Hangman's Wood and Deneholes

Hangman's Wood and Deneholes
Site of Special Scientific Interest

Location within Essex
Area of Search	Essex
Grid reference	TQ 631794
Coordinates	51°29′23″N 0°20′52″E / 51.4896°N 0.3477°E / 51.4896; 0.3477Coordinates: 51°29′23″N 0°20′52″E / 51.4896°N 0.3477°E / 51.4896; 0.3477
Interest	Biological
Area	3.0 hectares
Notification	1986
Location map	Magic Map

Hangman's Wood and Deneholes is a 3 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Little Thurrock in Essex. The deneholes, which were created by medieval chalk mining, are a Scheduled Monument.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The name Hangmans Wood dates back to at least the mid 17th century when it was recorded on an estate map.^[4] Trees in the wood include oak, ash, sycamore and wild cherry.

Investigating a denehole in Hangman's Wood

The wood contains a number of deneholes which were investigated by the Essex Field Club at the end of the 19th century.^[5] There is normally no access to the deneholes, but permission can be obtained from the council.^[6] The deneholes are the most important underground hibernation sites for bats in Essex, with three species; Brown long-eared bat, Natterer's bat and Daubenton's bat. The oak woodland is ancient, and it provides a feeding habitat for the bats.^[1]

The deneholes in the wood, which were sometimes known as Cunobeline's gold mines,^[7] are described by English Heritage as medieval or post-medieval and were used for chalk or flint mining.^[8] They are a scheduled ancient monument. The origin of these deneholes is discussed by Tony Benton.^[5] There appears to have been more than 70 holes in the wood at one time, concentrated to the north of the wood. Most only survive now as shallow dips in the ground.

The bridlepath which crosses Grangewood Avenue and runs beside Woodside School to connect Hangman's Wood with nearby Terrel's Heath is part of an ancient route from Coalhouse Point in East Tilbury to the bridge or causeway at Aveley.^[9]

Notes

1 2 "Hangman's Wood and Deneholes citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
↑ "Map of Hangman's Wood and Deneholes". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
↑ "Dene holes in Hangman's Wood". Historic England. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
↑ FG Emmison, ed. (1947). Catalogue of Maps in the Essex Record Office. Essex County Council. p. 6a.
1 2 Tony Benton, Boldly from the Marshes
↑ The council will issue a descent licence for those who are prepared to abide by a number of simple rules and fill in an insurance slip. The address is: Recreation Manager, Recreation Department, Blackshots Lane, Grays, Essex, RM13 2JU.
↑ Thomas Wright (1834), The picturesque beauties of Great Britain
↑ Pastscape - Detailed Result: HANGMANS WOOD DENEHOLES
↑ Benton, Tony (1991). Boldly from the marshes. Thurrock Council. pp. 86–87.

Thurrock

Traditional parishes in Thurrock	Aveley Bulphan Chadwell St Mary Corringham East Tilbury Fobbing Grays Horndon-on-the-Hill Langdon Hills Little Thurrock Mucking Orsett South Ockendon Stanford-le-Hope Stifford West Thurrock West Tilbury

Other places in Thurrock	Baker Street Belhus Biggin Bill Meroy Creek Chafford Gorges Nature Park Chafford Hundred Globe Pit Hangman's Wood High House, Purfleet Lower Horse Mardyke (river) Orsett Heath Purfleet Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve Shell Haven Terrel's Heath Thurrock Thameside Nature Park Tilbury Town

Historic Buildings in Thurrock	Baker Street Mill, Orsett Bata Factory Belmont Castle Coalhouse Fort The Dell High House, Purfleet Orsett Hall South Ockendon Windmill State Cinema Tilbury Fort

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

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