantial source of revenue for the Crown.


Within the parish there has never been widescale conversion to parkland around a greathouse, as at Hill Hall in Theydon Mount orGaynes Park near Epping. At Birch Hall themodern garden may have 19th centuryantecedents. At Thrifts Hall Farm the formalavenue, which leads to the house from AbridgeRoad, dates from around this time, as does the planting of lime trees in the fields. Thissuggests an ambition to create a landscapedsetting, also perhaps revealed by the OrdnanceSurvey first edition, which recorded the parish in 1870, where the property is shown as “Mount Pleasant”.

This map is particularly helpful because themapmakers took great pains, (not sincerepeated) to record not only the woods, but alsohedgerows and even individual trees. Itillustrates a landscape connected directly tomedieval times, and which would have seemedfamiliar (apart from the railway) to an Anglo-Saxon, or even a Roman. North of the river areopen meadows, indicated as liable to flood.South of the railway is an intricate pattern ofsmall fields, some with individual trees, mostwith hedgerows. To the west, just outside theparish boundary, is a wood called Long Shaw,mentioned by John Hunter in “The EssexLandscape”, as containing apple and crab appletrees, and also some ancient oak and hornbeampollards, indicating that it was once woodpasture. It may have been converted intowoodland in the 17th or 18th century. Woodlandis shown south of Blunts Farm, as well as thetwo woods to the north.

Immediately to the west of the railway thepattern around Blackacre Farm (now within thevillage) is similarly of small, hedged fields,although these are more open to the south. Asmall, linear wood is shown south of BlackacreFarm, just outside the boundary. This is also stillpresent. North of Debden Lane, Redoaks Woodand Gaunts Wood are shown, now joinedtogether. The area between Birch Wood, on theparish boundary, and Birch Hall and Farm isagain of small fields with hedges.

The village consists of a dozen houses aroundThe Green, principally on Poplar Row, and thesame along Coppice Row, towards the 6 StringJack and the new enclosures off Piercing Hill,called Manor Villas. The map shows that severalof these, notably the Vicarage, opposite

19th and 20th Centuries

St. Mary’s on Piercing Hill and Redoak, west ofThe Green, had substantial gardens with trees,and it is clear from the contemporary situationthat the new owners of Manor Villas quickly setabout emulating the established properties.

Generally the Forest boundaries remain asbefore. The Plain is shown clear of trees. Thefields south of Little Gregories (now the golfcourse) are large and open, although to the northand east they are still small and hedged.

It had been intended that an extensive areawould be developed northwards towards Epping,so land was cleared of trees. However only alimited amount of building had taken place by1850. As a result the properties that had beenconstructed acquired very generous gardens,suitable for tree planting, and under theretrospective arbitration award of 1882 by SirArthur Hobhouse the northern compartment,known as Blackheath was restored to the Forest.The first superintendent, Alec McKenzie, thenreplanted using larch, sweet chestnut and otherexotic conifers and broad leaves. The presenceof so many conifers there and in the gardens atWansfell was responsible for the survival of thered squirrel until the late 1950s, although thespecies died out earlier elsewhere in the Forest.

The first edition map also records one othernotable feature of the village, the avenue of 62oaks across The Green, planted in 1832 byLieutenant Hall-Dare RN, son of the lord of themanor. In “Theydon Bois and All That”, JackFarmer records the story that this was the resultof him being left a legacy, and wishing to dosomething to benefit the parish. With the help offriends (and in all likelihood workman from theestate), and with refreshment from the Bull Inn,the trees were planted in a day.

The main growth of the modern village startedfrom 1870 with the arrival of the railway and hasbeen well recorded in the Parish Council’s villageappraisal of 1981. The fields into which thevillage expanded were usually quite small andagain defined by hedgerows of trees. It seemsthat in the early stages, when plot sizes andhouses were generally larger, mature trees fromthe hedgerows were often retained withingardens and new trees planted. In the laterstages of its expansion, when the plot sizesbecame smaller, the old hedgerows and the treeswere swept away and planting of large treesbecame unrealistic.

The overall pattern of the countryside of theparish revealed by the map, of generally modest,irregular fields with plentiful hedgerows, ischaracteristic of land used predominantly fordairy farming, as indeed was the case for manyof the farms on the southern Essex clay. It wasonly in the latter part of the 20th century thatfarmers were persuaded, by the loss of MilkMarketing Board subsidies and the incentives ofgovernment grants, to remove hedgerows andtrees and put more land under the plough. Aerialphotographs document the loss of hedgerowsfrom 1950 to 1980, most noticeably close to thevillage on Blackacre Farm, opening up thelandscape, and impoverishing its wildlife value.

After this the pace of destruction slowed.Recently extensive new woodland planting atGreat Gregories, south of the M25, by theCorporation of London, and of a significant woodnear the site of the original Thrifts Hall Wood hasreversed the trend of tree loss.

