Hockley Woods

{{Short description|Nature reserve in Essex, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox SSSI |image=Bridleway birches - geograph.org.uk - 583218.jpg |image_caption= |name= Hockley Woods |aos= Essex |interest= Biological |gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ 833917}} |area= 91.3 hectares |notifydate=1986 |map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003984%27 ''Magic Map''] }} '''Hockley Woods''' is a large woodland in south-east [[Essex]]. It is a [[Local Nature Reserve]],<ref name="LNR">{{cite web|url=http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=15&N=&ID=220 |title= Hockley Woods|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England| date = 25 January 2016|access-date= 2 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="LNRmap">{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271008958%27 |title=Map of Hockley Woods|series=Local Nature Reserves|publisher=Natural England| access-date= 2 August 2016}}</ref> and parts are a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]].<ref name="citation">{{cite web|url=http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003984.pdf|title=Hockley Woods citation|series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="map">{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003984%27|title=Map of Hockley Woods|series=Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|access-date=2 August 2016}}</ref> It is owned and managed by [[Rochford District Council]].<ref name=citation/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament |url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2014-11-17/214414/ |access-date=2025-12-30 |website=questions-statements.parliament.uk |language=en}}</ref>

Hockley Woods are the largest residual area of the [[British wildwood|wildwood]], which covered much of Essex after the [[Ice age|Ice Age]], 10,000 years ago. Hockley Woods comprise several contiguous named woods including Great Bull Wood (30.2 ha), Great Hawkwell Wood (44.1 ha), Beeches or Beaches Wood (25.0 ha), Winks Wood (1.1 ha), Little Bull Wood (1.51 ha), Whitbred's Wood (3.57 ha) and Parson's Snipe (3.67 ha). Note that none of the woods is called Hockley wood. The woods extend over parts of the parishes of [[Hockley]], [[Hawkwell]] and [[Rayleigh, Essex|Rayleigh]]. The size of the woods is variously given as 130 [[hectare]]s,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure-and-tourism/woodlands-parks-and-open-spaces/hockley-woods|title=Rochford District Council - Hockley Woods}}</ref> 109 hectares<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The Woods of South-East Essex|last=Rackham|first=Oliver|publisher=Rochford District Council|year=1986|isbn=0-9511863-0-2|location=Rochford|pages=62–77, 109}}</ref> and 91.3 hectares,<ref name="citation" /> although the latter is the SSSI only. Trees have recently (2022) been planted in the arable field to the south of Parson' s Snipe

The woods are on pre-glacial gravels and clay. The wooded areas are an intricate mosaic of various trees, every species developing under appropriate conditions. Oak and sweet chestnut develop on the higher ground, birch on the most acidic soils, [[hornbeam]] on the wet soils, [[willow]] and [[hazel]] along the streams. Other trees include [[pedunculate oak]], [[sessile oak]] and [[birch]]. Ground flora include three species of orchid, and there is a stream and area of bog.<ref name="citation" /> Other species include the [[Sorbus torminalis|wild service tree]], [[wood anemone]], [[Euphorbia amygdaloides|wood spurge]] and cow wheat that develop on the undisturbed soils of old woods. The protected [[heath fritillary]] butterfly is common on the site.<ref name="LNR" />

Hockley Woods are [[Coppicing|coppiced]] and used for timber. It is also the location for Hockley Woods parkrun, a free, weekly, timed 5km running event held every Saturday at 9{{nbsp}}am.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.parkrun.org.uk/hockleywoods/|title=Hockley Woods parkrun|publisher=Parkrun Limited|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>

Access to the wooded areas is unrestricted. There is a bus stop on Main Road (SS5 4RN) and a car park. The site has public toilets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure_culture_and_tourism/woodlands_parks_and_open_spaces/hockley_woods|title=Hockley Woods|publisher=Rochford District Council|access-date=2 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160727064014/http://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure_culture_and_tourism/woodlands_parks_and_open_spaces/hockley_woods|archive-date=27 July 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Other woods in Hockley == Other isolated woods within the parish of Hockley are as follows.<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Betts Wood.jpg|thumb|Information Board for Betts Wood]]'''Betts Wood''' ([[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Ordnance Survey]] Reference TQ834929), 2.97 hectares, is a rectangular wood principally comprising coppiced Hornbeam and standard Oak with Ash, Hazel and [[Elm]]. Ground vegetation consists mainly of [[bramble]]s. The wood is a public open space bordered by housing, a school and a community centre car park. To the west an abandoned field is now a Hornbeam and Oak wood.

'''Blounts Wood''' (TQ818929)''',''' 3.21 hectares, is a rectangular wood principally comprising Hornbeam, Ash and Hazel. It has a rich flora including Wild Service, [[Malus|Crab Apple]], and [[Asplenium scolopendrium|hart's tongue fern]]. The Shenfield to Southend Railway forms the southern boundary of the wood.

'''Crabtree Wood''' (TQ833935), 1.55 hectares, a Hornbeam wood around a small steep valley. A large wood bank marks the boundary with Hockley Hall Wood. The flora is quite poor, although [[Campanula rotundifolia|bluebells]] are abundant.

'''Folly Wood''' (TQ832926), 2.54 hectares, is a rectangular wood of pure Hornbeam and is densely shaded and brambles are abundant. It has a few Oaks. Its boundaries comprise housing and an arable field.

'''Hockley Hall Wood''' (TQ831935),12.59 hectares and the detached '''Hockley Hall Wood South''' (TQ830930), 0.3 hectares. Hockley Hall Wood is a scarp wood mainly comprising Hornbeam, with some Ash and [[Crataegus|Hawthorn (''Crataegus monogyna'').]] It has a rich flora and is much shaded and with an acid soil, the grass ''Milium effusum'' is in profusion. Hockley Hall Wood is privately owned although a public footpath runs through the wood in an East-West direction. Hockley Hall Wood South became detached from Hockley Hall Wood with the construction of the Shenfield to Southend railway in 1888. It has the typical structure of an Oak-Hornbeam wood. It has a rich flora including Wild Service, [[Genisteae|broom]], brambles and bluebells. The railway forms the northern boundary and an arable field the other boundaries.

'''Marylands Wood''' (TQ837930), 4.79 hectares, is a rectangular Hornbeam wood, with Ash, Maple, Willow and Hawthorn. It has abundant flora including Wild Service, bluebell, and three species of orchid. The railway forms the southern boundary, and housing the eastern boundary. Marylands Wood is distinct from [[Marylands Nature Reserve]] (TQ839933).

'''Plumberow Wood''' (TQ839940), 5.22 hectares, is a privately owned scarp wood with less Hornbeam than neighbouring woods. Timber trees are mainly Ash, the flora is rather poor, but bluebells are abundant.

== See also ==

* [[Marylands Nature Reserve]] * [[Daws Heath]] * [[Great Wood and Dodd's Grove|Great wood]]

== References == {{Reflist}} {{Commons category|Hockley Woods}}

[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex]] [[Category:Local nature reserves in Essex]]