Plan your visit
🦉 Wildlife🦅 Birds🌿 Foraging
Public access Free entry Dogs welcome 6 ha
Places › England › Eastern › Colchester Getting here
51.95379, 0.94488
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 🌿 Foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days 🌤️ Visiting this summer
🌞 Midsummer — early morning visits most comfortable; look for deer fawns in quieter clearings 🌿 Foraging is at its best in summer here 🐕 Dogs welcome — bring water in summer; the site has enough space to find shade on hot days £ Free to visit — no entry charge🐕 Dogs welcome🦉 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 — Blue Tit, Robin, Great Tit +85 more · last seen 2025; Birds — Blue Tit, Robin, Great Tit +85 more · last seen 2025
Free
Plants — Common Nettle, Pedunculate Oak, Sweet Chestnut +12 more foraging species; Deciduous woodland — fungi, berries and wild garlic
Varies
🦋 Insect spotting
Strong match
Insects — Stag Beetle, Red Admiral, Small White +61 more · last seen 2024; Insects — Stag Beetle, Red Admiral, Small White +61 more · last seen 2024
Free
🍂 Seasonal nature
Strong match
Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Common Nettle, Holly +71 more · last seen 2022; Plants — Japanese Knotweed, Common Nettle, Holly +71 more · last seen 2022
Free
Dogs allowed — public woodland
Free
Trails nearby Within roughly 5 km 7 signed routes nearby · 22 public paths nearby
Signed route nearby Public paths
Colchester Orbital West A Walking route ▾
Named route Local walking route
Show on map Stour Valley Path part 3 Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map Flatford and Constable Country Walk, Flatford Walking route 11.2 km ▾
4 miles (6.4km) return from Manningtree to Flatford. Optional loop to Dedham adds another 3 miles (4.8km). Generally flat grass and gravel paths with some moderate slopes.
Named route Length 11.2 km Duration 03:30 Round trip Local walking route
Show on map St Edmund Way Walking route ▾
Named route Listed length 142km Regional walking route
Show on map Stour Valley Path part 2 Walking route ▾
Named route Regional walking route
Show on map 26 signed routes nearby
Signed route nearby
South Suffolk Route B Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref B Regional cycle route
Show on map Highwoods Route Cycling route ▾
Named route Local cycle route
Show on map Route 48 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 48 Regional cycle route
Show on map South Suffolk Cycle Route A2 (Bures Loop) Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref A2 Regional cycle route
Show on map NCN National Route 1 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref 1 National Cycle Network
Show on map EuroVelo 12 - North Sea Cycle Route - part United Kingdom 1 Cycling route ▾
Named route Ref EV12 International cycle route
Show on map 2 public paths nearby
Public paths
No named routes yet. Public paths are shown on the map.
Weather for this location Next 14 days Nearby places Useful places within 5 km
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id: 63da235d-fe10-4fa6-ad5a-a6ec7afd9f3c
UK green spaces mapped from open public data — so anyone can find the woodland, trail, or nature reserve closest to them.
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Wildlife to spot
5,358 records · National Biodiversity Network
▾
Wildlife to spot 5,358 records · National Biodiversity Network Blue Tit · Tawny Owl · Goldfinch · Great Tit · Kestrel +34
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Tawny Owl Strix aluco2019 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2023 Great Tit Parus major Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2023 Jay Garrulus glandarius2024 Robin Erithacus rubecula2023 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2023 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2019 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Swallow Hirundo rustica House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 House Martin Delichon urbicum2021 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2020 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2020 Coal Tit Periparus ater2024 Common Gull Larus canus2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus2023 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2023 Dunnock Prunella modularis2023 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2022 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2020 Cyanistes caeruleus obscurus Cyanistes caeruleus obscurus2020 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2020 Redwing Turdus iliacus2019 Swift Apus apus2019 Doves, pigeons Columbidae2019 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti2019 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna2019 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus2019 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2019 Gadwall Mareca strepera2019 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba2019 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2018 Black Swan Cygnus atratus2018 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2018 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2018 🦌 Mammals 8 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Badger · Hedgehog · Red Fox · Roe Deer · Otter +3
Badger Meles meles Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2022 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2023 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus2024 Otter Lutra lutra2024 Grass Snake
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2024 ▾
Common Frog
Common Frog Rana temporaria Stag Beetle · Tree Bumblebee · Red Admiral · Buff-tip · Painted Lady +8
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2023 Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019 Buff-tip Phalera bucephala2021 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019 Large White Pieris brassicae2019 Japanese Knotweed · Early Meadow-grass · Himalayan Balsam
Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica Early Meadow-grass Poa infirma2021 Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera2019 Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Wildlife to spot 5,358 records · National Biodiversity Network Blue Tit · Tawny Owl · Goldfinch · Great Tit · Kestrel +34
Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus Tawny Owl Strix aluco2019 Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis2023 Great Tit Parus major Kestrel Falco tinnunculus2023 Jay Garrulus glandarius2024 Robin Erithacus rubecula2023 Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto2023 Blackbird Turdus merula2023 Woodpigeon Columba palumbus2023 Mute Swan Cygnus olor2019 Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Swallow Hirundo rustica House Sparrow Passer domesticus2023 House Martin Delichon urbicum2021 Carrion Crow Corvus corone2020 Pheasant Phasianus colchicus2020 Coal Tit Periparus ater2024 Common Gull Larus canus2023 Rook Corvus frugilegus2023 Wren Troglodytes troglodytes2023 Dunnock Prunella modularis2023 Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus2022 Greenfinch Chloris chloris2020 Cyanistes caeruleus obscurus Cyanistes caeruleus obscurus2020 Cuckoo Cuculus canorus2020 Redwing Turdus iliacus2019 Swift Apus apus2019 Doves, pigeons Columbidae2019 Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti2019 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna2019 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus2019 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea2019 Gadwall Mareca strepera2019 Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba2019 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus2018 Black Swan Cygnus atratus2018 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos2018 Canada Goose Branta canadensis2018 🦌 Mammals 8 species
spring summer autumn
2026 ▾
Badger · Hedgehog · Red Fox · Roe Deer · Otter +3
Badger Meles meles Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus2022 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes2023 Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus2024 Otter Lutra lutra2024 Grass Snake
Grass Snake Natrix helvetica 🐸 Amphibians 1 species
summer
2024 ▾
Common Frog
Common Frog Rana temporaria Stag Beetle · Tree Bumblebee · Red Admiral · Buff-tip · Painted Lady +8
Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus2023 Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta2019 Buff-tip Phalera bucephala2021 Painted Lady Vanessa cardui2019 Large White Pieris brassicae2019 Japanese Knotweed · Early Meadow-grass · Himalayan Balsam
Japanese Knotweed Reynoutria japonica Early Meadow-grass Poa infirma2021 Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera2019 Species observations from the last 10 years via NBN Atlas
Common Shrew
Common Shrew
Sorex araneus2024
Sorex araneus2024
Indet. Deer Cervidae2022
Indet. Deer Cervidae2022
Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2020
Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi2020
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Green-veined White Pieris napi2019
Small White Pieris rapae2019
Small White Pieris rapae2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina2019
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria2019
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria2019
White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes2019
White-legged Damselfly Platycnemis pennipes2019
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula2019
Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula2019 