11

The ForestAs we know from Chapman and Andre’s map the boundaries of the Forest within the parishhave been largely unchanged since at least theearly 18th century, and probably from muchearlier. Indeed, many of the features mentionedin the Perambulation of 1641, which recorded thehistoric boundary in the parish may still be readily identified;

“To Aybridge and passing over the bridgeaforesaid, by the King’s Highway leading to theparish church of Theydon Boys, and so forwardto the dwelling house of the Rector of TheydonBoys, into a gate called Theydon Green Gate,and thence by the hedge called Purlieu Hedge,until the end of a certain lane called HawcockLane, and so to the bank near the end of thetown of Epping called Purlieu Bank…”

However, there have been changes to itsmanagement that have altered its appearancedramatically. For example, on the slopes aboveThe Plain, an area of Forest appears to havebeen converted to coppice several centuries agoand then allowed to revert to trees. The manyrings of trees would originally have been singlecoppice stools, the centres having rotted awayover time. There are also many enormous multi-stemmed beeches produced by coppicing.

Until a century and a half ago the Forest wouldhave been light and airy, even in summer, asindeed it is described in John Clare’s poem “AWalk in the Forest.” John Clare lived at HighBeach under the care of Dr. Allen, a pioneer inthe care of the mentally ill, between1837-1841.He often wandered in the Forest for solace. Itthen had, as he describes, substantial openareas of grass and heath. Tall, spreading treesand a closed canopy would have been theexception, not the rule.

The most important factor leading to this changewas probably the loss of many of the markets forthe loppings, following the development of newindustrial techniques and new materials. Thepractice of pollarding, which had created andmaintained the open character was therefore indecline. There was also a change in attitudes:pollarding came to be regarded as an unnaturalpractice. However the change was speeded as aconsequence of the protection of the Forestunder the Epping Forest Act 1878.

The story of how the northern part of the Forestwas, at the eleventh hour, rescued fromwholesale clearance may be found in excellentaccounts by Sir William Addison in “EppingForest – Figures in a Landscape” and in “Portraitof Epping Forest”. In the former he records theview which arose in the polite society of thenineteenth century that commoners’ rights topasture cattle and to lop trees encouraged habitsof idleness and a dislike of regular work. Somuch so that, in 1875, the Loughton parishvestry, concerned for the morals of the parishpoor, passed a resolution “that the existence ofthe alleged forestall rights causes great wasteand demoralisation and that it is expedient thatthey should be abolished with duecompensation”. The Lord of the Manor ofLoughton, William Whitaker Maitland devisedschemes to enclose and develop for housingsubstantial areas west of Loughton.


Chapman and AndreChapman and Andre produced their map ofEssex in 1777, which was exceptionallydetailed and accurate, showing buildings,roads and countryside features. Parks,heaths and woods – mostly named – areshown, with sufficient detail to allow thewoodland management to be interpreted.

Resistance initially came in the form of thestruggle of some of the commoners, notablyThomas Willingale of Loughton, who wished tocontinue to exercise their ancient rights oflopping and grazing. He brought a legal casethat found support, remarkable in that socialclimate, of a member of the local gentry, theQuaker Edward North Buxton, Verderer and lastLord of the Manor of Theydon Bois. While thecase proceeded, public support for the causegrew. In the end it was the wealth of theCorporation of London that allowed the Lords ofthe Manor to be bought out and Epping Forestto be safeguarded for future generations.

The legislation that transferred the land-owningrights to the Corporation of London was specific.It required the Conservators of the Forest to“protect the timber and other trees, pollards,shrubs, underwood, heather, gorse, turf andherbage growing on the forest”. It wasunfortunate, although understandable that theConservators interpreted this as requiring themto cease pollarding, in order to protect, the treesand enable them to grow to maturity. Since thelegislation had also extinguished thecommoners’ lopping rights, pollarding could nolonger take place at all. As a result the pollardtrees have grown to their full potential height andtheir crowns have joined overhead, creatinggenerally shady and enclosed woodland.

In more recent decades there has been agrowing appreciation of the importance ofpollards to the character, wildlife and history of the Forest coupled with the desire that theyshould continue to be a major feature of theForest for future generations to enjoy. As aresult the Conservators have begun an ambitious programme of restoration of existingpollarded trees together with creating new,“maiden” pollards.

Another change has been in the number ofpeople who use or enjoy the Forest. While manypeople now pass through in cars, few trouble thedeeper parts of the Forest. For much of historythe thud of the axe or the rasp of the saw wouldhave been common sounds. The energetic butcomparatively few workers of the Corporation ofLondon cannot rival the legions that kept theForest pollarded or coppiced over the centuries.After Queen Victoria came to the Forest on 6May 1882 to dedicate it to “the use and

enjoyment of my people for all time”, the ideatook hold that it should be a playground for thepoor of East London. In the village three‘retreats’ were built to cater for the needs of thevisitors, particularly for refreshment andentertainment. Jack Farmer gives manyinteresting details in “Theydon Bois as I Knew it”.Visitors came in great numbers and were acharacteristic sight on The Green in summer inthe years between the wars, to the financialbenefit of many villagers. By great bad fortuneand with considerable loss of life, the two largerretreats were bombed during World War 2 andnot rebuilt. With changing social conditions theneed for them had disappeared. Apart from thenoise of the motorcar and aeroplane the Foresttoday may be as secluded and quiet as it hasever been in history.

