Chafford Hundred
The name is re-used from the historic Hundred of Chafford, which covered a much larger area including parts of present-day Thurrock in Essex and the London Borough of Havering in Greater London. The area has seen large growth since its inception, with many City workers living there due to the relatively easy commute into central London.
The land is on very gentle slopes (ranging from 18 to 34m AOD) and the area also has included a number of park and recreational areas. The largest area is of special environmental and scientific interest, Chafford Gorges Nature Park; its management was taken over by Essex Wildlife Trust on 9 June 2005.
Chafford Gorges nature park offers 200 acres of green space for numerous wildlife and recreation for the 12,500 people living in Chafford Hundred
Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park
Overview
Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park located at Drake Road, Chafford Hundred. It has more than 200 acres of green space and is rich in wildlife.
Visitor centre
The visitor centre is set in a spectacular position over-looking Warren Gorge – check the Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park website for latest opening times.
Facilities at the visitor centre include:
a café
a gift shop
wheelchair accessible toilets
baby changing facilities
free car parking
Features
Features of the gorges include:
well surfaced paths but some steep inclines
a variety of habitats, including grassland, meadow, ponds and woodland
a variety of plants and wildlife, including orchid, bats, newts and glow worms
picnic areas at Warren Gorge set within meadows and beside lakes
The gorges
There are 5 main areas in the nature park:
Warren Gorge is the largest gorge and at its base there are meadows and lakes – ideal habitats for chalk-loving plants, kingfishers, house martins and orchids
Lion Gorge has a large lake containing tench, rudd, pike and bream – it is also home to 4 different verities of bat. Dogs must be on a lead
Grays Gorge contains 9 species of orchid and other wild flowers, along with reptiles such as adders, slow worms and grass snakes, as well as species of birds, butterflies, bees and beetle
Mill Wood is an ancient woodland that supports a range of wildlife
Wouldham Cliffs form the backbone of the nature park and has views over Lion Gorge – in summer this area is inhabited by butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies
History and geology
From the 18th century to the end of 1950s, a large proportion of Chafford Hundred was extensively quarried for Brickearth to make bricks, gravel and chalk, with flint as a side product. These were used to produce lime for mortar, whitewash and – from the 1870s – cement. The nature park was created within the disused quarries with the Chafford Hundred housing development built around the edges.
Much of the area is formed from chalk, deposited from 97 to 65 million years ago, at the bottom of a tropical sea, which was around 300 metres higher than today. The sea retreated which allowed erosion of the resulting land surface before a shallower sea was re-established 60 million years ago, when Thanet Sand was deposited – this is best seen as the Mill Wood sand cliff. Visitors can walk a geology trail guided by a leaflet available from the visitor centre.
The land is on very gentle slopes (ranging from 18 to 34m AOD) and the area also has included a number of park and recreational areas. The largest area is of special environmental and scientific interest, Chafford Gorges Nature Park; its management was taken over by Essex Wildlife Trust on 9 June 2005.Chafford Gorges nature park offers 200 acres of green space for numerous wildlife and recreation for the 12,500 people living in Chafford Hundred
Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park
Overview
Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park located at Drake Road, Chafford Hundred. It has more than 200 acres of green space and is rich in wildlife.
Visitor centre
The visitor centre is set in a spectacular position over-looking Warren Gorge – check the Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park website for latest opening times.
Facilities at the visitor centre include:
a café
a gift shop
wheelchair accessible toilets
baby changing facilities
free car parking
Features
Features of the gorges include:
well surfaced paths but some steep inclines
a variety of habitats, including grassland, meadow, ponds and woodland
a variety of plants and wildlife, including orchid, bats, newts and glow worms
picnic areas at Warren Gorge set within meadows and beside lakes
The gorges
There are 5 main areas in the nature park:
Warren Gorge is the largest gorge and at its base there are meadows and lakes – ideal habitats for chalk-loving plants, kingfishers, house martins and orchids
Lion Gorge has a large lake containing tench, rudd, pike and bream – it is also home to 4 different verities of bat. Dogs must be on a lead
Grays Gorge contains 9 species of orchid and other wild flowers, along with reptiles such as adders, slow worms and grass snakes, as well as species of birds, butterflies, bees and beetle
Mill Wood is an ancient woodland that supports a range of wildlife
Wouldham Cliffs form the backbone of the nature park and has views over Lion Gorge – in summer this area is inhabited by butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies
History and geology
From the 18th century to the end of 1950s, a large proportion of Chafford Hundred was extensively quarried for Brickearth to make bricks, gravel and chalk, with flint as a side product. These were used to produce lime for mortar, whitewash and – from the 1870s – cement. The nature park was created within the disused quarries with the Chafford Hundred housing development built around the edges.
Much of the area is formed from chalk, deposited from 97 to 65 million years ago, at the bottom of a tropical sea, which was around 300 metres higher than today. The sea retreated which allowed erosion of the resulting land surface before a shallower sea was re-established 60 million years ago, when Thanet Sand was deposited – this is best seen as the Mill Wood sand cliff. Visitors can walk a geology trail guided by a leaflet available from the visitor centre.