Fair Wood ✦ Ancient woodland 1 ha
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🦋 Insects
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Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 1 ha
Places › England › Eastern › Chelmsford Getting here
51.84102, 0.50894
Open directionsv Visiting this summer
Seasonal nature notes and what to look for now
▾ 🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🐕 Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails 🅿️ Parking 377m away — 4 car parks within reach 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🐕 Early mornings are best for dog walks in summer — visit before 9am to avoid the heat and find quieter trails 🅿️ Parking 377m away — 4 car parks within reach £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Mallard, Blue Tit, Moorhen +75 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Mallard, Blue Tit, Moorhen +75 more · last seen 2026
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White +51 more · last seen 2025; Insects — Speckled Wood, Large White, Small White +51 more · last seen 2025
Free
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Ancient woodland — bluebells, fungi and autumn colour; Plants — Corky-fruited Water-dropwort, Grass Vetchling, Creeping Cinquefoil +17 more · last seen 2024
Free
Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 2 signed routes nearby · 1 public path nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
John Ray Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Essex Way (Epping to Stratford St Mary) Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map 79 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
Notley Link Path Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref (16) National Cycle Network
Show on map Regional Route 50 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 50 Regional cycle route
Show on map (50) Cycling route ▾
National Cycle Network link route between NCN 16 and Regional Route 50
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Route 16 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 16 National Cycle Network
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 1.5 km ▾
Named route Ref 16 Length 1.5 km National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface unsealedfirm
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 177 m ▾
Named route Ref 16 Length 177 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface unsealedloose
Show on map 4 public paths nearby
Public paths
Dumney Lane byway open to all traffic · 685 m ▾
Public path byway open to all traffic Length 685 m Surface dirt Path type: track
Show on map ✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Photos Former Essex Show Ground/New Race Course, Great Leighs, Essex
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Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
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id: 89d14144-0123-4e12-a285-4797b7f16c71
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
16,832 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 16,832 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 52 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Mallard · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Moorhen · Woodpigeon +47
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Great Tit Parus major Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus2025 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2025 Linnet Linaria cannabina2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Sand Martin Riparia riparia2025 Coot Fulica atra2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Little Egret Egretta garzetta2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Whitethroat Curruca communis2025 Swallow Hirundo rustica2025 House Martin Delichon urbicum2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2025 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca2025 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2025 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2025 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus2025 Greylag Goose Anser anser2025 Stock Dove Columba oenas2025 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin2025 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus2025 🦌 Mammals 3 species
spring autumn
2026 ▾
Fallow Deer · Brown Rat · Rabbit
Fallow Deer Dama dama Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2025 🐝 Insects 20 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Azure Damselfly · Large Red Damselfly · Scarce Chaser · Cantharis rustica · Four-spotted Chaser +15
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva Cantharis rustica Cantharis rustica Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 16,832 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 52 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Mallard · Blue Tit · Great Tit · Moorhen · Woodpigeon +47
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Great Tit Parus major Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Woodpigeon Columba palumbus Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis Treecreeper Certhia familiaris Kingfisher Alcedo atthis2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus Nuthatch Sitta europaea2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus2025 Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo2025 Linnet Linaria cannabina2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Sand Martin Riparia riparia2025 Coot Fulica atra2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Green Woodpecker Picus viridis2025 Common Gull Larus canus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Little Egret Egretta garzetta2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Whitethroat Curruca communis2025 Swallow Hirundo rustica2025 House Martin Delichon urbicum2025 Coal Tit Periparus ater2025 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2025 Stonechat Saxicola rubicola2025 Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Raven Corvus corax2025 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa2025 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca2025 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2025 Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula2025 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2025 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus2025 Greylag Goose Anser anser2025 Stock Dove Columba oenas2025 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Garden Warbler Sylvia borin2025 Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus2025 🦌 Mammals 3 species
spring autumn
2026 ▾
Fallow Deer · Brown Rat · Rabbit
Fallow Deer Dama dama Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus2025 🐝 Insects 20 species
spring summer
2025 ▾
Azure Damselfly · Large Red Damselfly · Scarce Chaser · Cantharis rustica · Four-spotted Chaser +15
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva Cantharis rustica Cantharis rustica Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum
Large White Pieris brassicae
Large White Pieris brassicae
Meadow Grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus
Meadow Grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator
Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator
Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea
Cantharis rufa Cantharis rufa
Cantharis rufa Cantharis rufa
Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus
Helophilus pendulus Helophilus pendulus
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis
Red-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis
Denticollis linearis Denticollis linearis
Denticollis linearis Denticollis linearis
14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
14-spot Ladybird Propylea quattuordecimpunctata
Rhingia rostrata Rhingia rostrata
Rhingia rostrata Rhingia rostrata
Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus
Cercopis vulnerata Cercopis vulnerata
Cercopis vulnerata Cercopis vulnerata 