Wonderful Wildflower Walks in Essex

Take a walk on the wild side this summer and discover the wonderful wildflowers which inhabit the Essex Country Parks. With flora and fauna flourishing there’s no better time to visit.

With woodland areas and grassland meadows throughout the park, Belhus Woods is a haven for wildflowers. Take a walk to Brick Kiln Wood and Running Water wood and you’ll see flushes of wildflowers throughout, such as Stitchwort and Red Campion and much more.

If you prefer to walk through the meadows - there are several as well as rough grassland areas at Belhus – you’ll spot a plethora of different wildflower species. Vetches, Vetchlings, Buttercups, Birds Foot Trefoil and Yellow Hay Rattle are all abundant and last until late summer. Find out more about Belhus Woods here: Belhus Woods Country Park | Explore Essex (explore-essex.com)

Discover all the wildflowers at Danbury Country Park by visiting its wildflower meadow. As this area of the park is not cut during the summer months it allows the grass and flowers – and in turn many species of insects, butterflies and moths – to flourish.

Traipse through the meadow and you’ll see Ox-Eye Daises and the Harebells all along the hedgerows. Throughout summer these grassland and meadow areas are bursting with life and are extremely important for encouraging biodiversity and supporting pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and insects. Find out more about Danbury Country Park here: Danbury Country Park | Explore Essex (explore-essex.com)

Up until late August Great Notley Country Park is a great green space to spot wildflowers. Take a stroll from the main picnic field and over the mounds and you’ll come across some of the best spots.

On your travels you’ll be able to see Ox-Eye Daises, Common Poppy, Scabious, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Saxifrage, Cowslips, Cornflowers and Lady’s Bed Straw, as well as much, much more. For more information about Great Notley see here: Great Notley Country Park | Explore Essex (explore-essex.com)

As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Hadleigh Country Park has many different types of wildflowers blooming within its grounds. Head to Benfleet Downs – an area of unimproved grassland – and you’ll spot an interesting and diverse range of plants.

As you walk round, you’ll be able to see some rare windflowers such as Hairy Vetchling, Deptford Pink, Hartwort, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Bartisa, Restharrow, Buttercups, Black Knapweed, Salsify, Field Garlic and Wild Carrot. There really is an abundance of wildflowers at Hadleigh so why not take a trip this summer? Find out more about Hadleigh Country Park here: Hadleigh Country Park | Explore Essex (explore-essex.com)