• Belhus Woods Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Cressing Temple
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
  • Building Courses
• Cudmore Grove Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Danbury Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Hadleigh Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Gt Notley and the Flitch Way
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Marsh Farm Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
  • Birthday Parties
• Thorndon Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Weald Country Park
  • Directions / Map
  • Tickets and Parking
• Accessibility
• Education

About Country Parks

Vision

Country Parks – memorable visits to the Countryside. Providing opportunities to experience a range of activities in a countryside setting – opportunities that directly affect our quality of life.

Essex County Council owns and manages 7 Country Parks, a visitor farm, a heritage site and over 40 smaller open spaces and woodlands. It is also the lead partner in the Thames Chase Community Forest.

Essex County Council has identified the value of public open space for the people of Essex since as early as the 1930's. At that time the Council started to purchase areas of significant green space as part of the Green Belt Scheme to protect areas of the countryside for amenity, recreation and farming. Concerns for the expansion of London from the South and the growth of the County town of Chelmsford led to the acquisition of the significant country estates of Belhus, near Aveley, Thorndon and Weald in Brentwood and Danbury. The Council managed these sites as Public Open Spaces until the Countryside Act of 1968 led to the creation of the Countryside Commission and Country Parks. ECC was quick to have its existing public open spaces designated Country parks with the purpose of providing or improving opportunities for the enjoyment of the countryside by the public.

Since that time the Council has continued to acquire sites with high recreation, landscape and heritage value for the benefit of all. The responsibility for maintaining the parks and spaces has varied over the years moving from department to department, but in 1987 the Essex Ranger Service was created and a dedicated team of staff was employed providing a permanent onsite staff presence.

Most recently, in 2004, Cressing Temple was added to the Country Parks portfolio. The site was first acquired by Essex County Council in 1987 to safeguard the future of the barns, buildings and garden.

The Country Parks service (now within the Environment and Commerce Service Area) continues to manage these areas following the Countryside Agency’s objectives for Country Parks:

• Conserving and enhancing the countryside;
• Providing and promoting countryside enjoyment and recreation;
• Enhancing awareness and understanding of, and involvement in, the countryside.

The historic barns at Cressing are maintained and preserved in partnership with Historic Environment and English Heritage for future generations.

Country Parks continue to meet both these Countryside and Heritage objectives as well as the corporate objectives of Essex County Council; providing not only essential areas of open space for the people of Essex, but also promoting a positive image of Essex for visitors.

Just as in the 1930's Essex continues to be the focus for development both from housing and transport so demands are increasing on our open spaces. At the same time fewer people than ever are living and working in the countryside, yet studies from the University of Essex show how important our connection with nature is for both our physical and mental health. So Country Parks continue more than ever to be an important resource for the people of Essex as well as promoting a positive image of Essex for visitors to the County.

This strategy has been written to focus the resources of the Council through the Country Parks to ensure we are maximising the benefits that they bring through recreation, health, education and sustainability.