Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
![]() Garnetts Wood | |
Location | Essex |
---|---|
Grid reference | TL636182 |
Interest | Biological |
Area | 25.0 hectares |
Notification | 1985 |
Location map | Magic Map |
![A wooden statue of a man in a woodland](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Statue_of_Geffrey_Garnett%2C_Garnetts_Wood_%28geograph_4060601_by_Roger_Jones%29.jpg/220px-Statue_of_Geffrey_Garnett%2C_Garnetts_Wood_%28geograph_4060601_by_Roger_Jones%29.jpg)
Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays is a 25 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest two miles south of Great Dunmow in Essex. It is owned and managed by Essex County Council "for quiet public recreation".[1][2]
The site is coppiced woodland, mostly ancient, on glacial silt, sands, gravels and clay soils. It contains some of the best lime woodland, which was once widespread but now rare, in the county. The ground flora are mainly brambles and dog's mercury, with some wood sorrel and bluebells. There are two ponds, which have the unusual water purslane.[1] The woodland contains the rare wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis).
There is access from Bishop's Green.[2]
The wood gets its name from the knight Geffrey Garnett who was given the wood in the 12th century by King Henry II. A statue was carved in its place. A plaque under the statue (since removed) read:
"Over 800 years ago Geffrey Garnet owned and walked these woods. They were given to him in 1165 as a knights fee a gift of land big enough to support a knight. Then in the service of King Henry II. The same trees that grew then are growing today and still yielding a coppiced wood crop. Now Garnetts Wood belongs to you. Welcome to your woodland."[3]
References
- ^ a b "Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Map of Garnetts Wood and Barnston Lays". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Garnetts Wood". Friends of the Flitch Way. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
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51°50′20″N 0°22′26″E / 51.8389°N 0.374°E / 51.8389; 0.374
- v
- t
- e
- 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
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- 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
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- Hanningfield Reservoir
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- High Wood, Dunmow
- Hockley Woods
- Holehaven Creek
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- Hunsdon Mead
- Inner Thames Marshes
- Little Hallingbury Marsh
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- Nunn Wood
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- Riddles Wood
- Roding Valley Meadows
- Roman River
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- Upper Colne Marshes
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- Weeleyhall Wood
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- Woodham Walter Common
- Ardleigh Gravel Pit
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- Colne Estuary
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- Purfleet Chalk Pits
- Purfleet Road, Aveley
- River Ter
- St Osyth Pit
- Stour Estuary
- Wivenhoe Gravel Pit