Little Haven nature reserve

Thundersley, Benfleet

Map ref:  TQ 811 889
Public Transport:  Frequent bus services along Rayleigh Road (A129).  An hourly bus service (excluding Sundays) serves Daws Heath Road.
Dogs allowed if under effective control.

Directions
Turn south off the A127 at Rayleigh Weir onto Rayleigh Road (A129) and turn left onto Daws Heath road at the Woodmans Arms mini roundabout.  Or join the A129 from the A13 and turn right onto Daws Heath Road.  Park on local streets with consideration for residents.

This 92 acre nature reserve was formerly part of Wyburns Farm and is now leased from the Little Haven's Children's Hospice.  It supports a variety of habitats; woodland, scrub, meadows and mature hedges.  Little Haven nature reserve includes Wyburns Wood and is adjacent to Tile Wood, it forms an important wildlife corridor in an otherwise urban area. 

It is one of 25 sites in the country where the Heath Fritillary, one of our rarest butterflies, is well established.

What to look for:  
Dense hedges, rich in tree and shrub species, provide important nesting sites for summer migrants such as the Whitethroat and autumn berries for Redwings and Fieldfares.  Essex Wildlife Trust use their own herd of sheep, known as the 'Flying Flock' to regularly graze the meadows in the reserve.

The tree species in Little Haven are predominately sessile Oak, Hornbeam and Sweet Chestnut.  It is particularly rich in ancient woodlland plants, including Wood Sorrel, Bluebell and Wood-rush, and has many wood ants. 

The Heath Fritillary colony is well established and adults can be seen on the wing in June and July and are very easy to see on warm, sunny days.  In 2007, 65 adult butterflies were recorded and in 2008 this number increased to 135.  This new colony has become established where the Trust has adopted the management of trees under power lines.  Management in this area has created an open corridor with coppice from one to four years old and an abundance of Cow Wheat.  However, if the colony is to survive, the habitat will need to be managed to provide a suitable micro-climate to support the butterfly in all stages of its life cycle.

Access
Accessible at all times but to minimise disturbance to wildlife, please keep to the designated paths.  Please keep dogs on leads when there is livestock on Little Haven.

Did you know?
Wyburns Wood contains a complex range of tree and plants species, indicating its ancient origins.