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Roman villa 200m east of Howletts

4 ha

Plan your visit

BirdsAncientWildlife
Public accessFree entryDogs welcome4 ha

Visiting this summer

Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now

  • 🐦70+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Blackbird and Robin
  • Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting
  • 🐕Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days

Best for

9 activities

Bird watching

Very strong match

Free

Birds — Blackbird, Robin, Swallow +67 more · last seen 2025; Ancient woodland — owls, woodpeckers, warblers

Ancient woodland

Strong match

Free

Ancient woodland — continuous woodland since before 1600

Wildlife

Strong match

Free

Birds — Blackbird, Robin, Swallow +67 more · last seen 2025; Ancient woodland

Heritage

Strong match

Free

Historic site with public access

Seasonal nature

Strong match

Free

Plants — Elder, Bluebell, Hornbeam +40 more · last seen 2020; Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour

Insect spotting

Strong match

Free

Insects — Small Heath, Silver Y, Large White +100 more · last seen 2023

Trails nearby

Within roughly 5 km
🚶

Walking

2 signed routes nearby · 9 public paths nearby

Signed route nearbyPublic paths
Centenary CircleWalking route34 km
Named routeLength 34 kmRound tripRegional walking route
Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary)Walking route
Named routeRegional walking route
🚴

Cycling

47 signed routes nearby

Signed route nearby
EuroVelo 2 - Capitals Route - part United Kingdom 7Cycling route
Named routeRef EV2International cycle route
Regional Route 50Cycling route
Named routeRef 50Regional cycle route
Great Waltham to City Centre Cycle RouteCycling route
Named routeLocal cycle route
NCN National Route 13Cycling route
Named routeRef 13National Cycle Network
NCN National Route 1Cycling route
Named routeRef 1National Cycle Network
Main RouteCycling route420 m
Named routeRef 1Length 420 mNational Cycle NetworkTraffic-freeSurface asphalt
🐴

Horse riding

2 public paths nearby

Public paths

No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.

Wildlife to spot

Photos

17 photos from nearby open sources

St Nicholas, Chignal Smealey - East wall

St Nicholas, Chignal Smealey - East wall

1 / 17
✓ Public accessFree entry🐶 Dogs

Good to know

  • £Free to visit — no entry charge
  • 🐕Dogs welcome

Weather for this location

Next 14 days

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Nearby places

Useful places within 5 km