Country parks and local nature reserves

This 32ha local nature reserve is also designated as a local wildlife site and a scheduled ancient monument. With it's fascinating past, today it provides a green lung close to Colchester town centre. 

Hilly Fields site information (PDF, 1.52MB)   

How to get there

By foot: Various pedestrian entrances across the site, see map for locations. 

By bike: Colchester by bike map  

By road: Close to Colchester City Centre with limited parking on Hubert Road via Glen Avenue. Sussex Road is resident permit holders with some sections having time limited parking. 

Opening times

All day, every day. 

Facilities and access 

• Good path network and walks, surfaced route crosses site between Sussex Road and Sheepen Road entrance.
• Open grassy areas good for picnicking. 
• Access to Cymbeline Meadows across Avenue of Remembrance. 
• Cycle paths including off-road routes.
• Interpretation panels. 
• Excellent views across the River Colne valley. 

History, vegetation and wildlife 

The site lies within the broad shallow valley of the River Colne on rising ground south of Cymbeline Way. It comprises a range of grassland, hedges, scrub and woodland vegetation in both wet and dry areas, including acid grassland, marsh, tall ruderal and sown agricultural meadows to the west. Scrub and woodland have developed over some of the formerly grazed grasslands. Hence, the Spinney and Oak wood are of recent origin. 

Most of the vegetation is on acidic soils over glacio-fluvial sands and gravels though there is permanent waterlogging and several ponds in the north of the site. 

The acid grassland area is 4% of the Essex total, it is kept short by rabbits. Flora species present such as Early Hair-grass, Sheep's sorrel, Mouse-ear hawkweed and Sand spurrey. There is significant invasion of the grassland by oak, thorn, elder and bramble. The grassland is important for invertebrates including Minotaur beetle and Bee wolf, with other digger bees and wasps breeding on site.   

Buntings Meadows comprise fields sown with agricultural grasses in the 1990s and is cut annually for hay. The embankments and margins are dominated by bramble and other flowering plants. 

The two blocks of woodland are dominated by oak, ash and hawthorn. The understorey is mainly elder and thorn. The ground layer is dominated by bramble and nettle.   

The ponds are surrounded by Reedmace, Reed, Reed sweet-grass, sedges and rushes. Marsh and willows dominate the margins, and these help support a rich insect and bird fauna. 

Most of Hilly Fields is designated as a scheduled ancient monument. Excavations in the 1930s and 1970s revealed extensive Iron Age and Roman remains. The site and its adjacent open spaces are now heavily used by local people for informal recreation. 

Our work 

Since the mid-1990s the council, working with volunteers, has provided and maintained for visitors several entrances and information points, paths, steps, boardwalks, bridges, woodland and pond management, walks and litter picking.  

Colchester Natural History Society lead events here with the countryside ranger team. From moth evenings to bat walks and more general wildlife events, they guide walks across the city. More information on their events can be found through their website.