3 Lake/ River/ Ponds to Explore in Essex

Abberton Reservoir is a wetland site of international importance for wildfowl. It is a pumped-storage reservoir, with water pumped into it from the River Stour. It lies 6 km southwest of Colchester near the village of Layer de la Haye. It lies close to east-coast migration routes and, with its surrounding envelope of pasture and tree plantations, is a welcome sight to tired birds.

Hamford Water is a coastal bay on the Essex coast with habitats that include mudflats, marsh, and sands. The cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze form one of the finest geological sites in Britain and for that reason are a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The coastal grasslands above the salt marshes also support one of Britain's rarest plants ' sea hog's fennel.

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.