A Walk in the Forest, by John ClareI love the Forest and its airy bounds,

Where friendly Campbell takes his daily rounds;

I love the breakneck hills, that headlong go,

And leave me high, and half the world below;

I love to see the Beech Hill mounting high,

The brook without a bridge, and nearly dry.

There’s Buckhurst Hill, a place of furze and clouds,

Which evening in a golden haze enshrouds;

I hear the cows go home with tinkling bell,

And see the woodman in the forest dwell,

Whose dog runs eager where the rabbit’s gone;

He eats the grass, then kicks and hurries on;

Then scrapes for hoarded bone, and tries to play

And barks at larger dogs and runs away.

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From the village green Theydon Bois is stilldominated by trees. To the west the Forest itselfclothes the rising land of the Epping Forest ridge.To the east, the mature parkland trees aroundThrifts Hall Farm crown the high ground. On TheGreen the avenue of oak trees planted byLieutenant Hall-Dare is a major landmark,although its overall condition is variable, andmany of its components are in decline. Insurrounding gardens there are fine mature trees.

The most impressive and important trees in thevillage are generally either ones incorporatedfrom the countryside, for example the magnificentoaks in the churchyard or nearby in the groundsof Theydon Lodge, or are in older properties suchas the Vicarage, or date from the early period ofexpansion, along Piercing Hill and Coppice Row.Characteristically these are exotic species,including horse chestnut, robinia, pine and cedar.

Not all features of historic importance are soimposing. For example, there is an apparentlyordinary, clipped elm hedgerow fronting Baldocks and the adjacent properties west ofOrchard Drive, and across the frontage of thevillage hall. It may in fact be a surviving part of the hedge referred to in the perambulation of the forest of 1641.

The village green is part of Epping Forest,managed by the Parish Council on behalf of theConservators of the Forest. Other than the oakavenue, trees on the green are largely confined tothe edges, and are found singly, or in smallrelatively informal clumps. The two groups ofoaks and hornbeams opposite the BaptistChurch and the Church Hall are notableexamples of mid-20th century planting. Frequentcutting of the sward has produced a croppedappearance over recent years, but the wetsummers of 2001 and 2002, when mowing had to be less frequent, have revealed a previouslyhidden diversity of flowering grasses and herbs.

In its streets, the village has some 300 trees, themajority planted over the last 50 years. Notableexceptions are the Landmark pine set in thefootpath of Coppice Row and the Veteran oak inWoburn Avenue. The majority of the street treesare relatively short-lived and decorative speciessuch as plum, rowan, crab apple, whitebeam andhawthorn. There are a few larger growing kinds,including lime, robinia and hornbeam. Thesehave a longer life expectancy – but some areplanted with limited space to expand, so willneed a high level of maintenance to be retained.

THE MODERN TREESCAPEThe Village

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In general the street trees contribute strongly toan attractive public environment and theirimportance is increased because of the restrictedsize of many front gardens. However, the qualityand extent of tree cover varies considerably from street to street, although it is noticeablybetter in streets north of the Green than in those to the south.

Until recently the shopping area at the lower endof Forest Drive suffered from an absence of treesof any kind. In 1994 the Parish Councilsponsored the planting of four London planetrees with the intention that they should, in duecourse, be managed as pollards. These are nowflourishing, and already show how much treescan add to the character of a street.

The most verdant parts of the village are thoseadjoining the Forest, including Piercing Hill,Coppice Row and Loughton Lane, where most ofthe important trees are in private gardens or thegrounds of institutions. Piercing Hill still has arural character. To the west of the lower stretchare the Forest and the mature trees of St Mary’sChurchyard. To the east are tall limes, robinias,and hollies originally planted in the garden of TheVicarage. Many properties lie behind tall hedges,with substantial mature native and exotic trees.

Coppice Row is characterised by horsechestnuts, some in front gardens, some set backbehind properties. Along Loughton Lane thereare several mature oaks, some in the highway,but others in gardens. Other survivors from theold countryside include the veteran oaks on thenorthern boundary of Woodland Way with the golfcourse, and a short stretch of hedgerow treesbehind Orchard Drive, on the boundary with thenewer development in Barnmead. Where spacepermits there has been plentiful new tree plantingin private gardens. The more notable are alreadyLandmark trees, such as the dawn redwoods inRed Oaks, west of the village green.

St Mary’s Church is not only surrounded by trees,but has an interesting collection of trees in thechurchyard itself, including two fine Landmarkoaks, a small wooded area and an avenue ofyews. For many years now the management ofthe churchyard has benefited from the dedicatedcommitment of Mr John Plume, with a small bandof volunteers. Theydon Bois County Primary School has a mature oak to the front, and an

ancient hedgerow which divides the playing fieldto the rear. Wansfell College, off Piercing Hill, isan adult education college teaching a widevariety of courses, many on environmentalthemes. It has inherited an extensive and welllaid out Victorian garden with a mixture of a fewof the old Forest trees, augmented by matureplanting of horse chestnut, lime, beech, pine, etc.

