COLCHESTER CASTLE PARK 19 ha
Plan your visit
🦅 Birds✦ Heritage🧺 Picnic
Public access Dogs welcome 19 ha
Getting here
51.89323, 0.90310
Open directionsv
About COLCHESTER CASTLE PARK Castle Park is a park in Colchester, Essex, England. It takes its name from Colchester Castle, which sits in the upper section of the park. It also incorporates Hollytrees, an 18th century house that now houses a museum.
Read more on Wikipedia → Urban park Grade II listed park and garden
Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🐦 72+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Magpie ✦ Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting 🧺 Picnic area on site — summer afternoons here are an easy, low-cost day out 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🐦 72+ species recorded in this area — summer evenings are best for activity; watch for Mute Swan and Magpie ✦ Historic character is a year-round quality here — summer brings its own atmosphere to the setting 🧺 Picnic area on site — summer afternoons here are an easy, low-cost day out 🅿️ Parking· Paid 🧺 Picnic spot🛝 Playground🚻 Toilets
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Mute Swan, Magpie, Woodpigeon +69 more · last seen 2026; Deciduous woodland — woodpeckers, warblers and woodland birds
Free
✦ Heritage
Very strong match
Grade I listed building: THE CASTLE KEEP (INCLUDING EXCAVATED REMAINS OF FOREBUILDING IN MOAT); Historic site with public access
Free
🧺 Picnic day out
Very strong match
picnic area, toilets, car park
Free
🛝 Family friendly
Very strong match
playground, toilets, picnic area
Free
playground, toilets, parking
Free
Birds — Mute Swan, Magpie, Woodpigeon +69 more · last seen 2026; Deciduous woodland priority habitat
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 16 signed routes nearby · 42 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
Colchester Orbital West B Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital West A Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (North) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (West) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Spoke (South) Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map St Nicholas Passage public footpath · 57 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 57 m Path type: pedestrian
Show on map Scheregate public footpath · 16 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 16 m Path type: footway
Show on map Quakers Alley public footpath · 65 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 65 m Surface paved Path type: footway
Show on map 154 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
NCN 51 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 51 National Cycle Network
Show on map Greenstead to North Station Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map EuroVelo 2 - Capitals Route - part United Kingdom 8 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV2 International cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Spoke (South-East) Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Colchester Orbital Cycle Spoke (North East) Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Photos Roman Wall, Castle Park, Colchester
‹ ›
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
All Historic
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
© 2026 Glade · Made with care for UK green spaces
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Wildlife to spot
51,292 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 51,292 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 42 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Woodpigeon · Magpie · Blue Tit · Redwing · Great Tit +37
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Magpie Pica pica Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Great Tit Parus major Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis Coal Tit Periparus ater Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2025 Corvus corax corax Corvus corax corax2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2025 🦌 Mammals 8 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Muntjac · Brown Rat · Red Fox +3
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2025 Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2025 Feral Cat Felis catus Common Lizard
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara 🐸 Amphibians 2 species
winter autumn
2026 ▾
Common Toad · Common Frog
Common Toad Bufo bufo Common Frog Rana temporaria2025 Firebug · Harlequin Ladybird · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Helophilus pendulus · Dark-edged Bee-fly +8
Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis2025 Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis2025 Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus2025 Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 51,292 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 42 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Woodpigeon · Magpie · Blue Tit · Redwing · Great Tit +37
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Magpie Pica pica Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Great Tit Parus major Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Green Woodpecker Picus viridis Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti2025 Skylark Alauda arvensis2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis Coal Tit Periparus ater Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Treecreeper Certhia familiaris2025 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Brambling Fringilla montifringilla2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Fieldfare Turdus pilaris2025 Corvus corax corax Corvus corax corax2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2025 🦌 Mammals 8 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Grey Squirrel · Rabbit · Muntjac · Brown Rat · Red Fox +3
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2025 Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2025 Feral Cat Felis catus Common Lizard
Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara 🐸 Amphibians 2 species
winter autumn
2026 ▾
Common Toad · Common Frog
Common Toad Bufo bufo Common Frog Rana temporaria2025 Firebug · Harlequin Ladybird · Western Conifer Seed Bug · Helophilus pendulus · Dark-edged Bee-fly +8
Firebug Pyrrhocoris apterus Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis2025 Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis2025 Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus2025 Dark-edged Bee-fly Bombylius major Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
2025
2025
Badger Meles meles2025
Badger Meles meles2025
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2025
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2025
Trioza centranthi Trioza centranthi
Trioza centranthi Trioza centranthi
Acericerus heydenii Acericerus heydenii2025
Acericerus heydenii Acericerus heydenii2025
Issus coleoptratus Issus coleoptratus2025
Issus coleoptratus Issus coleoptratus2025
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta2025
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta2025
Eupeodes Eupeodes2025
Eupeodes Eupeodes2025
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2025
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2025
Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea2025
Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea2025 