Boundary
Thorndon Country Park is 400 acres of attractive woods and
parkland, in two parts. The northern section is on a gravel ridge
and the southern part on clay soil lower down. The two parts are
now linked by Old Thorndon Pastures, which is farmland that has
been restored to a traditional farming landscape with small hedged
fields, grazed by cattle.
The park offers a variety of habitats including ancient woodland,
parkland, ponds, a marsh and meadow. There are some stunning
ancient trees including Giant Oak and Hornbeam pollards, which are
reminders that this was once a deer park. Parts of it used to be
heath land, now a scarce habitat in Essex, and to restore it parts
of the park, both north and south, are being grazed by goats and
sheep.
Thorndon has an interesting history. A manor was recorded here in
the Domesday Survey, and in 1414, 300 acres of land were enclosed
which is now known as The Old Park. In 1573 Lord Petre bought the
estate and the family lived here for 400 years, landscaping the
grounds and creating Old Thorndon Hall. This Hall was demolished in
1764 and the present Thorndon Hall was then built by the 9th Lord
Petre to the north.
Old trees are valuable to us all. Twisted and gnarled, these
individuals command admiration and affection. They give us a sense
of continuity with times gone by. Imagine they were saplings when
King John signed the Magna Carta. Once common, such trees are now
precious and irreplaceable. The veteran trees at Thorndon are of
international importance; Britain has the best veterans in north
west Europe. They harbour hundreds of wild life species, providing
a last refuge for many rare insects and fungi. The wealth of life
gives a huge gene pool for scientists to study. From every
viewpoint veteran trees are important. We must not take them for
granted, but work towards conserving them for the future, they will
live even longer if we actively manage them. If needed, branches
are gradually reduced over many years to prolong the life of the
tree. Dead wood is left close to the tree to allow resident insects
to recolonise and shading is reduced by taking out younger trees
from the immediate surroundings.