Local Wildlife Site

Wildlife

The woodlands are characterised by abundant bluebell, and uncommon plants include great horsetail and hairy wood-rush. One of the woods on the site, Bower Wood, is exceptionally rich, with opposite-leaved golden-saxifrage, yellow archangel and the regionally scarce thin-spiked wood-sedge. At Round Pond and another of the woods on the site, Spring Woods, tall marsh plants such as meadow sweet, great willowherb and wild angelica are found. The pond edge itself supports yellow flag and greater reedmace.The grasslands support many plants usually seen in old pastures, including betony, devil's-bit scabious, sharp-flowered rush, pepper-saxifrage and sneezewort.The grasslands in particular are likely to support important insect populations. Ponds here support the small red-eyed damselfly, only recently recorded in Britain and perhaps a recent colonist.Breeding birds include many warbler species, hobby, jackdaw, lesser spotted woodpecker and nuthatch.

Facilities

Information (at the Visitor Centre of the Essex Wildlife Trust, which also offers exhibitions, events and discover days); toilets; animalbird enclosure; car parking.