Outside the College, following the line of the oldroad is a substantial length of hedge, known asthe Purlieu Hedge because it grows on thePurlieu Bank, which continues up to and alongthe south side of Little Gregories Lane. It marks the Forest boundary, as described by the1641 perambulation. The hedge is mostly ofhornbeam, but it has standard trees, includingseveral superb oaks bordering the golf course,and hazel bushes, which produce hazelnuts.

Regular trimming ceased in the late 1960s, whenthe new road was built. By the early 1990s it hadbecome overgrown, forming a continuous treeline that was attractive but structurally unstable,and which had lost its original character. Afterconsultation a decision was made to restore thelower section it to a traditional form. This wascarried out in two stages, although not withoutsome opposition. However the hedge respondedwell, and is now regularly, if a little severelymanaged, together with the grassed area beyond.

Landmark TreesThe District Council’s Landmark treeinitiative is designed to allow thecommunity, via their tree wardens and withthe owner’s agreement, to designate treesthat have a particular local prominence. Thismay be because of their visual prominence,outstanding form, great age, or associationwith an important person or event. With theagreement of their owners these thenbecome the Landmark trees of the parish.The district council undertakes to givepriority to owners of Landmark trees whoare in need of advice on their care. A treepreservation order may cover someLandmark trees, however the Landmark tree scheme is intended to work throughcooperation and recognition of the value of trees to the community, rather than compulsion.

Epping Forest is now recognised as one of themost important areas of open, semi-natural landin Europe, if not the world, particularly for itsmany Veteran pollards. The current compositionof the Forest is described in the Epping ForestManagement Plan. In summary, this reveals avaried and valuable series of habitats, thoughsubject to major change through natural

processes. The Plain is maintained as grassedopen-space, and some small open spaces aremaintained within the Forest where this isparticularly important for animals or other plants.However the wooded parts, now subject to farless grazing, have become far shadier as the tallcanopy has closed overhead, and as denseunder-storey, particularly of holly has spread.


Epping Forest

The most important species on the tops of thehills, where the soil is better-drained gravel, isbeech. It is present as ancient pollards, ancientcoppice, and also as younger, maiden trees,which are able to shade out other species, evenincluding oak. Hornbeam is an importantspecies on the lower Forest slopes and also oak,particularly on the southern fringes of the Forest. Birch has invaded many of the internalopen spaces and holly is also proliferating very densely.

There is a particular and widespread problem ofthe over maturity of the pollards, on whichlopping ceased in the nineteenth century. Inaddition to the restriction of habitats the fate ofthe many tens of thousands of veteran trees is amajor concern Because of their relatively shortlife expectancy many beech pollards are nowdying, and in the process weakened trees shedtheir limbs or topple. New opportunities arecreated, but at the expense of the Forest’straditional character.

At the top of Piercing Hill the results of thenineteenth century replanting may still be seen,although the larches, sweet chestnuts and otherexotic trees are becoming fewer as they age andwind-blow. Natural regeneration, mostly ofnatives, is replacing them.

The Corporation of London has recently acquiredan extensive area of farmland, previously part ofGreat Gregories Farm. This “buffer land” is animportant protective zone for the Forest itself,but also contains hedgerows and veteran treesof historic interest. 10.1 hectares (24 acres) ofnative woodland planting, chiefly oak, ash,hornbeam and beech, with field maple and crabapple has recently taken place south of the M25motorway which, when it matures, will give screening and some degree of noise reduction.On the crest of the hill, east of Little Gregories,there used to stand a prominent group of elmsknown as The Seven Sisters. Because of theirimportance, they were injected with fungicide toprotect them from Dutch elm disease, an attemptthat was ultimately unsuccessful. Recently agroup of beech has been planted nearby. Thishas been difficult to establish but promises, intime, to recreate the feature, albeit with differentspecies. Several elms still remain in a hedgerowacross the remaining pasture to the south.

The south facing slopes above the village remainsparsely treed and with few hedgerows.

The golf course is visually important from thevillage itself, but also in longer views from thesouth. All of the “old nine” is within the historicForest boundary, several holes in the woodedForest west of Theydon Road and the remainderin the open land north of Little Gregories Lane. Acontinuation of the Purlieu Bank and the oldEpping road, now a sunken green lane partlyblocked by thick scrub and lined by tall trees,mark the northeastern boundary. The “newnine”, immediately north of the village wasconstructed in the mid 20th century on farmlandacquired by the Forest, and was initially plantedusing inappropriate exotics. However, recentplanting has been better advised and, with moreplanned, this should considerably enhance thesetting of the village as it matures.

An ancient hedgerow, containing several largeand important veteran oaks, marks the southernboundary of the course. Unfortunately one wasfelled a few years ago, having been implicated insubsidence to a house in Woodland Way.

Veteran TreesVeterans, or ancient trees, are those thathave survived into old age. Depending onspecies, this generally means 250 + years.They can normally be recognised by theirsize, with a girth likely to exceed 3m, and,in the case of pollards, their characteristicshape. Allowance is made for the slowergrowing nature of species such as yew ormulberry, or the short life expectancy of, forexample, willow. Trees that becomeveterans are invaluable as a habitat,particularly for insects but also for theirlandscape and historic interest. The VeteranTree Initiative is a national scheme to findand record details of all of the U.K.’s ancient trees. They may be presentin gardens, as well as countryside and Forest.

