High Woods Country Park

The park was opened in 1987 after land acquired as a result of housing development was combined with land already owned by Colchester Council. In 1991 a visitor centre was built and opened which was extended in 2012. In 2000 the park expanded to its present 150 hectares. 

Before 1987 the park was a mixture of woods and arable and pastoral farmland, situated within the curtilage of the former medieval Royal Forest of Kingswood. Originally valued for its native timber and underwood, much of the woodland was converted to plantations of sweet chestnut coppice within the last two hundred years or so. 

An earthwork, of undetermined origin, is situated within the woodland and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM).  

The northern woods retain some of their medieval boundary wood banks and ditches. Some veteran trees occur, mainly alongside boundaries and linear features. Fields to the south have yielded roman coins as well as musket balls associated with the 1648 Siege of Colchester. Discarded brick and tile waste can be found to the north indicating past links with the historic local brickmaking and pottery industries. More information about the history of the park can be found in the ‘Landscape in the Making’ (R Mash) booklet available at the visitor centre. 

Habitats and wildlife 

Most of High Woods Country Park is a designated local wildlife site and supports a wide variety of habitats and species. These include diverse woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands, marsh and wetlands which in themselves support over 70 species of bird, over 25 species of butterfly, at least 15 species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), at least 121 species of moth, at least 258 species of fungus, at least 19 mammal species and 7 reptile and amphibian species. 

Wildlife of High Woods - map of the park 

To find out more about how we manage all the different habitats found in the park and to check out some of our species lists, take a look at our management plan.