10 minute read
Under the spotlight
Warley Place
nature reserve
A site where nature and history entwine, the historic garden at Warley Place nature reserve comes alive in spring, when a profusion of flowers cover this reserve in a dazzling display of colours.
What to look out for this spring atWarley Place
Daffodils
The star of the show, thousands of daffodils can be found across the nature reserve in early spring.
California laurel
This infamous tree is referred to as the ‘headache tree’ due to evidence that the vapours from its aromatic leaves can give people head pains if they stand near it for too long.
Nuthatch
This woodland bird can be seen descending tree trunks head-first, look for them from the wildlife hide.
Nuthatch photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Small copper photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography
Small copper
As the warm weather arrives later in spring, this striking orange and black butterfly can be found basking on bare ground in the sunshine.
Billie’s facts
Warley Place nature reserve
Size: 81 hectares. Address: Warley Road, Great Warley, Brentwood, CM13 3HU. Access: The gate is opened daily during daylight hours and there is a small car park on site. There are paths throughout the nature reserve, with steps and gentle sloping trails to take you through this historic place. Dogs: No dogs are allowed due to the sensitivities of this site.
Aspringtime visit to Warley Place is not to be missed, when the nature reserve is covered in a golden hue of daffodils and the scene is truly breathtaking. A dedicated team of Essex Wildlife Trust volunteers hold an annual event from late February to mid-April called the Spring Bulb Spectacular, where visitors can witness the thousands of daffodils accompanied by an abundance of snowdrops and crocuses, followed by bluebells and foxgloves.
Although spring is undoubtedly a special time to visit Warley Place, a visit to this site just outside of Brentwood is a truly unique experience at any time of the year. The renowned horticulturalist Ellen Willmott called Warley Place her home from 1876-1934. She was one of the UK’s most influential horticulturalists and garden designers, as well as being a well-respected naturalist and active member of the Essex Field Club.
Warley Place is recognised as a site of national importance for its historic interest and as such is listed as a Grade II Registered Park and Garden. Essex Wildlife Trust took over the management of the site in 1977 and today it has the feel of a ‘wild garden’ or ‘romantic ruin’, with the historic features of the site entwined with nature.
There are a number of impressive veteran trees growing around the reserve. The structural cavities, loose bark, gnarly branches and deadwood offered by these giants of nature are appreciated by flora and fauna alike, providing important habitat for bats, nesting birds, wood decay insects, fungi, lichen, liverworts and mosses.
Due to the site’s history, the veteran trees are a combination of native and ornamental species. There are two trees that are over 350 years old on site: a walnut tree, estimated at 372 years, and a sweet chestnut tree, estimated at 363 years old. It is wonderful to envision the changes these trees have witnessed across the surrounding landscape since the mid-1600s – we now have the busy M25 less than a kilometre away and the skyscape of London in the distance. Despite the proximity to our urban landscape, the nature reserve offers a peaceful tranquillity. With high vantage points, on a clear day you can see views of St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, the Shard, Canary Wharf and the O2 Arena.
Warley Place nature reserve is home to an important roosting site for bats, supporting eight species (including Leisler’s, Natterer’s, noctule and brown long-eared). The two ponds are home to a population of great crested newts and common toads. Birds to look out for include nuthatch, treecreeper, goldcrest, red kites and if you’re really lucky, the tiny firecrest. The activity of badgers can also be seen from the footpath and bridge, across the alpine gorge.
There are two unimproved meadows that are grazed by cattle each year to improve biodiversity. These areas of grassland provide important habitat for insects; in 2021, Trust volunteers conducted regular butterfly transect surveys and recorded over 20 species, including marbled white, small copper, small heath and painted lady. Elsewhere on the site, silver-washed fritillary and white-letter hairstreak were also recorded.
Natterer’s bat photo: Tom Marshall
The remains of Ellen Willmott’s historic walled garden and horticultural elements are still visible today. Standing amongst the brickwork you can visualise the sheer scale and intricacy that was Ellen Willmott’s garden. There remains the prominent centrally located features of the walled garden and conservatory, as well as ruinous brickwork from glasshouses, herbaceous beds, cold frames, ha-has, hothouses, a summer house and a terrace. There is also the completely novel alpine gorge, which is thought to be one of Willmott’s most influential designs.
Ellen Willmott gardened with the mantra ‘right plant, right place’ and was one of the first exponents of wild gardening, approaching with a synthesis of gardening, ecology and horticulture. Important horticultural heritage is still evident at the site, with numerous notable plants including Persian ironwood, Chusan palm, tree of heaven, paper mulberry and Miss Willmott’s ghost, to name but a few.
Although the site is an important nature reserve, it is also so much more, attracting visitors from all over, allowing an extra opportunity to engage the public in the importance of nature. The site also requires additional expertise, therefore the Trust has been working with a team of external consultants to produce a specialist management plan.