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Beyond the railway the land rises to the ridge onwhich stand Thrifts Hall Farm, Parsonage Farmand Blunt’s Farm. The planting around ThriftsHall Farm is of particular importance, seen fromthe village. The recent removal, for safetyreasons, of the hybrid poplars that lined therailway has opened up the views to the oldparkland beyond. Although many of the farmbuildings have recently been converted tohousing, the nearby trees have been retained. The planting around the farm isprincipally of lime and horse chestnut, butancient native hedgerows of hawthorn, hazel,field maple, oak and ash also remain in the surrounding landscape.

Beyond the ridge was Thrifts Wood, removed instages during the twentieth century. Its outline isstill partly drawn on the landscape byhedgerows. Since 1990 a new wood has beenplanted on part of its original area, following theconstruction of fishing lakes in the valley.Although site conditions are difficult, the owner,one of the parish tree wardens, has takenconsiderable trouble to look after the trees,which are thriving. Additionally he has permittednatural regeneration from the native hedgerowoaks so that they are already re-establishingthemselves by seed amongst the forestry mix.

The highway from Abridge is an ancient one.Although improved and straightened it stillretains in places its ancient hedgerows andveteran trees. To the east of the Abridge Road,and north of Coopersale Lane, the well-treed

pattern persists with a mixture of native trees,particularly oaks, with newer plantings. Thenorth facing slopes beyond Blunt’s Farm havelargely been cleared of hedgerows, but in thevalley floor, close to the motorway junction, asmall, but ancient and floristically valuablebluebell wood remains. South of Thrifts HallFarm, beyond the new fishing lakes, is an openpattern of fields, with the skeleton of the ancientfield system remaining as hedgerows, withmature ash and oak trees. Until Dutch elmdisease, many of these hedgerows would have been principally of elm.

Roding Valley SlopesThe M11 now provides a rough dividing linebetween the Thrifts Hall Farm ridge and theRoding Valley slopes. Along the Roding theseretain their historic character as open watersidemeadows. Higher, the fields are now mostlyploughed. There are fewer trees or hedgerowsbut some veteran pollards of oak. Clumps oftrees, including horse chestnut and willows,mark most buildings, including the ancientcomplex of Theydon Hall and Theydon HallFarm, and the original church site and burialground of Theydon Bois. A small area of broadleaved woodland remains just north of TheydonHall cottages. The Abridge Road, althoughstraightened and modernized, still has many finetrees including old pollards and sections ofancient hedgerow along its verges.

The Thrifts Hall Farm Ridge


The following sections look at the way ahead.They consider the main issues that need to be resolved, if change is to be managedsuccessfully, and set out the key aims. Because of the role of the Corporation of Londonas Conservators of Epping Forest, key objectives1 and 4 (i) - 4(iv) relate to them, and conform tothe Management Plan for the Forest and theBuffer Lands.

The overall key aims are:

• to record key elements of the landscape, inaccordance with the Essex BiodiversityAction Plan;

• to preserve what is most important in thelandscape, or meaningful for local heritage;

• to manage the trees, woodlands andhedgerows for the benefit of thelandscape, amenity and wildlife;

• to add to the existing tree and hedgerowcover by new planting, particularly wherethis is in keeping with the historiclandscape character;

• to encourage new planting in the village,particularly in the streets and in frontgardens; and

• to increase understanding of, andinvolvement with, tree conservation and management.

The specific actions to achieve these aims willbe set out by the District Council in a separateaction plan. In general they require cooperationbetween the various authorities, the communityand landowners. The key issues and relatedobjectives are set out below.

1 The GreenThe main tree issue is the future of the oakavenue, given its variable condition andappearance. The intention of the Conservators isto maintain the single avenue with necessarysurgery and inter-planting for the time being, butto consult widely with residents of Theydon Boison a longer-term strategy for trees on The Green.

The principles of management of the Green areset out in the Management Plan for the Forest. Itmust respect The Green’s historic character andmaintain and enhance its wildlife value as well asallowing for informal recreation and the holdingof events. To maintain The Green’s historicopenness only limited additional tree planting islikely to be appropriate.

Key Objective 1

To maintain with sensitivity the historic character of Theydon Green and to enhance itsappearance and wildlife value, subject toconsultation with the local community.

2 Street SceneThe consultative meetings showed that there is ageneral appreciation of the street trees as animportant asset of the village together with adesire for additional tree planting. There is alsoa desire for advance consultation with residentsand local organisations on new planting, and inparticular on the choice of species and theirlocation, for more frequent pruning of trees, andfor better care of young trees in particular.

At the same time, there is a significant level ofgeneral concern about the potential problemsthat trees can cause, notably buildingsubsidence as a result of root activity, damage topavements and large trees out-growing theirsituation and causing excessive shading, etc.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Restricted financial resources are likely toremain, for the foreseeable future, a major factorlimiting the District Council’s ability to meetexpectations of either increased planting or moreactive tree care. The challenge is therefore tofind new forms of working, includingpartnerships with local people, businesses andother organisations, and new sources of funding.

