20 Attractions to Explore Near Weald Country Park

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary sits on 53 acres of beautiful countryside in the heart of Brentwood, Essex. The sanctuary currently cares for over 500 sick, unwanted, and mistreated animals. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area and attracts a lot of tourists here.

This 25 acre reserve is the site of a house and once famous Edwardian gardens belonging to Ellen Willmott, it is now maintained as a nature reserve by Essex Wildlife Trust. Warley Place with its show of blooming spring flowers - from snowdrops to daffodils and crocuses then bluebells - is a spectacular sight to see and also you can spend some nice time in this beautiful area.

A beautiful nature discovery centre with some fantastic walks through ancient woodland and historic deer parks which lie close alongside recently planted woodland and a landscape of small pastures. It has 500 acres of beautiful woods and parkland with meadows and ponds. It's an ideal place for family visits as well as spotting wildlife. The Childerditch area is particularly good for birds and butterflies.

Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker is a large underground bunker used during the Cold War as a Regional Government Headquarters. Since being decommissioned in 1992, the bunker has been open to the public as a tourist attraction, with a museum focusing on its Cold War history. It was originally built for air defence but turned into a regional government headquarters as the Cold War progressed. Now open to visitors as a museum.

The Epping Ongar Railway is a preserved railway, which runs along the last section of the old Great Eastern Railway and London Underground Central line branch line. Take one seat in one of the period coaches and watch the train pass through beautiful countryside from Ongar to North Weald, from here you can catch the heritage rail shuttle which takes you through Epping Forest and so more.

North Weald Airfield is an operational general aviation aerodrome located in North Weald Bassett – Epping Forest, Essex. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain. Although unlicensed it is home to many private aircraft and historic types, and is host to a wide range of events throughout the year, including the Air-Britain Classic Fly-in and smaller airshows.

Barleylands Farm Park in Billericay is Essex's real family farm park experience. With adorable farm animals, kids play areas and fun farmyard activites. Barleylands has a range of farm animals, reptiles, birds of prey, craft workshops and restaurants. They are well known for their animal care, popular children's birthday parties and events such as Lambing Live, Easter and Toddler Fireworks.

Hylands Estate is a prestigious grade II* listed public park encompassing 574 acres of historic parkland. The beautifully renovated Neo-Classical elegant villa Hylands House can be hired for any occasion including Weddings, Celebrations and Business Events and is open to the public. Since 1966 the House and its surrounding grounds have been owned and maintained by Chelmsford City Council.

Copped Hall is a fine Georgian mansion that is currently under restoration. It is superbly sited on a ridge overlooking its landscaped parkland.

It occupies the southwestern part of the county at the northeastern edge of Greater London. The name also refers to an ancient tract of woodland that crosses the district. The original forest was a royal hunting ground that was gradually enclosed. It contains areas of woodland, grassland, heath, rivers, bogs, and ponds, and its elevation and thin gravelly soil historically made it unsuitable for agriculture.

Hanningfield Reservoir is a 402.9 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest between Billericay and Chelmsford in Essex. It is owned by Essex and Suffolk Water and run by them in conjunction with the Essex Wildlife Trust. The reservoir is covered by a Bird Sanctuary Order. The Nature Discovery Centre is set in mature woodland and has proved a popular bat roost, with a beautiful carpet of Bluebells in the spring.

Chelmsford Museum is a majestic museum which will take you through Chelmsford's history, from the Ice Age, right through to the present day. From the chance to see a mammoth, or watch a princely Anglo-Saxon buriel, to finding out what used to be on your street, the museum has something for everyone.

The Dartford crossing – known as the Dartford tunnel until 1991 – is a major road crossing of the river Thames. It carries the A282 between Dartford to the south and Thurrock in the north. It's the only fixed crossing of the Thames to the east of Greater London and the busiest estuarial crossing in the UK. Up to 160,000 vehicles use it every day.

Parndon Wood Nature Reserve, run by ECCO, is an area of the ancient woodland home to a huge range of birds, small mammals, deer, flora, and fungi. The reserve is a Special Site for Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its variety of flora and has received a Green Flag Award, which recognizes the best parks in the country, for the last 11 years.

Gilwell Park, world famous home to the Scout movement, is a truly unique venue for both corporate events and private special occasions. It has been the venue for many hundreds of events ranging from Scout camps, Outdoor Education programs for schools, getaways for corporate groups and conferences.

Central Park is one of the oldest public parks in Chelmsford. It also includes Central Park Memorial Gardens, Frank Whitmore Place, Bell Meadow and Sky Blue Pasture with over 35.6 acres of parkland together with a Nature Reserve. Here you can enjoy beautiful flowerbeds, riverside walks and cycle paths, a model railway, children’s play areas, a lake, a skateboard ramp, tennis courts, a multi-use games area, and table tennis.

Wat Tyler Country Park is a country park located to the south of Pitsea, Essex, which was inhabited from the Bronze Age onwards and at one time was the location of the Pitsea Explosives Factory. It offers around 125 acres of country walks, wildlife spotting, adventure play for kids and some of the best business and event venues in Essex.

Chelmsford Cathedral is one of the youngest cathedrals in England and stands at the heart of the newest city. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford. One of the famous pilgrimage centers in this area and also a tourist attraction too.

This was once one of the largest Augustinian abbeys in the country. The remains of some of the abbey buildings can still be seen today, including the gatehouse and the passage from the cloisters to the sleeping quarters. Its beautiful rose gardens also provide plenty of benches and picnic tables to relax.

The Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross and St Lawrence is the parish church of the town of Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. It has been a place of worship since the 7th century. The present building dates mainly from the early 12th century and is an example of Norman architecture. To the east of the existing church are traces of an enormous eastward enlargement of the building, begun following the re-foundation of the abbey in 1177.