Photo: Carol Durrell / River Photography
Thorndon Nature Discovery Centre
Location
The Avenue
Know before you go
Dogs
Please note that dogs are permitted on the reserve but are not allowed inside the Nature Discovery Centre.
Assistance dogs are allowed in the Nature Discovery Centre.
When to visit
Opening times
Thorndon Nature Discovery Centre is open 7 days a week.Thorndon
Winter opening hours:
9.30am - 4pm, 1 November – 14 Feb
Summer opening hours:
10am – 5pm, 15 February– 3 November
Christmas opening hours:
Christmas Eve 10am – 2pm
Closed Christmas Day & Boxing Day
New Year’s Eve 10am – 2pm
Best time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
The Nature Discovery Centre is managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and the Park is managed by Essex County Council in a joint venture.
The Nature Discovery Centre offers some unique gifts and books, a separate education room, refreshments and displays. There are regular activities for children, schools and families. Few areas offer such variety as Thorndon country park and its surroundings. Ancient woodland and historic deer parks lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures, while nearby is the high forest of Hartswood and former common land.
Thorndon Country Park is in two parts, the northern section on a gravel ridge and the southern part on clay soil lower down. The two parts are now linked by Old Thorndon Pastures, which is farmland that has been restored to a traditional farming landscape with small hedged fields, grazed by cattle.
Thorndon Countryside Park offers a variety of habitats including ancient woodland, parkland, ponds, a marsh and meadow. There are some stunning ancient trees including Giant Oak and Hornbeam pollards, that are reminders that this was once a deer park. Parts of it used to be heathland, now a scarce habitat in Essex, and to restore it parts of the park, both north and south, are being grazed by goats and sheep.
park attracts a large number of woodland birds and sees more than its fair share of passage migrants and winter visitors. For example, large flocks of Siskins and Redpolls often gather in the birches, and bramblings can be seen near to the centre feeding on beech mast. There are many butterflies to be enjoyed including the uncommon Purple and White-letter Hairstreaks.
The park is managed by Essex County Council's Ranger Service who are returning Conifer plantations to grassland or woodland as mature trees are harvested.
The Nature Discovery Centre in Thorndon Park North was built just after the 1987 hurricane and fallen timber from a number of Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserves was used in its construction. It is the Trust's most popular centre with over 100,000 visitors per year, and provides refreshments, a gift shop, displays and interpretation.