PlantingPlanting over recent years has continued to addto the number of trees in the verges. 27 newtrees were planted in the 2001/2002 season.However a much more extensive programmewould be necessary to make a majorimprovement, particularly bearing in mind thenumber of decorative trees, mostly red-leaved

plums, which are nearing the end of their useful lives. There are opportunities throughoutthe village for planting:

• to maintain tree cover;

• to replace over-mature or unsuitable trees; and

• to increase the tree cover where space exists.

Subject to the formal agreement of all parties,residents and local organisations will be offeredthe opportunity to increase the numbers of treesplanted in the village through sponsorship.There will be consultation, via the Parish Councilon the proposed planting programme.

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MaintenanceThe restricted budget for highway trees alsoaffects the kind of pruning that can be done.There is no capacity for “non essential” work, forexample crown reduction to lessen shading.Operations are now carried out only whennecessary for safety. The removal of basalshoots and low branches to clear footpaths androads is undertaken, but is restricted to a four-yearly cycle. Because many of the current treesproduce vigorous sucker growth the inevitableresult is that they become unsightly, and theappearance of the street suffers.

One of the benefits of the tree warden scheme tothe village has been that pruning by volunteers,arranged under the auspices of the tree wardenscheme, has helped to relieve this problem, andto clear associated litter.

In the longer term, there is a need to worktowards a sustainable situation, where theplanting of new trees does not outstrip theresources available for later management.Identification of the best sites and carefulmatching of all of the characteristics of theintended tree to the location should minimisefuture problems, while creating a more diverseand attractive streetscape.

Key Objective 2

(i) To identify partnership arrangements oradditional sources of funding to increase theDistrict Council’s ability to meet publicexpectations, in terms of both planting andcare of trees;

(ii) To propose a programme of street treeplanting for the village that will be moresustainable, and to ensure that newlyplanted trees receive a good standard ofaftercare; and

(iii) To continue to maintain the safety of thestreet tree population.

3 Trees in gardens andsemi-public locations

The existing stock of garden trees in general isimportant in enhancing the village’s environmentand its potential for wildlife. In parts of the villagethe trees have become an essential and specialelement of its character. These are mostly oldertrees, including Veteran trees deriving from thecountryside, which predate the expansion of thevillage. They include the significant legacy ofVictorian and Edwardian planting, including horsechestnuts, pines and other introduced speciesthat are now at their prime. The presence ofnotable trees also characterizes several of thevillage’s significant public places, and particularlySt. Mary’s Church. There are also a number ofindividually outstanding trees in prominentlocations. Many of these trees are protected by tree preservation orders, or have beenrecognized as “Landmark trees.”

Tree WardensTree wardens are volunteers, who areprepared to give time to promote the care and planting of trees in theirneighbourhoods and support initiatives such as National Tree Week.

The Tree Warden Scheme is co-ordinatednationally by The Tree Council, and withEpping Forest District Council. TheydonBois has had an active group of treewardens since the start of the scheme in1994. Tree wardens can be contacted viathe parish or district councils.

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Threats to trees can arise from proposeddevelopment, or from inappropriate plantingchoices, which lead to trees outgrowing theirsituations, but increasingly from concerns aboutsubsidence on shrinkable clay, caused by treeroot activity. In many circumstances loss of treescan be accepted subject to replacementplanting, but not of trees that are essential to thecharacter of the village, unless it can be shownthat no alternative solution exists

Key Objective 3

By advice, publicising other sources of reliable guidance, and through the use ofplanning control:

• to support the appropriate management ofexisting trees, and appropriate new planting,particularly on sites to which the public have access;

• to encourage the completion of theLandmark and Veteran Tree surveys and topublicise their findings; and

• to protect those trees that give character tothe village, and ensure that trees that have aspecial or outstanding value are not felled,except where there is no alternative.

4 Epping ForestGiven the scale of the task, and the resourcesavailable, the Epping Forest Management Planconcentrates on specific initiatives for definedpurposes and does not seek to reproduce theoriginal management of the Forest as a whole.Although its character will inevitably change,there is an ambitious programme to ensure thatvisitors will continue to find pollarded woodland,the key characteristic of the Forest. Theprogramme involves active restoration of over-grown pollards, concentrating on hornbeamrather than beech because the success rate isbetter. The ultimate aim is that one third of allhornbeam pollards should be returned to regular cutting. In addition new pollards arebeing created.

From the community perspective, the Forest isvalued but is not always well known orunderstood. Many people have concerns,particularly about safety, which currently restrictthe use that they are able to make of it, either forrecreation or quiet enjoyment. The intention ofthe Conservators is to prove better information,

in the form of leaflets and signboards at Forestentrances, to allow more people enjoyment of atleast the outer fringes of the Forest. Thecommunity’s wider concerns will also be reviewed as part of a review of the Public AffairsStrategy in 2003.

