Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre
FROM 4PM ON WEDNESDAY 4 NOVEMBER, ESSEX WILDLIFE TRUST WILL BE CLOSING ALL NATURE DISCOVERY CENTRES UNTIL AT LEAST WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER, IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCING A NEW NATIONAL LOCKDOWN. OUR CENTRES WILL NOT HAVE ANY FACILITIES AVAILABLE, TO PRIORITISE THE WELFARE OF OUR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, AND TO HELP LIMIT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
WE RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR LOCAL GREEN SPACES FOR COMMUNITIES AND WILL THEREFORE BE KEEPING OUR NATURE RESERVES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC WHEREVER POSSIBLE. SOME RESERVES, SUCH AS BELFAIRS WOODS, ARE LOCATED WITHIN COUNCIL OWNED LAND SO PLEASE CHECK THE LOCAL COUNCIL WEBSITE AND FOLLOW ANY GUIDANCE BEFORE VISITING THE PARK.
PLEASE READ THE TRUST'S LATEST STATEMENT ON COVID-19 HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PATIENCE.
Location
Know before you go
Parking information
Limited and disabled parking availableBicycle parking
Bike parking availableAccess
Disabled parking available, various routes around the reserve. Contact the centre for further details.
Dogs
Facilities
When to visit
Opening times
Nature Discovery Centre currently closed until at least 2nd December.Belfairs Woods is located within Council owned land. Please check the local council website and follow any advice before visiting the park.
Best time to visit
All year roundAbout the reserve
Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre is a visitor, community and education centre. It is an important gateway to the Belfairs & Daws Heath Living Landscape, in south Essex, where Essex Wildlife Trust and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council are working, together with many partners and local people, on conservation and education activities, to preserve this fantastic landscape for future generations. The striking, wooden-clad building has been constructed sympathetically to its environment. Inside, there are an education hall (also available to hire as a meeting hall), shop, information displays and refreshments area.
Belfairs Woodland Centre introduces visitors to the 1160-acre Living Landscape, a third of which is woodland, including a number of outstanding sites valuable for nature conservation. It is a crucial green lung surrounded by urban areas and provides a tremendous green space of great importance to local people of the Boroughs of Southend and Castle Point.
Much of the woodland is officially ‘ancient woodland’; some is more than 1,000 years old, making it the earliest woodland recorded in Essex. The woodlands are home to a number of historic landscape features and a wide variety of flora and fauna, including several nationally-threatened species.
The dormouse, heath fritillary butterfly and song thrush are key species here, as is the unusual Wild Service tree, an important indicator of ancient woodland. The woods are enjoyed by local residents and visitors for walking, cycling, horse riding, golf and bowls. Most of the woods survive from an age when woodland was a vital economic resource. Coppicing and woodland rotation helped long-term sustainability, creating a patchwork of trees of different age, height, density and species – incidentally supporting a far greater diversity of plant and animal species.
Essex Wildlife Trust and other partners within the Living Landscape have resumed these traditional woodland management techniques, which will help the return and spread of declining species.
Species
Habitat
Contact us
Environmental designation
Cafe
We serve a selection of hot items, sandwiches, wraps, paninis, toasties, children’s lunch boxes, homemade soups and vegan chilli, delicious handmade cakes; including gluten & dairy free, cream teas, toasted teacakes and seasonal homemade bakes.
Open daily, serving from 9.00am – 5.00pm (4.00pm during winter) with hot food served until 30 minutes before closing.
Shop
The Visitor Centre has a well-stocked shop including binoculars, wildlife books, bird food and feeders, gifts, greetings cards, toys and games, local honey and jams, packaged snacks and ice creams.