# Hockley Woods > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hockley_Woods > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hockley_Woods.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockley_Woods > Source revision: 1340446842 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Nature reserve in Essex, England Hockley Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest Location of Hockley Woods. Location Essex Grid reference TQ 833917 Interest Biological Area 91.3 hectares Notification 1986 Location map Magic Map **Hockley Woods** is a large woodland in south-east [Essex](/source/Essex). It is a [Local Nature Reserve](/source/Local_Nature_Reserve),[1][2] and parts are a [Site of Special Scientific Interest](/source/Site_of_Special_Scientific_Interest).[3][4] It is owned and managed by [Rochford District Council](/source/Rochford_District_Council).[3][5] Hockley Woods are the largest residual area of the [wildwood](/source/British_wildwood), which covered much of Essex after the [Ice Age](/source/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](/source/Hockley), [Hawkwell](/source/Hawkwell) and [Rayleigh](/source/Rayleigh%2C_Essex). The size of the woods is variously given as 130 [hectares](/source/Hectare),[6] 109 hectares[7] and 91.3 hectares,[3] 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](/source/Hornbeam) on the wet soils, [willow](/source/Willow) and [hazel](/source/Hazel) along the streams. Other trees include [pedunculate oak](/source/Pedunculate_oak), [sessile oak](/source/Sessile_oak) and [birch](/source/Birch). Ground flora include three species of orchid, and there is a stream and area of bog.[3] Other species include the [wild service tree](/source/Sorbus_torminalis), [wood anemone](/source/Wood_anemone), [wood spurge](/source/Euphorbia_amygdaloides) and cow wheat that develop on the undisturbed soils of old woods. The protected [heath fritillary](/source/Heath_fritillary) butterfly is common on the site.[1] Hockley Woods are [coppiced](/source/Coppicing) 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 am.[8] 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.[9] ## Other woods in Hockley Other isolated woods within the parish of Hockley are as follows.[7] Information Board for Betts Wood **Betts Wood** ([Ordnance Survey](/source/Ordnance_Survey_National_Grid) Reference TQ834929), 2.97 hectares, is a rectangular wood principally comprising coppiced Hornbeam and standard Oak with Ash, Hazel and [Elm](/source/Elm). Ground vegetation consists mainly of [brambles](/source/Bramble). 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, [Crab Apple](/source/Malus), and [hart's tongue fern](/source/Asplenium_scolopendrium). 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 [bluebells](/source/Campanula_rotundifolia) 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 [Hawthorn (*Crataegus monogyna*).](/source/Crataegus) 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, [broom](/source/Genisteae), 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](/source/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](/source/Marylands_Nature_Reserve) - [Daws Heath](/source/Daws_Heath) - [Great wood](/source/Great_Wood_and_Dodd's_Grove) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-LNR_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-LNR_1-1) ["Hockley Woods"](http://www.lnr.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/lnr/lnr_details.asp?C=15&N=&ID=220). Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-LNRmap_2-0)** ["Map of Hockley Woods"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=lnrIndex&query=REF_CODE%3D%271008958%27). Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 2 August 2016. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-citation_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-citation_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-citation_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-citation_3-3) ["Hockley Woods citation"](http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003984.pdf) (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2 August 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-map_4-0)** ["Map of Hockley Woods"](http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003984%27). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 2 August 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament"](https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2014-11-17/214414/). *questions-statements.parliament.uk*. Retrieved 30 December 2025. