Our parks and places

Explore country parks and heritage places and plan your perfect day out

Our parks and places

Discover some of the best country parks and places for a great family day out in Essex. The mix of open spaces, kids play areas, lakes and woodland in the Essex Country Parks provide the perfect spaces to walk, run and play whatever your age.

Green Flag Award

Explore Essex is delighted to announce that the Essex County Council country parks have been recognised for their excellent standards by being awarded Green Flag status again for 2023 and 2024.

The Green Flag awards recognise and reward well managed parks throughout the country and demonstrate that the spaces meet the needs of the communities that they serve.

The international award confirms that the Essex Country Parks boast the highest possible environmental standards, are well maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

The Essex Country Parks of Belhus Woods, Cudmore Grove, Danbury, Great Notley, Hadleigh, Thorndon and Weald, have all received Green Flag status.

Explore our blogs to help inspire your day out here.

Places search results

A group of children sailing

Places

Essex Outdoors Bradwell

The Essex Outdoors centre at Bradwell is a coastal outdoor education centre, based on the River Blackwater Estuary, a lovely stretch of sheltered tidal water on the east coast of Essex. Delivering high-quality residential and day-based outdoor education programmes, Bradwell is recognised as a leading provider of sailing, yachting and water sport activities. The small waterside site packs in a lot: full residential facilities in our main building plus extra spaces in our new onsite tent village.

  • Waterside Road, Southminster, CM0 7QY
A young boy swinging on a rope

Places

Essex Outdoors Danbury

Danbury offers a wide variety of programmes including activities such as aerial trekking, canoeing, climbing and mountain biking. Duke of Edinburgh and expedition leadership courses are also run from this site. Danbury’s 70 acre site offers many options for your accommodation, conferencing and room hire needs – catered or self-catering.

  • Well Lane, Danbury, CM3 4AB
A group of children paddling on a stand up raft

Places

Essex Outdoors Harlow

A Specialist climbing and paddle-sports centre. Essex Outdoors Harlow also boasts 'The Lock' -one of the largest indoor climbing walls in the South East. You can access miles of tranquil waterways, the ideal environment to learn to canoe, kayak, stand up paddleboard or even try your hand at ‘bumble’ – our unique urban version of coasteering!

  • Burnt Mill Lane, Harlow, CM20 2QS
A girl doing archery

Places

Essex Outdoors Mersea

With over 60 acres of beautiful grounds and commanding far-reaching views across the estuary, you can discover many thrilling adventures at Essex Outdoors Mersea. The coastal location is quite special. The surrounding marshes and beaches make it the ideal environment for shore-based studies with access to a small field study centre in a creek nearby, only reachable by boat. A new Lake will also be available to our customers in 2020!

  • Rewsalls Lane, Colchester, CO5 8SX
The Flitch Way trail running under a bridge

Places

Flitch Way

Enjoy 15 miles of flat, traffic free, beautiful Essex countryside following a former railway line from Braintree to Bishops Stortford. Perfect for walking, cycling and horse riding.

  • Braintree, CM77 7FS

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Featured events

Scouts

Events

Jaywick Martello Tower: Growing up, digging deep: The story of Scouts, food and farming

Food is central to our lives. We all eat it, talk about it and most of us have a go at cooking or even growing it.

  • Dates: March 2 - April 28, 2024
  • Venue: Jaywick Martello Tower
  • Times: 10:00am - 4:00pm
  • For the whole family
  • Price: Free

Explore Essex

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