84 THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



Latchington Decoy. — In Bowcn's Map of Essex, 1760, wherein four 

 Decoys are indicated, one is placed on the south bank of the Blackwater, 

 on the west side of Latchington Creek, some 2 miles W. of Steeple, and 

 a mile E. of Mundon. 



Having now described the nine Decoys that exist or existed south of 

 the Blackwater River, we will cross over to the northern shore of that 

 estuary, commencing near Maldon and taking the Decoys seriatim from 

 west to east. They are ten in number, and the first to deal with are 

 those at Goldhanger. 



Goldhanger (i), on the north shore of the Blackwater, a mile SW. of 

 Goldhanger, and 2\ miles E. of Maldon. This old Decoy is within 150 

 paces of the shore, and a \ mile S. of Gardener's Farm House, near Cobb's, 

 Jehu's, and Brand's Farms. 



It had five pipes. 



Goldhanger (2). Half a mile SE. of Goldhanger, on the verge of the 

 shore, was another Decoy. It was placed N. of Goldhanger Creek, on the 

 point of land that divides the creek running up to Goldhanger and that 

 going to Joyce's Farm House. This Decoy is \\ miles E. of the last 

 described, and was a very fine one with eight pipes. 



Both of these pools are in Goldhanger parish, and were worked within 

 the recollection of an old gunner still living, aged 79, and known to 

 Colonel Russell, the well-known wildfowl shooter, to whom, together with 

 Dr. Laver of Colchester, I am greatly indebted for their researches anent 

 Essex Decoys. Of the first-mentioned of these Decoys the traces may 

 be still seen. It is situated on Cobb's Farm, the property of the Rev. 

 Coope Arnold, of Hertford House, Coventry, and now in the occupation of 

 Mr. Frederick Wakelin, and covers some 16 or 17 acres of marsh, sur- 

 rounded by trees. It used to be worked by Cooper of Goldhanger until 

 within the last 15 years. One of these Decoys was formerly a Pochard 

 pond, but when the lead of these birds dropped off it was made into a 

 Duck Decoy. 



Folkard, in his " Wildfowler," page 96, writing in 1875, in allusion to 

 the Essex " Pochard Ponds," says, "that on one or two occasions within 

 present memory the capture of Pochards, or Dunbirds as they are locally 

 called, has been so great at one drop or pull of the net that a waggon and 

 four horses were required to remove them ; and he adds that these birds 



