周辺の湖・トップ4

This area has suffered coastal erosion and the path no longer exists in areas, if the tide was high you have to walk inland like I did around the boating lake. No signs explaining what is happening, the path sign does point inland then a sign after indicates walking route.

Fabulous sunsets if you pick the time of your visit

High Wood's Country Park's lake is a peaceful spot in the park to take a break and enjoy Colchester's vibrant countryside.

Great visitor centre

Another great place to stop on a long bike ride. The visitor centre features a lovely cafe with handmade hot sandwich options and a terrace with a view over the reservoir (locals say you can see some nice wildlife here). Oh, and there's some bike parking at the entrance (although the place appears pretty safe).

Enjoy the absolute quiet of this segment of footpath which runs alongside Ray Creek. I walked this stretch and didn't see or hear anything but nature. This large and important 683 acre nature reserve at the mouth of the Colne Estuary consists of a shingle ridge enclosing a considerable area of saltmarsh, through which Ray Creek flows. The shingle and sand is nearly all that remains of a much larger area between Walton-on-the-Naze and St Osyth that existed at the end of the 19th century but has now mostly been developed by the holiday industry. The saltmarsh is a typical example of the habitat of Essex and supports Golden Samphire and Small Cord-grass (both nationally scarce) as well as Sea Wormwood, Sea Lavender and Thrift. The shingle and sand ridge has many attractive plants including Sea Holly, Sea Bindweed, Sea Spurge, Yellow Horned-poppy and Sea Kale. The exposed mudflats, shell banks and shingle pools provide a feeding ground for large numbers of waders that arrive in autumn and winter. It is also used as a winter feeding area for Brent Geese. The Point is on a major migration route for finches, chats, Pipits, Skylarks and Hirundines. Raptors are also seen frequently. In summer there is a small nesting colony of Little Terns on the shingle with Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers. Other breeding birds include Redshank, Skylark, Reed Bunting and Linnet. The nesting area is fenced off to protect nesting birds. The reserve is also important for its invertebrates with particularly good numbers of spiders, beetles and moths recorded. A variety of solitary bees and wasps find the sandy substrate ideal for nesting. Many of these invertebrates are rare, nationally or locally, and a number of Red Data Book species (the rarest of the rare) are present. At high tides various parts of the reserve can be flooded for some time, including around the car park and either end of the footbridge so consult a tide table before you visit. It is advisable to wear wellingtons or waterproof boots as it may be muddy, or even necessary to wade, at any time of year. During the breeding season (March to September) please walk below the last high tide mark as eggs and chicks are extremely difficult to see and are easily trampled.