Danbury Country Park
Featuring 45 acres of grade II listed park and gardens with lakes, ancient woodland, wildflower meadow and historic features. Ideal for walking, families and picnics with friends.
At a glance
Introduction
*Read and Count with Me Under a Tree. Borrow a book bag in the park! Read more here.
Danbury Country Park is the proud recipient of the Green Flag Award. Read more here.
Please visit safely. Always:
- Keep dogs under control
- Respect other users on multi-use trails
- Be water aware and supervise children and dogs near ponds, rivers and lakes
- Note that swimming is prohibited
- Keep off the ice in the winter
Danbury Country Park is an award-winning and grade II listed park and garden set in the remains of the 13th century Danbury Palace. It is perfect for walking, families with young children and picnics with friends. The park is known for its historic lakes, ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and formal gardens.
The park is accessible with well-maintained paths and many seating areas around the lake and across the park. You can take a path around the lakes, through the formal lawn garden and down to the ice house front, or choose the woodland route through dappled shade and ancient trees to the wildflower meadow which was once part of the medieval deer park. On both routes you will see a variety of wildlife including squirrels, ducks and if you are lucky a deer.
There are three historic lakes in total that probably date back to when the landscape was a medieval deer park. Visitors can fish the lower lake from 8.00am until dusk, by obtaining a fishing permit here.
Late spring is a good time to see ducklings and spectacular displays from the rhododendrons and other flowering plants in the gardens.
In summer the meadows fill with wildflowers and grasses, attracting important pollinators, butterflies and insects. The park is also an important habitat for bat species including Barbastelle, Soprano pipistrelle, Brown long-eared and Leisler's bat.
Woodland paths offer respite from the sun in the dappled shade of veteran, ancient oaks, hornbeams and sweet chestnuts.
Surviving historic structures include a Ha-ha and ice house where before refrigerators, ice was collected from the lakes in winter and stored for the palace kitchens.
Image gallery
Activities
For children
Danbury Country Park runs several regular activities for children and families including sessions such as Wild Wednesday and Weekend Family Forest School, helping to build a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors.
Children can also enjoy walking, running, kicking through the autumn leaves,cycling and visiting the ducks all year round.
Walking
The park’s accessible, well-maintained hard-surface tracks are great for walking. There are plenty of seats and picnic benches to have a rest or a bite to eat. The lakeside path takes you alongside the tranquil waters where you can watch ducks, swans and carp, and past the ornamental gardens.
Family Forest School, Woodland Play and Home Education Sessions
Family Forest School sessions offer you and your family the opportunity to reconnect with nature and each other. Create lasting memories around the campfire, explore the native flora and fauna, swing in a hammock, challenge yourself to the rope ladder or just chill by the stream.
These sessions run on the second Saturday of each month and are suitable for toddlers through to grandparents. Find out more.
Join us for woodland play sessions, aimed at the under 5's. Activities include forest crafts and building dens.
Or book a series of six Home Education sessions at Danbury Country Park and enjoy nature activities, forest crafts, imagination, physical play and building things.
Fishing
Fishing Season is from 16th June to 14th March, Adults £5.00 and children £2.50. A day ticket is available to purchase here. You must have a rod licence to fish at the park. Fishing is from 8:00 am until 30 minutes before dusk. Fishing is not allowed in the Mid lake and Top lake. You can only fish at the Lower Lake (you can find this south of the wildflower meadow, to the west of the park).
Volunteering
Join our weekly volunteer group and learn new skills, whilst helping the environment & wildlife.
Volunteering at Danbury Country Park is hands-on and a great way to meet people, learn about conservation, improve your health, and well being getting exercise and fresh air.
Practical volunteer work helps maintain this award-winning park gain its Green Flag status, and a great place for people and wildlife. On-site training and PPE is provided for all tasks that the volunteers carry out. All tools are provided, just make sure you have sturdy footwear (steel toe caps preferred),suitable outdoor clothing (including sunhat and sun cream) and a packed lunch.