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Rochford District Council - Hockley Woods"](https://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure-and-tourism/woodlands-parks-and-open-spaces/hockley-woods). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_7-1) Rackham, Oliver (1986). *The Woods of South-East Essex*. Rochford: Rochford District Council. pp. 62–77, 109. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-9511863-0-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9511863-0-2). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Hockley Woods parkrun"](http://www.parkrun.org.uk/hockleywoods/). Parkrun Limited. Retrieved 2 March 2019. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Hockley Woods"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160727064014/http://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure_culture_and_tourism/woodlands_parks_and_open_spaces/hockley_woods). Rochford District Council. Archived from [the original](http://www.rochford.gov.uk/leisure_culture_and_tourism/woodlands_parks_and_open_spaces/hockley_woods) on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016. Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Hockley Woods](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hockley_Woods). [51°35′38″N 0°38′35″E / 51.594°N 0.643°E / 51.594; 0.643](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Hockley_Woods¶ms=51.594_N_0.643_E_type:landmark_region:GB) v t e Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Essex Biological Abberton Reservoir Ashdon Meadows Basildon Meadows Belcher's and Broadfield Woods Benfleet and Southend Marshes Blackwater Estuary Blake's Wood & Lingwood Common Bovingdon Hall Woods Bullock Wood Canvey Wick Cattawade Marshes Chalkney Wood Colne Estuary The Coppice, Kelvedon Hatch Cornmill Stream and Old River Lea Crouch and Roach Estuaries Curtismill Green Danbury Common Debden Water Dengie Elsenham Woods Epping Forest Foulness Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays Garrold's Meadow Glemsford Pits Grays Thurrock Chalk Pit Great Wood and Dodd's Grove Hainault Forest Hales and Shadwell Woods Hamford Water Hangman's Wood and Deneholes Hanningfield Reservoir Harlow Woods Hatfield Forest High Wood, Dunmow Hockley Woods Holehaven Creek Holland Haven Marshes Hunsdon Mead Inner Thames Marshes Little Hallingbury Marsh Mill Meadows Mucking Flats and Marshes Norsey Wood Nunn Wood Pitsea Marsh Quendon Wood Riddles Wood Roding Valley Meadows Roman River Sandbeach Meadows Stour and Copperas Woods, Ramsey Stour Estuary Thorndon Park Thrift Wood, Woodham Ferrers Thundersley Great Common Tiptree Heath Turnford and Cheshunt Pits Upper Colne Marshes Vange and Fobbing Marshes Waltham Abbey Weeleyhall Wood West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes West Wood, Little Sampford Woodham Walter Common Geological Ardleigh Gravel Pit Clacton Cliffs and Foreshore The Cliff, Burnham-on-Crouch Colne Estuary Dengie Globe Pit Goldsands Road Pit Hall's Quarry Harwich Foreshore Holland-on-Sea Cliff Lion Pit Little Oakley Channel Deposit Lofts Farm Pit Maldon Cutting Marks Tey Brickpit The Naze Newney Green Pit Purfleet Chalk Pits Purfleet Road, Aveley River Ter St Osyth Pit Stour Estuary Wivenhoe Gravel Pit v t e Local nature reserves in Essex Basildon Mill Meadows, Billericay Norsey Wood Vange Hill Braintree Bocking Blackwater Brickfield and Long Meadow Brockwell Meadows Cuckoo Wood Gosfield Sandpits Hoppit Mead Whet Mead Brentwood Hutton Country Park Castle Point Canvey Lake Chelmsford Chelmer Valley Riverside Fenn Washland Galleywood Common Colchester Bull Meadow Colne Colne Valley Hilly Fields Lexden Park Salary Brook Spring Lane Meadows Tiptree Parish Field Welsh Wood Epping Forest Chigwell Row Wood Church Lane Flood Meadow Home Mead Linder's Field Nazeing Triangle Roding Valley Meadows Roughtalley's Wood Thornwood Common Flood Meadow Weald Common Flood Meadows Harlow Harlow Marsh Hawkenbury Meadow Parndon Woods and Common Rochford Hockley Woods Kendal Park Magnolia Fields Marylands Southend-on-Sea Belfairs Belton Hills Gunners Park Shoeburyness Old Ranges Southend on Sea Foreshore Tendring Holland Haven Pickers Ditch Meadow Wrabness Thurrock Grove House Wood Linford Wood --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hockley Woods](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockley_Woods) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hockley_Woods?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.