High Woods Country Park

Just a few minutes from Colchester's bustling town centre, High Woods Country Park - with its woods, wildflowers, lake, ponds, and play zones - is a real breath of fresh air. It's a great place to picnic, walk and cycle, fish, feel close to nature or simply unwind and relax.

The Park attracts an estimated 200,000 visits each year and is easily reached by car, bus, train, bike and on foot. The Visitor Centre is staffed and fully accessible to visitors; it serves snacks, hot drinks and gifts with seating inside or at nearby picnic areas. It contains visitor information, exhibition space and a children's creative corner. Public toilets attached to the Centre are open daily.

The Park offers events, health walks, activities and walks for children and adults. School and other educational groups are well provided for, with environmental education programmes for KS1 and KS2. Outdoor classrooms can be hired out to forest school leaders and other community groups. The park hosts 'The Big Garden' - run by Together We Grow a Community Interest Company - it is a thriving vegetable garden and orchard providing skills and therapy for a wide range of clients and community groups.

With miles of paths there are excellent walks for all ages and abilities. The Colchester Volunteer Ranger Service, formed in 1993, helps look after the Park and Visitor Centre and currently has over 60 members. They patrol the park, assist at events, carry out estate management and lead wellness walks.