{"id":848,"date":"2026-01-02T18:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T18:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/?p=848"},"modified":"2026-05-09T18:26:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T18:26:37","slug":"explore-essex-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/?p=848","title":{"rendered":"Explore Essex in 2026 \u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From countryside and coast to family fun with The Gruffalo and Stick Man, there\u2019s something for everyone at Essex Country Parks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explore Essex is kickstarting the New Year with a campaign to help get the county\u2019s residents out and about and embracing the great outdoors in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new Explorer Pass campaign offers residents 12 reasons to visit the Essex Country Parks located across the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From countryside to coast, the eight Essex Country Parks offer something for all ages. From walks through ancient woodlands and seaside strolls to officially licensed trails featuring The Gruffalo and Stick Man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campaign features 12 ideas for residents to enjoy a great day out throughout 2026, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Wander in ancient woodlands<\/strong>\u00a0at the historic sites of Belhus Woods, Danbury, Thorndon and Weald Country Parks. Enjoy bluebell walks, nature trails and ancient woodlands and experience the changing seasons, from the first growths in spring to stunning autumnal displays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Take a moment to reflect by a lake<\/strong>\u00a0at Belhus Woods, Danbury, Great Notley, Thorndon and Weald Country Parks and enjoy the peace and quiet. Disconnect from digital devices and the hustle and bustle of everyday life and experience a moment of tranquillity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Meander along a sea wall or take a waterside walk<\/strong>\u00a0at Cudmore Grove, Hadleigh and Marsh Farm Country Parks. From beachside walks to accessible waterside pathways, there\u2019s something for everyone.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Stroll through stunning historic parkland<\/strong>\u00a0and discover the heritage that makes Danbury, Thorndon and Weald Country Parks sites a must visit in 2026. Each park is steeped in history, with Thorndon and Weald Country Parks offering heritage trails for those who want to step back in time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Ramble through wildflower meadows<\/strong>\u00a0when the weather warms up and discover the rare flowers and plants found at Belhus Woods, Danbury, Hadleigh, Great Notley, Marsh Farm, Thorndon and Weald Country Parks. Pack a picnic and enjoy a family friendly day out amongst the flora and fauna.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Take a breath with a view<\/strong>\u00a0and enjoy the wide sweeping vistas at Cudmore Grove, Hadleigh, Marsh Farm, Thorndon and Weald Country Parks. Perfect for those who love wide open landscapes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Enjoy accessible routes and surfaced paths<\/strong>\u00a0whatever your age or ability at Danbury, Great Notley, Hadleigh and Weald Country Parks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Visit Essex\u2019s longest play trail\u00a0<\/strong>at Great Notley or let younger family members swing, swoop and slide at the children\u2019s play areas at Belhus Woods, Cudmore Grove and Weald Country Parks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Explore the dog agility courses<\/strong>\u00a0at Belhus Woods and Thorndon Country Parks with your furry friend. Take them on an adventure and let them experience the different landscapes each park offers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Delight in the magical Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler themed trails\u00a0<\/strong>of The Gruffalo at Thorndon and Stick Man at Weald Country Parks. Search for the hand-crafted carvings of much-loved characters from the bestselling picture books and set imaginations free.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Keep on running, pick a parkrun near you<\/strong>\u00a0at Cudmore Grove, Hadleigh and Great Notley Country Parks and embrace a \u2018New Year, new you\u2019 healthy lifestyle in 2026.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Experience nature in all its glory<\/strong>\u00a0and spend time listening to the sounds of the local wildlife or get up close and feed the ducks and deer. Also, discover the works taking place due to the Countryside Stewardship Landscape Restoration programme to boost biodiversity and strengthen habitats for rare, declining and protected species for the future.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Councillor Mark Durham, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for the Arts, Heritage and Culture, said: \u201cFrom coastal marshes to ancient woodlands, the Essex Country Parks offer a great day out for all ages. Whether visiting play trails consisting of much-loved children\u2019s book characters or discovering the fascinating heritage of the historic parks, there\u2019s something for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI\u2019d encourage the county\u2019s residents and visitors to kickstart 2026 and get out and about in Essex Country Parks and enjoy all that they have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The Explorer Pass offers year-round free car parking at all the Essex County Council managed country parks, with some caf\u00e9 discounts too. This January, purchasers will receive 13 months for the price of 12. To buy an Explorer Pass and access the special offer, use code Jan26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For more information, visit: www.explore-essex.com\/explorer-pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cllr Peter Schwier  ISEP<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste Reduction & Recycling<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chair, East of England Regional Climate Change Forum  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    From countryside and coast to family fun with The Gruffalo and Stick Man, there\u2019s something for everyone at Essex Country Parks. Explore Essex is kickstarting the New Year with a campaign to help get the county\u2019s residents out and about and embracing the great outdoors in 2026. The new Explorer Pass campaign offers residents 12 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=848"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":849,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848\/revisions\/849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toppesfield-pc.gov.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}