Melbourne Park Playing Field ✦ Ancient woodland 5 ha
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🎠 Play
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Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 5 ha
Places › England › Eastern › Chelmsford Getting here
51.75207, 0.44781
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 ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay 🛝 Playground 109m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings ☀️ Summer family visits work well here — arrive early and plan for a longer stay 🛝 Playground 109m away — built-in entertainment for younger visitors alongside the wider site £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🌿 Ancient woodland — rare wildlife habitat🚲 Bike parking🅿️ Parking🛝 Playground🚻 Toilets
🦉 Wildlife
Very strong match
Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles; Multi-group wildlife — Amphibians, Birds, Mammals, Reptiles
Free
🦅 Bird watching
Very strong match
Birds — Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin +66 more · last seen 2026; Birds — Magpie, Blue Tit, Robin +66 more · last seen 2026
Free
playground, toilets, parking
Free
🛝 Family friendly
Strong match
playground, toilets
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Plants — Water Fern, Dog-rose, Wood Avens +30 more · last seen 2025; Plants — Water Fern, Dog-rose, Wood Avens +30 more · last seen 2025
Free
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Small White, Box Tree Moth, Green-veined White +53 more · last seen 2026; Insects — Small White, Box Tree Moth, Green-veined White +53 more · last seen 2026
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 7 signed routes nearby · 12 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
Centenary Circle Walking route 34 km ▾
Named route Length 34 km Round trip Regional walking route
Show on map Pleasure Gardens Walk Walking route ▾
Repton's Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Hylands Estate Boundary Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Hylands Lower Estate Walk Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Mendip Place public footpath · 91 m ▾
Public path public footpath Length 91 m Path type: service
Show on map 60 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
EuroVelo 2 - Capitals Route - part United Kingdom 7 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV2 International cycle route
Show on map Great Waltham to City Centre Cycle Route Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map NCN National Route 13 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 13 National Cycle Network
Show on map NCN National Route 1 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 1 National Cycle Network
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 420 m ▾
Named route Ref 1 Length 420 m National Cycle Network Traffic-free Surface asphalt
Show on map Main Route Cycling route 808 m ▾
Named route Ref 13 Length 808 m National Cycle Network On-road Surface asphalt
Show on map ✦ Ancient woodland — continuously wooded since at least 1600 AD. A rare and irreplaceable habitat, rich in biodiversity and historical character.
Photos Play area, Melbourne Park, Chelmsford
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Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
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id: 590c6a72-94d8-4d44-982b-866159b41a52
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
12,741 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 12,741 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 40 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Blue Tit · Magpie · Woodpigeon · Robin · Wren +35
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Barn Owl Tyto alba2025 Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Siskin Spinus spinus2024 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Whitethroat Curruca communis2025 Swift Apus apus2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Common Gull Larus canus2024 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2024 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2024 Skylark Alauda arvensis2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2024 🦌 Mammals 5 species
winter spring autumn
2026 ▾
Red Fox · Wood Mouse · Badger · Muntjac · Pipistrelle Bat species
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Badger Meles meles2025 Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2025 Pipistrelle Bat species Pipistrellus2024 Slow-worm
🐸 Amphibians 2 species
spring autumn
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt · Common Frog
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris Common Frog Rana temporaria2024 Migrant Hawker · Jersey Tiger · Hornet Hoverfly · Small Tortoiseshell · Large Red Damselfly +16
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta2025 Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria2025 Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria2024 Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2025 Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula2025 Banded Demoiselle Wood Anemone
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 12,741 records · National Biodiversity Network 🐦 Birds 40 species
autumn winter
2026 ▾
Blue Tit · Magpie · Woodpigeon · Robin · Wren +35
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus2025 Magpie Pica pica2025 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2025 Robin Erithacus rubecula2025 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2025 Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2025 Great Tit Parus major2025 Blackbird Turdus merula2025 Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus2025 Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus2025 Rock Dove Columba livia2025 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2025 Barn Owl Tyto alba2025 Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus Falco tinnunculus tinnunculus2025 Jackdaw Coloeus monedula2025 Moorhen Gallinula chloropus Goldcrest Regulus regulus2025 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2025 Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita2025 Starling Sturnus vulgaris2025 Dunnock Prunella modularis2025 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2025 Jay Garrulus glandarius2025 House Sparrow Passer domesticus2025 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba yarrellii2025 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2025 Siskin Spinus spinus2024 Song Thrush Turdus philomelos2025 Redwing Turdus iliacus2025 Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla2025 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2025 Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major2025 Whitethroat Curruca communis2025 Swift Apus apus2025 Herring Gull Larus argentatus2025 Common Gull Larus canus2024 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs2024 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2024 Skylark Alauda arvensis2024 Swallow Hirundo rustica2024 🦌 Mammals 5 species
winter spring autumn
2026 ▾
Red Fox · Wood Mouse · Badger · Muntjac · Pipistrelle Bat species
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus Badger Meles meles2025 Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2025 Pipistrelle Bat species Pipistrellus2024 Slow-worm
🐸 Amphibians 2 species
spring autumn
2025 ▾
Smooth Newt · Common Frog
Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris Common Frog Rana temporaria2024 Migrant Hawker · Jersey Tiger · Hornet Hoverfly · Small Tortoiseshell · Large Red Damselfly +16
Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta2025 Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria2025 Hornet Hoverfly Volucella zonaria2024 Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae2025 Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula2025 Banded Demoiselle Wood Anemone
Wood Anemone Anemone nemorosa Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Calopteryx splendens2025
Calopteryx splendens2025
Cheilosia grossa Cheilosia grossa
Cheilosia grossa Cheilosia grossa
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2025
Common Blue Polyommatus icarus2025
Wall Lasiommata megera2025
Wall Lasiommata megera2025
Black Clock Pterostichus madidus2025
Black Clock Pterostichus madidus2025
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2025
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2025
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris2025
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris2025
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2025
7-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata2025
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta2025
Lagria hirta Lagria hirta2025
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella2025
Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella2025
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2025
Lesser Stag Beetle Dorcus parallelipipedus2025
Scathophaga stercoraria Scathophaga stercoraria2024
Scathophaga stercoraria Scathophaga stercoraria2024
Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax2024
Eristalis tenax Eristalis tenax2024
Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus2024
Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus2024
Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina2024
Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina2024
Xanthogramma pedissequum Xanthogramma pedissequum2024
Xanthogramma pedissequum Xanthogramma pedissequum2024 