Takes place: every Tuesday, 10am – 3pm.
Facilities
Toilets
There are public toilets, including disabled facilities, near the woods car park and at the Mid lake. The toilets adjacent to the woods car park are closed in winter from November to April. The main toilets by the lakes car park are open all year.
Accessibility
Danbury Country Park has well maintained, accessible footpaths with many being hard-surfaced.
For full information on access to Danbury Country Park can be found on AccessAble, formerly Disabled Go.
History
Danbury Country Park has been a feature in the Essex landscape for over 700 years. Created in the time of King Henry III it was a typical medieval deer park. It is likely the lakes started to be landscaped at this time too.
As time passed and fashions in landscape use changed the park provided the grand setting for a great Tudor House, which later lent itself to the landscaped parks pioneered by "Capability" Brown in the second half of the 17th Century.
The Tudor house was owned by a variety of families and from 1830 - 1845 the house fell into disrepair in the 1810s and 1820s until 1845 when the Church of England purchased the property for the Bishop of Rochester and hence became known as Danbury Palace.
During the 1890s the estate changed hands several times. One of the owners stripped the park, felling 429 trees for their timber value. The western side of the park lost the most trees.
During the WWII the Wigans opened their doors to pregnant women from the East End of London and the Palace became a maternity hospital. There now stands a Blue Plaque to commemorate this in the lawned border.
In 1947 the Palace and estate were sold to Essex Country Council and became home to the mid-Essex Technical college and in 1974 the County Council designated the south-eastern quarter of the estate a Country Park, so today its rich history can be enjoyed by everyone.
Featured events at Danbury
Woodland Play at Danbury Country Park
Join us for woodland play sessions, aimed at the under-5's. Activities include forest crafts and building dens.
- Dates:
- October 9, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 10:00am - 12:00pm
- For under 5s
- Price: £51 for a block booking of six sessions. Sibling discounts available. Call to enquire.
Home education Forest School sessions at Danbury Country Park
Aimed at home educated children, this series of six sessions at Danbury Country Park includes nature activities, forest crafts, imagination, physical play and building things.
- Dates:
- October 9, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 12:30pm - 2:30pm
- Primary School aged children
- Price: £51 for a block booking of six sessions. Sibling discounts available. Please call to enquire.
Monster Mysteries Trail at Danbury Country Park
Head to an Essex Country Park this October half term and pick up or download a free Monster Mysteries Trail supported by the Essex Year of Numbers.
- Dates: October 14 - 31, 2023
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 10:00am - 4:00pm
- Primary School aged children
- Price: Trail is free
Where to find us
Featured events at Danbury Country Park
Woodland Play at Danbury Country Park
Join us for woodland play sessions, aimed at the under-5's. Activities include forest crafts and building dens.
- Dates:
- October 9, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 10:00am - 12:00pm
- For under 5s
- Price: £51 for a block booking of six sessions. Sibling discounts available. Call to enquire.
Home education Forest School sessions at Danbury Country Park
Aimed at home educated children, this series of six sessions at Danbury Country Park includes nature activities, forest crafts, imagination, physical play and building things.
- Dates:
- October 9, 2023
- October 16, 2023
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 12:30pm - 2:30pm
- Primary School aged children
- Price: £51 for a block booking of six sessions. Sibling discounts available. Please call to enquire.
Family Forest School at Danbury Country Park
Don’t let the children have all the fun, connecting with nature is beneficial for everyone. Come and join us at our Family Forest School sessions.
- Dates:
- October 14, 2023
- November 11, 2023
- December 9, 2023
- January 13, 2024
- February 10, 2024
- (continued …)
- Venue: Danbury Country Park
- Times: 11:00am - 2:00pm
- For the whole family
- Price: £10 for the first child. £6 for siblings. Accompanying adults Free. Under 18 months free.
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