Outdoors

Visiting the Great Notley Country Park in Braintree

On the outskirts of Braintree, just off the A120 and A131, is the Great Notley Country Park. (It used to be known as the Notley Discovery Centre but has since changed names). This is a very popular place for families but there are plenty of quiet areas of the park to escape the madness too!

Visiting Great Notley Country Park

Great Notley Country Park is free to visit, however the car parking charges are a little on the steep side ($6.50 for over 3 hours). On a busy day, the main car park fills up but there are plenty of overflow parking areas. The car parks are barrier entry. Before you leave, make sure you stop by one of the parking machines to pay. This is done using number plate recognition.

There is pedestrian access to the park, but it does include a bit of extra walking. Either via an underground tunnel from the Notley Garden Village estate or a 15 minute walk from The Flitch Way in Rayne.

Essex Countryside Braintree

Sky Ropes

Closest to the car park, you’ll find the Discovery Centre building with plenty of toilet facilities. Also in this area is the ‘Sky Ropes’ high ropes climbing course. The main course is suitable for both adults and child over 1m tall. A 75 minute session costs £12, which personally I think is more than enough time for the course size. (I used to be a high ropes instructor). The course uses a continuous belay system meaning that you are always attached to the course. (Unlike the systems used at GoApe where you have to attach and detach the static line throughout the course). A smaller junior course costs £4 for 30 minutes.

Great Notley Country Park Braintree Essex

Sky Ropes course – far left (I didn’t want to photography any children…)

The Bird of Freedom Statue

The Bird of Freedom statue sits on top of a giant mound, that is known as the Notley Bowl. The statue is in the shape of a kestrel, weighing 3/4s of a tonne and has a wingspan of 15ft. Believe it or not someone once stole the bird off the top of its plinth and a replica was made to replace it. The statue can be seen from the A120 as you come into Braintree.

Bird of Freedom at Great Notley Country Park Essex

From the top, the Notley Bowl does indeed look like the shape of a bowl. I’m not too sure the purpose of it being this shape. Once a music concert was held in the Bowl, as well as outdoor cinemas. None the less, on the odd occasion that it does snow, it makes a great sledding hill. Paragliders will sometimes use the hill for take off too.

Playgrounds

Great Notley Park Braintree Essex

There are several different play areas around the park. In all honesty, even as an adult, they scare me, but kids seem to love them still! They aren’t so much your tradition playground equipment, most are made from large beams of wood. Before the introduction of Sky Ropes, there was a climbing course that was VERY HIGH off the ground. The last time I visited, this was shut, so I’m not sure if it’s being renovated or if it’ll be replaced?

Great Notley Park

Unfortunately, just like the idiots that stole the giant bird, someone set fire to the big slide structure. They are hoping to replace this at some point. Even though these 2 areas are currently closed, you’ll still be able to find play areas that are open. Some pieces of equipment are hidden on the higher up areas so make sure to explore!

Discovery Centre Braintree Playground

If in doubt, you could always take a ball or something similar, as there are lots of wide grassy areas where you can play.

Take a Picnic

The Great Notley Country Park is a great place for a picnic. Especially for a large group. When I was younger, we often had family gatherings with all my cousins at the park. There was enough space for us to separate away from other people, eat and then have a run around. Just be prepared to carry your stuff a little way! And of course TAKE ALL OF YOUR RUBBISH WITH YOU. Don’t spoil it for others!

During the weekends, refreshments are available and sometimes there are ice cream vans parked on site!

Notley Bowl at the Discovery Centre Braintree

Hiking Trails

Away from the play areas, the bottom section of the park has walking, cycling and horse trails through the woods and around a large lake. Even during busy times these areas often remain quiet, so they make a nice escape! During my last visit we saw lots of ducks and a couple of swans. Fishing is permitted in the lake but you will need a rod license.

Great Notley Country Park Lake Essex

Parkrun

*Parkrun is temporarily suspended due to everyone’s current favourite talking point…*

Every Saturday morning at 9am Parkrun takes place at the Great Notley Country Park. This is a free event but you do need to register online in advance and print off an ID barcode. The printable barcodes are free but you have the option to purchase more ‘robust’ versions too.

The run is 5km (3 mile) long and the route is completed twice. And yes, the evil people make you run up the Notley Bowl hill. Around 200 runners attend this event each week and the average 5k run time is 30 minutes. If you are driving to the Parkrun, it’ll cost you approximately £1 to park for up to 1 hour. The faster you run, the cheaper it’ll be!

I took part in Race For Life 5k event which was held at the Discovery Centre in 2010. It is quite a nice running route as it’s mainly on the flat!

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