Great Notley Country Park
Home to Essex's longest play trail and Sky Ropes, Great Notley Country Park offers the perfect family day out.
At a glance
Introduction
Great Notley Country Park is one of the Essex County Council group of Country Parks and is proud to be the recipient of the Green Flag Award. Read more here.
*Download our new map here.
*Download the Active Essex 'Daily Mile' walking route as a PDF or Jpg.
Pathway and drainage improvements:
Visitors will have noticed works taking place to the pathways over the recent weeks to ensure they remain accessible throughout the seasons.
We can confirm the pathways are all fully accessible and that the works will be completed as of Friday 25 April.
Play Trail updates:
Please note our water play has now closed but we hope to bring a new activity to the park in the future. Work is also taking place on what was the 'Climbing Forest'.
Please visit safely. Always:
- Keep dogs under control, keep dogs on the lead around the play trail
- Respect other users on multi-use trails
- Picnics are welcome but no BBQs
- 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
Whether you're an adventurer at heart or just want to relax and unwind in beautiful countryside, Great Notley Country Park offers the perfect day out for all the family in Essex.
Covering 100 acres of open space the park is home to Sky Ropes, the fun, family friendly high ropes adventure course as well as Essex’s longest play trail.
Jump, swing, slide, crawl and climb your way around 1.2km of fun including giant seesaws, swing scales, rope climbers, slides, forts and a large sand play area.
Looking for something a bit quieter?
The park also offers some lovely areas to explore and enjoy nature including a fishing lake and wildflower meadows.
It’s also popular for a wide range of activities including birdwatching, walking, cycling, fishing, horse riding, football, picnics and kite-flying.
Activities
Sky Ropes
Looking for a thrill and an unforgettable adventure with family and friends? Try Sky Ropes - Great Notley Country Park’s high ropes experience. There’s also Sky Ropes Junior, suitable for children from 2 years. Open every day throughout the school holidays.
Play Trail
Come and explore our exhilarating 1.2km play trail featuring a giant see-saw, tyre swings, zip wire, sand play area, rope climbers, slides, forts and much more.
Please see above for any maintenance works.
Walking & Dogs
We strive to be accessible to all and as such our pathways are relatively flat. As well as many informal grassy pathways our main trail takes you around the park, including the play trail, lakes, wildflower meadows (where you can see wild orchids and ox-eye daisies depending on the season) and a small woodland. It’s a good route for dog walkers however we do ask that they are kept on the lead while in the play trail section.
Read our Responsible Dog Walking Tips.
Birdwatching & Wildlife
Bird and wildlife spotting are popular activities while out walking at Great Notley Country Park. You could see anything from skylarks, owls and woodpeckers to bats, foxes and weasels.
Cycling
A 1.8-km cycling and horse-riding route cuts north-south through Great Notley Country Park. A fairly flat, hard-surface track, it’s perfect for cycling as a family and a great place for younger children to become more confident on their bikes. Please note that we don't currently have any hire facilities, so bring your own!
Fishing
You can fish in the large lake in the south of the park. You can fish with up to two rods but you must have an Environment Agency rod licence and a fishing permit(s) before you visit.
Please see our fishing terms and conditions here.
A daily permit is available to purchase here.
Please note: Essex Country Parks reserve the right to close the fishing lakes on an annual basis to maintain the health of the fish stock.
Football Pitches and Games Area
The park’s 3G (3rd Generation) artificial turf football pitches are suitable for playing in all weather. There are full and half pitches, and a multi-use game area (MUGA) for tennis, basketball, netball and more.
To hire our football pitches or games area, call Braintree District Council on 01376 332326.
Horse Riding
Horse riding is popular at the park with the designated horse-riding route cutting North-South through the park. Bring your own horse, and please stick to the bridleway.
Volunteering
Want to give something back or learn something new? We work closely with the Friends of the Flitch Way and Associated Woodlands, with volunteer work undertaken most Tuesdays and Thursdays (during term-time). So come along, get involved and learn some new skills – you might find yourself helping to construct fencing or even a bridge! For more information please visit: https://www.friends-of-the-flitch-way.org.uk/
Facilities
The Visitor's Centre (Discovery Centre)
For enquiries please call 03330 132900 between 8.00am to 4.00pm.
Toilets
Public toilets are located at the park’s visitor centre and include accessible and baby changing facilities.
Open from 9.30am until 4.00pm. *Closed Christmas Day.
Changing Places
*Currently out of order due to vandalism - we are working to get this facility fixed as quickly as we can*
A changing places facility located on the ground floor at the rear of the visitor's centre. It is open every day from 8am until dusk. Access is at the back of the centre, which is all paved.
Mobility Scooter
A mobility scooter is available to hire from the Discovery Centre building.
Call to book in advance: 03333 0132900
The max period of loan will be between 10am and 3.30pm.
Accessibility
Full information on access to Great Notley Country Park can be found on AccessAble (formerly Disabled Go).
History
Excavations in Great Notley revealed the remains of Iron Age and Roman settlements with a series of enclosures overlaid with a Roman development on the site of the Skyline Business Park. It is thought that there was a series of occupations on the site from the late Iron Age onwards, which included brewing, farming and the production of textiles.
Great Notley Country Park however is relatively new, having been created from the remnants of Gt Notley Village when it was developed as part of the new 'self-sustaining' garden village.
It has grown up with the community surrounding it, and is quite unique in that its wildflower meadows, lakes and other landmarks were created from scratch and over the years have grown and developed in to what you see today.
Shop, Eat & Drink
Eating and Drinking
The café offers light refreshments such as hot and cold drinks, ice creams, cakes and snacks all subject to availability.
Skylark Café February half term opening times
The Skylark café aims to open most weekends and school holidays, but due to staffing will not be open every day during the school holidays.
The café is dog friendly. We welcome dogs on leads into the café.
Poor weather and exceptions may apply.
For enquiries or further information, please call 03330 132900.
Image gallery
Featured events at Great Notley
Parkrun: Great Notley Country Park
Free, weekly 5km timed runs.
- Dates: Every Saturday
- Venue: Great Notley Country Park
- Times: 9:00am - 10:00am
- For adults
- Price: Free to take part
North Essex Astronomical Society at Great Notley
North Essex Astronomical Society is one of the larger astronomical societies in the UK with over 200 members. They are also one of the few providing members with access to a full-sized observatory at a dark-sky location
- Dates:
- September 27, 2025
- October 25, 2025
- Venue: Great Notley Country Park
- Times: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
- For the whole family
- Price: Free
Where to find us
Featured events at Great Notley Country Park
Parkrun: Great Notley Country Park
Free, weekly 5km timed runs.
- Dates: Every Saturday
- Venue: Great Notley Country Park
- Times: 9:00am - 10:00am
- For adults
- Price: Free to take part
North Essex Astronomical Society at Great Notley
North Essex Astronomical Society is one of the larger astronomical societies in the UK with over 200 members. They are also one of the few providing members with access to a full-sized observatory at a dark-sky location
- Dates:
- September 27, 2025
- October 25, 2025
- Venue: Great Notley Country Park
- Times: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
- For the whole family
- Price: Free
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