The open grasslands of the golf course areincreasingly being managed in a way thatbenefits biodiversity. Key features includingtrees and hedgerows of historic value are beingidentified and some of the more out-of-placeconifers and poplars are being replaced. Muchnew planting has taken place, particularly in thenewer southern part of the golf course, whichwill eventually create an attractive andappropriate landscape above the village.Retention of the Veteran trees, including thosealong the northern boundary of the village, andbringing the Purlieu hedge along Little GregoriesLane back into active management are ofparticular importance.

In the buffer lands on Great Gregories Farm itappears that, at least since the 19th centurythere have been relatively fewer hedgerows thanelsewhere in the parish. This was exacerbatedby clearances over the second half of the 20thcentury. Now that the land is under thestewardship of the Corporation of London, it willbe possible to undertake significant re-planting,particularly along the field boundaries, which willenhance the view from the village. There is awillingness to involve the community in relatedprojects, and particularly to include the school inhedgerow planting at Great Gregories.

Key Objective 4

(i) To continue management of the Forest toprotect and enhance, so far as practicable,its bio-diversity and to conserve its special character;

(ii) to enhance public enjoyment of the Forest and to increase understanding of its management;

(iii) to promote management of the golf course,in partnership with Theydon Bois Golf Club,to retain its key historic features, enhanceits value for wild life, and to improve itsoverall landscape character; and

(iv) to improve the landscape character of the”buffer” lands by involving the local communityin selective tree and hedgerow planting.


The farmed countryside retains its historiccharacter, but only in part. Some parts of theparish, particularly east of the railway, remain wellhedged, with many hedgerow trees, includingVeteran trees and pollards. Outside the Forestthere has been little woodland since pre-historictimes, but most of what there has been is stillpresent. Considerable hedgerow loss occurredduring the 20th century, but the pressure forremoval of hedgerows appears to have recededand important hedgerows now have protectionunder the law. Trees and hedgerows remainunder threat, but generally from decline as aresult of neglect or inappropriate managementrather than wholesale and intentional removal.

The original purposes of woodland, to providetimber and wood, and of hedgerows, todemarcate boundaries, to enclose and shelterstock, and provide wood for fuel have largelydisappeared. Remaining hedgerows often aretherefore unmanaged. This leads to a poorerhabitat for nesting birds and a loss of speciesdiversity, as weaker species are shaded out. Ifhedgerows are cut, it is now usually in summer,when it is most damaging to wildlife. Over-heavycutting is common, damaging to the hedgerowstructure and health, and causes sapling trees tobe lost. Field margins are eroded to increaseproductivity and tree roots damaged. Theresults, particularly noticeable on the RodingValley slopes, are hedgerows that can only makea limited contribution to the landscape and towildlife diversity, and a vulnerable population oftrees that is ageing and in poor health.

Policy at national level is moving towardsrecognition of the appearance and wildlife valueof the countryside as an actual product of thefarming system, to be rewarded by subsidy orgrant. The prospects for effective wildlifeenhancement in the countryside may thereforebe transformed. At present taking land out ofagricultural management for large scale plantingschemes, or leaving wide field margins may notbe seen to be realistic, but small-scale initiatives,such as allowing saplings to develop in managedhedgerows, planting up field corners orrecommencing management of neglectedpollards or small areas of woodland, would stillbe of benefit. The Essex Biodiversity Action Plancontains a number of objectives related to treesand, within the plan, the District Council hasadopted Veteran trees as one of its local Flagship Species.

Key Objective 5

(i) To record key countryside features,particularly Veteran trees, pollards, andancient hedgerows and woods;

(ii) to encourage their conservation andappropriate management in accordancewith the Essex Biodiversity Action Plan;

(iii) to promote establishment of new trees,where appropriate; and

(iv) to increase public awareness andunderstanding of trees in the countryside.

5 Countryside

There is a range of TPOs in the parish. Theoldest are strategic orders made by EssexCounty Council in the 1950s, covering RedoakWood, Gaunts Wood, The Vicarage and ThriftsHall; others cover the whole of substantialproperties such as Birch Hall. More recent oneshowever have been made to protect selectedgarden trees in advance of development.

There are strong policies in the Epping ForestDistrict Local Plan, that are rigorously enforced toensure that important trees are not lost ordamaged as a result of development, and thatnew building has appropriate and effectivelandscaping. Threats to trees range fromdomestic extensions that would come to close toindividual trees, with the risk of damage to theirroots, to major applications in the countryside,with the potential to cause major loss of treesand woodland. An example would be theproposal for a golf course at Blunts Farm, where,however, the most valuable trees and the ancientwood are now all protected, and shown to beretained in line with the planning conditions forthe development. The local plan also containsthe council’s policies to guide its consideration ofrequests to prune or fell preserved trees, which are all looked at individually. These encourage reasonable management, but guard against unnecessary or unjustified loss of important trees.

In dealing with planning applications TPO treesare “material considerations”. However themajority of trees (outside the Forest) are notlegally protected. It is clear that, within theplanning process, recognition needs to beextended to the value of the special trees andlandscape features, identified in this strategy,that contribute to the character of the village andthe surrounding countryside. It is intended,therefore, that this strategy will be adopted assupplementary planning guidance to allow it tobe used when taking decisions on planningapplications and in planning appeals or enquiries,to give greater force to the local plan policies.

