Hangman's Wood, Protected woodland in Thurrock, England
Hangman's Wood is a protected woodland in Thurrock featuring oak, ash, sycamore, and wild cherry trees that create a thick canopy across the site. Underground chalk mining chambers called deneholes are scattered beneath the forest floor, remnants of medieval quarrying activity.
Medieval chalk mining transformed the site into a network of underground deneholes that still exist today. The location's name appears in records from the 17th century onward.
Local residents maintain strong connections to the woodland through organized conservation efforts and environmental education programs focused on preserving natural heritage.
The woodland is accessible through marked walking trails that wind through the forest. Entering the deneholes requires advance permission from local authorities, so plan ahead if you wish to explore underground.
The deneholes serve as winter hibernation sites for three bat species: brown long-eared bat, Natterer's bat, and Daubenton's bat.
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