Interesting Places
Here are some random sample locations of interest in Essex. Also take a look at sites shown on our sites map, geology site map and brownfield site map, with the site account and locate site facility.
locate Writtle Forest
Forest of Writtle : dates back to 13th century. A mixture of ancient woodland, commonland and farmland with associated features such as Rivers, Lakes and Ponds. Woodland areas are centred on Highwood parish but outlying areas in Ingatestone, Writtle, Margaretting and Roxwell parishes are included.
locate Shadwell Wood
Shadwell Wood is an ancient Oxlip wood situated on the Chalky Boulder Clay of north-west Essex. It supports a rich assemblage of plants and animals.
locate Weald Country Park
A country park with an ancient landscape and important wood pasture, but overmanaged grasslands. There is a large lake with a dam and extensive woodlands in the northern part, with several planted copses of various conifers. There are several car parks around the boundary and also footpaths. This Park is managed by Essex.
locate Tiptree Heath
Best surviving heathland in Essex, an outlier of the 18th century Heath and a remnant of a much larger vast tract to be found in the 15th century. The heath has suffered from succession to scrub and woodland, but recent efforts have returned more areas to open heath.
locate Gunpowder Park
The site is part of the Lee Valley Regional Park, opened to the public in 2004. It was formerly industrial land south of the M25, owned by Royal Ordnance and used for the manufacture of military products. After closing the site was subject to complete decontamination by Royal Ordnance and capped with London Clay, and developed as a country park.
locate Brickbarn Wood
Taken to include Combe Wood to the east. This area is not all woodland, despite its name. The site has many excellent Sarsen Stones and an astonishing array of rare or scarce plants. Access by foot from Davy Down Country Park
locate Near Boyton End, Sudbury
Farmers Field
locate Heydon Roadverge
Calcareous grassland verge with rich flora, a small oasis in an arable landscape. A nearby small chalk pit is also important at approx. TL432409. Although in modern Cambridgeshire, these are both in Vice County 19 (North Essex).