Key Objective 6

• To use planning powers where appropriate,and specifically the policies in the local plan,

• To protect features identified as being ofspecial importance to the amenity, characterand setting of the village, particularlyLandmark Trees, Veteran Trees, ancienthedgerows and woods,(LL1,2,7,8,9,10); theparkland at Thrifts Hall Farm,(LL1,2,10); and,in gardens within the village, the characteristicVictorian planting and trees incorporated fromthe countryside,(LL7,8,9,10).

*Note - The local plan policy references are given followingthe relevant issue. The text of the policies is included asAppendix 1.]

6 Trees and Planning

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The following sources have been used in thepreparation of this strategy, in addition to plans and estate maps held at the EssexRecords Office:

IntroductionThe Essex Biodiversity Action Plan. Essex County Council 1999.

The Trees of Theydon BoisCountryside Character Vol. 6: The East of England. Countryside Agency 1999.

The Essex Environment. Essex County Council 1992.

The History of the Countryside. Oliver Rackham. Phoenix 1986.

Trees & Woodlands in the British Landscape. Oliver Rackham. Revised Edition Dent 1990.

Tree Medicine, Tree Magic. Ellen Evert Hopman 1999.

Epping Forest through the Ages. Georgina Green 1982.

City of Victory – the story of Colchester. Philip Crummy 1997.

East Saxon Heritage; An Essex Gazetteer. Stephen Pewsey & Andrew Brooks 1993.

Essex in the Domesday Book. W Raymond Powell. Essex Records Office 1990.

The Victoria History of the County of Essex Vol.1V.Essex County Council 1984.

Forests of Britain. Thomas Hinde 1985.

The Essex Landscape. A study of its form and history. John Hunter 1999.

Epping Forest - Figures in a Landscape and Portrait ofEpping Forest. Sir William Addison. Hale 1991 and 1997.

Theydon Bois As I Knew It. Jack Farmer Nuclear Printing and Publishing 1980.

Theydon Bois Village Appraisal. Anon. 1981.

The Modern TreescapeEpping Forest Management Plan. The Corporation ofLondon: Conservators of Epping Forest 2002.

Looking to the FutureEssex Landscape Character Assessment July 2002Chris Blandford Associates.

The Epping Forest District Local Plan adopted January 1998. EFDC.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe are indebted to the many local people who,from personal interest or as representatives ofthe many local organisations, have taken the timeand trouble to contribute to the development ofthe strategy, by attending the meetings, makingsuggestions and offering improvements to thetext, and particularly to Paul Argent, JohnConroy, Bob Day, John Eaton, Ian Gillies, RobinLlewellyn Jones, Peter Newton, John Padfield,Wilfred Shales, Jane Turner, and Alwyn Wheeler. We are also pleased to acknowledge the helpreceived from Jeremy Wisenfeld, Ian Cox andTricia Moxey, of the Corporation of London:Conservators of Epping Forest and Nigel Brownof Essex County Council.

The Epping Forest District Council teampreparing and implementing this strategy is:

Chris Neilan, Landscape Officer andArboriculturist, with Melinda Barham, TracyClark, Zoe Freeman, Paul Hewitt and IanWhite (Planning Services), George Haley andLaura MacNeill (Leisure Services)

SOURCES

Policy LL1

The council will continue to act to:

(i) conserve and enhance the character andappearance of the countryside;…

Policy LL2

The council will not grant planning permission fordevelopment in the countryside unless it issatisfied that the proposal will:-

(a) respect the character of the landscape;and/or

(b) enhance the appearance of the landscape; and

(c) where appropriate involve the managementof part or all of the remainder of the site toenhance its contribution to the landscape.

Policy LL7

The council will:

(i) promote tree and woodland planting where itis considered that this will lead to significantamenity benefit;

(ii) seek to protect trees and woodland ofamenity value; and

(iii) promote good standards of tree care andwoodland management.

Policy LL8

The council will give consent for works to a treeor woodland protected by a tree preservationorder provided it is satisfied that:-

(i) the health and appearance of the tree willnot be impaired; and

(ii) the works will not justifiably inhibit or preventthe full and natural development of the tree; or

(iii) the works are necessary to its continuedretention and consistent with goodarboricultural practice; or

(iv) in the case of a woodland, the proposedworks are consistent with the principles ofsound woodland management.

Policy LL9

The council will not give consent to fell a tree orwoodland protected by a tree preservation orderunless it is satisfied that this is necessary andjustified. Other than for woodland any suchconsent will be conditional upon appropriatereplacement of the tree.

Policy LL10

The council will refuse to grant planningpermission for any development which itconsiders makes inadequate provision for the retention of:-

(i) trees; or

(ii) natural features, particularly wildlife habitatssuch as woodlands, hedgerows, ponds andwatercourses; or

(iii) man-made features of historical,archaeological or landscape significance.

APPENDIX A

27

These are the relevant policies from the local plan:

SPONSORS

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TheydonBoisHorticultural Society

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