The Picnic District 2 – Hockley Woods

March

17

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Hockley Woods are surely our district’s greatest natural treasure – the biggest remnant of the ancient woods that once covered Essex. There’s more information on the Council website here. And if you are seriously interested in the woods, you can buy Oliver Rackham’s Book “The Ancient Woodlands of England:The Woods Of South East Essex” from the Council.

There are some picnic benches near the entrance, next to the play space. It takes about an hour to walk round. The light can be rather special – sunlight dappled by the trees. Most of the time all you will hear is birdsong. But you’ll probably see small children in Wellies doggedly exploring the woods with their parents and also encounter happy dogs wagging their tails and getting muddy. First-time visitors may be startled by the coppicing – but a notice explains that this is a traditional part of the management of the woods.

There wasn’t much litter to be seen, largely because some regular visitors pick it up and remove it. But the question of litter in woods is something we are going to write about soon…

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