Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in Essex, England

Welcome to the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy. We are the leading Bird of Prey Centre in Essex, based at Barleylands Farm & Craft Village, Billericay. We are open to the public 362 days of the year, where you can enjoy our daily flying displays in our purpose built flying arena. In addition, Barleylands Farm & Craft Village offers both indoor and outdoor activities for children, craft shops and tearooms, creating a fantastic day out in Essex for all the family. We offer a wide range of experience days, which are both fun and educational, catering for all ages and abilities, making them the perfect gift. Our friendly team will make your experience both personal and enjoyable giving you plenty of hands on time with our amazing birds of prey – making your visit to the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy truly memorable. A day you will never forget. For that special occasion, why not have our birds of prey come to you? At the Imperial Bird of Prey Academy, we are able to offer tailor-made school visits, static bird displays, educational talks and so much more.... We look forward to seeing you soon!

Adventure into nature at Rainham Marshes - see amazing wildlife, explore the wonderful walks, and enjoy the views and scenery. The paths and boardwalks are good so you can explore throughout the year, visit our adventure play area including climbing boulders, enjoy a nice cuppa and homemade cake in our cafe, visit our shop, hire bicycles, walk your dog along the River Wall, or join one of our fabulous family activities or events. Part of the Thames Estuary, not far from the bustling streets of London, Rainham Marshes is a haven for all kinds of wildlife - birds, water voles, dragonflies and more. The reserve is open every day, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, 9.30am - 5pm from February to October, and 9.30am - 4.30pm between November and January. It's FREE for RSPB members, and local residents of Havering and Thurrock. For non-members the prices is as follows: £6 adult, £3 children and £4 student.

Set in the heart of rural Essex, and enjoying stunning panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, RHS Garden Hyde Hall is one of the finest gardens in the east of England. This 360-acre site is a haven of peace and tranquillity, encompassing a diverse mix of garden styles from traditional to modern. Highlights include the Dry Garden with its fantastic range of drought resistant plants, and the Hilltop Garden with its roses and herbaceous borders. There’s also a Global Growth Vegetable Garden, which showcases vegetables from around the world and a Winter Garden that celebrates the delights of wintertime. There's also a cafe, restaurant, garden library, children's play area, gift shop and garden centre.

Visitors can enjoy walks on Essex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve; with stunning panoramic views across the reservoir and surrounding villages as well as superb views of the water’s edge from three bird hides. The nature reserve has a 900m accessible circular footpath and there are wheelchairs available for use. The Visitor Centre offers a tearoom which is open seven days a week providing a variety of hot and cold food, most of which is locally sourced; easy access toilets & baby changing facilities; and a well-stocked shop which has binoculars, telescopes, bird food, feeders and a range of gifts. Essex Wildlife Trust runs a programme of events throughout the year for all ages as well as children’s outdoor birthday parties and a weekly toddler group available during term time; booking is required for all of our events. On the nature reserve there is a new Brambly Hedge sculpture trail, where you can find seven characters from the classic stories written by Jill Barklem; there is also a wild play area with a zip wire, v bridge, swings and spiderweb net. Essex Wildlife Trust is a charity and relies on donations to carry out its work for the wildlife and people of Essex. There is suggested entry donation of £2 for Adults £1 for children and £5 Family; car parking is free. The huge expanse of Essex & Suffolk Water’s Abberton Reservoir plays host to some 40,000 wetland birds each year all attracted to the shallow muddy margins and large areas of rough grassland, which provide the ultimate habitat for a plethora of wildlife and waterfowl. The Visitor Centre is 6 miles SW of Colchester on the B1026 (a minor road linking Colchester and Maldon) just South of Layer de la Haye - follow the brown and white "Abberton Reservoir visitor centre" signs.

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is a non-profit organisation caring for around 500 sick, unwanted and mistreated animals. The sanctuary is based in Brentwood, Essex. We care for a variety of animals including horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs etc. and more exotic animals such as reptiles, parrots and other aviary birds, raccoons and many more. As a small charity, Hopefield relies upon donations and support from volunteers to be able to continue this work. It is with thanks to the continued support of volunteers and supporters that we have been able to achieve our aims thus far. Tickets MUST be pre-booked via our website prior to visiting. If you arrive at the sanctuary without booking, you will not be granted access.

This beautiful country park contains a diverse range of habitats and is managed both for people and for its precious wildlife. There are some fantastic walks through ancient woodland and historic deer parks which lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures. Thorndon Countryside Centre is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and the Park is managed by Essex County Council in a joint venture. Gruffalo Trail Come and see the original Gruffalo Trail - a self-led trail around the woods, searching for carvings of the Gruffalo characters. Gruffalo Activity Maps are available from the Countryside Centre, at a cost of 50p. The countryside centre offers some unique gifts and books, a separate education room, refreshments and displays. There are regular activities for children, schools and families. Few areas offer such variety as Thorndon country park and its surroundings. Ancient woodland and historic deer parks lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures, while nearby is the high forest of Hartswood and former common land. Thorndon Country Park is in two parts, the northern section on a gravel ridge and the southern part on clay soil lower down. The two parts are now linked by Old Thorndon Pastures, which is farmland that has been restored to a traditional farming landscape with small hedged fields, grazed by cattle. Thorndon Country Park North In spring, the woodlands of Thorndon North are filled with the scent and colour of bluebells, anemones and other woodland flowers. The woods are rich in birdlife and attract many species of migrant and over-wintering birds including bramblings, siskins and redpolls. Childerditch Pond is both beautiful and tranquil. Please note: Thorndon Country Park North car park is the best way to access the Gruffalo Trail. Thorndon Country Park South The open parkland at Thorndon South is busy with families enjoying barbecues and picnics, whilst drinking in views reaching out across countryside and into the heart of Canary Wharf. It's a great place to fly a kite. Thorndon Country Park offers a variety of habitats including ancient woodland, parkland, ponds, a marsh and meadow. There are some stunning ancient trees including Giant Oak and Hornbeam pollards, that are reminders that this was once a deer park. Parts of it used to be heathland, now a scarce habitat in Essex, and to restore it parts of the park, both north and south, are being grazed by goats and sheep. The park attracts a large number of woodland birds and sees more than its fair share of passage migrants and winter visitors. For example, large flocks of Siskins and Redpolls often gather in the birches, and bramblings can be seen near to the centre feeding on beech mast. There are many butterflies to be enjoyed including the uncommon Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks. The park is managed by Essex County Council's Ranger Service who are returning Conifer plantations to grassland or woodland as mature trees are harvested. The Countryside Centre in Thorndon Park North was built just after the 1987 hurricane and fallen timber from a number of Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserves was used in its construction. It is the Trust's most popular centre with over 100,000 visitors per year, and provides refreshments, a gift shop, displays and interpretation.