Alongside an assessment of ecological interest, the management plan included a comprehensive account of the history of the site, a condition assessment of the historic ruinous structures and a survey of notable trees. The production of this plan was funded by the Rural Payments Agency under a Countryside Stewardship agreement capital grant, together with a funding contribution from Land of the Fanns (a National Heritage Lottery Funded project).
The plan presented a vision for the site going forward and highlighted that the ruinous features associated with the historic garden required considerable works to restore and protect them for the future. The condition of the historic heritage was of concern to Historic England and as such the site was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in November 2021. Essex Wildlife Trust supports this decision and is hopeful that with the further funding opportunities this will bring, the unique historic site can be protected and reinforced for the future, while continuing to enhance its value for wildlife.
On the nature reserve itself, the Trust is working on completing necessary tree works on a number of the notable trees, undertaking pond restoration works, removing and replacing livestock fencing to enable conservation grazing, alongside looking at access and opening a new footpath known as the ‘nut walk’.
A visit to Warley Place nature reserve this spring will be a treat to your senses. Please keep to the footpaths and follow the signage or attend one of the guided walks on Saturdays at 10.30am during the Spring Bulb Spectacular to learn more about this fascinating site.
Wild
Folklore
Folklore is a mixture of the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community. Whether it be fairy tales like Hansel & Gretel, or ancient ceremonies like wassailing, folklore is usually passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth as part of a centuries-old oral tradition. Through the ages, plants and animals commonly found in Essex have creeped into this space of myths and legends – let's explore a few of them…
Native bluebell
Lining the paths of ancient woodlands in Essex, the violet glow of bluebells is a springtime wildflower spectacle. For such a bright and dainty flower, much of the folklore surrounding them is rather dark. Bluebell woods are said to be heavily enchanted, with the flowers intricately woven with fairy charms, used to lure and trap passers-by. Similarly, if a child picks a bluebell, some believe that they will be led astray by fairies, wandering lost forevermore. When you next find yourself walking through a woodland, you might just hear the high-pitched ring of a bluebell, calling the fairies to a gathering. Don’t listen too carefully, however, as some say that if a human hears the bell, they will be visited by a mischievous fairy and die soon after!
Cheerful and fairy-less folklore also exists. According to floriography, also known as the ‘language of flowers’ (a system where meanings are given to specific plants) the bluebell symbolises humility, constancy and gratitude. As they pop up dependably each year from the damp leaf-mulched soil, I cannot help but feel grateful for the earthy carpet of colour that they dot onto nature’s canvas after the bleak monotone winter.
Have you ever tried to turn a bluebell inside out? If you can manage it without tearing petals, then superstition holds that you will win true love.
Badger
The humble badger, a figurehead for The Wildlife Trusts, is steeped in folklore. Across Britain and Ireland, they symbolise persistence, confidence and strong will. In the 16th century, some even believed that badgers could grant protection from witchcraft! Perhaps they came to symbolise protection because, in reality, they defend their sets so aggressively.
One of this species’ most popular portrayals is in Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. Mr. Badger is grumpy but wise – you can go and visit him along themed trail at Hanningfield Reservoir Nature Discovery Park. As is often the case with dark coloured creatures, many folk tales portray badgers as bringers of bad luck, like this 200-yearold rhyme:
Butterfly
The name for these flying insects may have stemmed from an ancient belief that witches took the form of butterflies to steal milk and butter. This term may have been exclusively used for yellow butterflies (which shine like butter) and, over time, came to be used as a collective term for them all.
Butterflies are usually represented in a positive light, symbolising beauty and summertime. Their metamorphic ability, transforming from a caterpillar into a magnificent winged creature, has associated them with rebirth, transformation and hope – words that conjure up images of spring. Around the world, the butterfly is rather poignantly used to represent the human soul and our own ability for change.
Butterfly colouring has even been used for weather prediction! An old wives’ tale states that if the first butterfly seen in spring is white, then clear, cloudless days are ahead. However, if a dark butterfly appears first – like a speckled wood or heath fritillary - then a stormy summer awaits.
Humans are experts at ascribing meaning to the natural world. In reality, these tales and superstitions tell us more about ourselves than the creatures they concern. All wildlife in Essex should be celebrated – not feared. Badgers out for a twilight stroll, bluebells nodding gently in the low sun and butterflies fluttering by are all delightfully unaware of the mystical meanings that we have attributed to them.
Andrew Millham, naturalist, nature writer and volunteer at Essex Wildlife Trust
toad Seen a ?
Despite their name, the common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon in our landscape. Each spring, thousands of toads emerge from hibernation and visit their ancestral ponds to mate and lay their spawn. But their journey can be perilous, crossing busy roads and encountering habitat fragmentation.
Common toad photo: Dawn Monrose Help the Trust understand the distribution of these warty and wide-eyed amphibians in our county, enter your records of toads and toadspawn onto our digital map:
www.essexwt.org.uk/essex-toads
