Country parks and local nature reserves

 A mixture of damp woodland and semi-improved grassland adjacent to the River Colne. The site is gently sloping and often under water during periods of heavy rain, especially during winter months. The site is small covering just 2.3 hectares. This site is not open to members of the public. 

How to get there  

No public access. 

By road: the site is located off Bakers Lane (off roundabout on Cymbeline Way), Lexden.  

History, vegetation and wildlife  

Up until the early 1980's the site was used as Colchester Borough Councils tree and plant nursery, the boundaries were fenced with hard standing bays and sheds. The area closest to the entrance is now used as a working yard and storage area for trees and plants, all the sheds have been removed but the hard standing remains. 

The meadow is typical of semi-improved grasslands on damp soil. Species include Creeping buttercup, Cuckoo flower, Meadow vetchling, Wild angelica, clovers, common grasses and Creeping thistle. A spring feeds into an area creating a permanently damp area, supporting a range of plants including Greater Pond sedge, rushes, Meadowsweet, St Johns wort and Marsh horse tail. 50% of the grassland area is cut each year on rotation, with the arising composted in one corner of the site. 

Over seventy tree species have been planted around the site, including a variety of non-natives, plus there is an established mixed hedge along the eastern boundary and this together with mature trees shades the busy Remembrance Avenue. 

In 1999 an (Essex) Black poplar nursery was established in conjunction with and managed by the River Colne Countryside Project (RCCP). The need for the Black poplar nursery has diminished as the RCCP established another source for Essex Black Poplars, unfortunately muntjac deer managed to get into the nursery and damaged the majority of the remaining trees, the nursery was finally dismantled in late summer 2012.  There are some Black poplar maturing on site in the location of the original nursery. 

The damp and sheltered conditions are ideal for a range of insects, through the summer months dragonfly and damselfly species can be seen hunting across the grassland. The wetland has the potential for becoming a more diverse area for flora, but currently is overshadowed by numerous non-native poplars. Future plans are to thin these, currently the self-seeded trees are removed regularly in the wetland area and wider grassland meadow. 

The River Colne flows along the north and eastern edge where otter, Kingfisher and some duck species use the area for travelling along the river for hunting and feeding. 

Our work 

Management of the site is for the benefit of wildlife. An access track around the perimeter of the meadow is cut, the grassland is cut on rotation with adjacent areas managed as transitional habitat from grassland to woodland.

Work is planned to prevent secondary woodland taking over the site. Coppicing (especially the willow in the damp woodland area) is carried out periodically with brash and logs left on site to create habitat piles for reptiles, mammals etc.