Where to see butterflies in Cambs & Essex

The site is open all the year round.

The nearest train station is Peterborough with regular bus services from Peterborough to Wansford. A seasonal steam locomotive service is provided by the Nene Valley Railway between Peterborough and Wansford.

Limited car parking facilities are available on the farm track.

The site is open all the year round.

Visit the Natural England website for further information.

The site is open all the year round.

Whilst the whole area is considered to be part of the Hadleigh Great Wood complex, the eastern half of the woodland is referred to as Belfairs Wood, which is found within the boundaries of Belfairs Park. The western area is called Hadleigh Great Wood, which together with Dodds Grove at the north west corner, forms the Belfairs Nature Reserve, and is managed by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.

The nearest train station is Huntingdon, which has bus services to Brampton and Grafham.

Follow the road through the village and over the A1 and the reserve is on the N side of the road 1.5 miles out of Brampton. A brown sign indicates the entrance to a small car park.

The site is open all the year round. Purple Hairstreaks can often be seen toward the top of the oak trees around the car park; try the two magnificent oak trees (the 'Master Oaks') at the start of the main ride by the information shelter as well. Brampton's White-letter Hairstreaks rarely, if ever, come down from the high tops of elm. Black Hairstreak are elusive by nature; try looking for Blackthorn stands with open glades nearby. Ringlets are numerous along the rides during their flight season (June, July & August).

The nearest train station is Peterborough and there are bus services (sometimes restricted) from Peterborough to local villages. Castor village is close to the route of the 'Green Wheel', a 70 km network of cycle paths centred on Peterborough.

There is car parking close to the reserve on Heath Road, connecting Ailsworth and Helpston at TF122023. There is some disabled access with a private road allowing limited access to the drier parts of the reserve. Contact the Site Manager for details by telephoning 01780 752796.

The nearest train station is Ely, which has bus services to Chettisham (leaving a 0.5 mile walk) and Little Downham (leaving a 1.5mile walk).

From the centre of Ely, take Lynn Road north towards Chettisham. In the village, turn left to St. Michael's Church and park in the limited on-road space available. Walk left past the church, follow by-way across the busy A10. After 400 metres, take a left track at junction and Chettisham Meadow is 200m on the left.

The nearest train station is Wrabness which is 0.5miles from the reserve entrance. Regular buses running between Harwich and Colchester go past the reserve on the B1352. 

The nearest train stations are at Newmarket and Dullingham, both about 2 miles from the Dyke. There are regular buses to Reach, Swaffham Prior, Newmarket July racecourse and Woodditton. 

Burwell Cutting:  Note that when walking from Swaffham Prior along the road to Reach, there is a byway marked ‘DevilÂ’s Dyke WalksÂ’ which in fact leads AWAY from the dyke in a SW direction.

DO NOT TAKE THIS PATH. EITHER:

1) carry on to Reach to start walking the length of the Dyke in a SE direction, OR

2) take the public footpath north from TL572649, just east of where the disused railway intersects the road. This footpath runs alongside and across the cutting to intersect with the dyke.

The Burwell Railway Cutting crosses the Dyke about 0.5 mile (1km) south east of Reach – note that there is NO PUBLIC ACCESS to that part of the cutting lying north east of the Dyke.

There is a small car park at Reach, near Swaffham Prior on the B1102 and one at the Newmarket July Racecourse.

The site is open all the year round.

This is one of the area’s finest butterfly sites and is where the Branch has carried out extensive conservation work over the past few years.

Although the DD restoration project officially ended in 2006, take a look at its website for background information and on the BCNP Wildlife Trust website.

Warning: Devil's Dyke is very popular with dog walkers and not all are responsible about cleaning up afterwards.

The nearest train station is Braintree from where there is a bus service to Great Dunmow and Takeley. Alternatively, there is a bus service from the railway station at Bishop’s Stortford to Great Dunmow.

There is room for several cars in a layby (Grid ref: TL609217) on the S side of the B1256, just over 1 mile W of Great Dunmow. From here, walk W 100 yards along the B1256, turn left (south) down ButtleyÂ’s Lane for about 200 yards and then left (east) onto the old railway line. The cutting is about 500 yards along the track.

The site is open all the year round.

Not suitable for access via public transport.

Ample parking at the Visitor Centre.

The Visitor Centre and Nature Reserve is open daily from 9 am – 5 pm, except Mondays, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

All visitors to the nature reserve are required to enter the Fingringhoe Centre first, to obtain a day permit.

The Trust invites donations from non-members of £1 or more for adults and 50p for children. Visit the Essex Wildlife Trust website for further information.

A small but expanding colony of Chalkhill Blue and some of the more common species such as Brimstone, Small & Essex Skipper, Green Hairstreak, Painted Lady, Meadow Brown and Common Blue.

The Fleam Dyke footpath can be started at either the northern end near Fulbourn (TL536557 [OS Landranger Map 154]) or Balsham (TL579513 [OS Landranger Map 154]) with limited parking at both points.

The Dyke crosses the A11 at the half way point where there is also limited parking at a lay-by on the southbound carriageway (TL549543).

The nearest train station is Cambridge, about 6km from the Fulbourn end of the Dyke. There is a regular Stagecoach bus service from Cambridge Drummer Street bus station to Fulbourn (No 1, 16 & 17) and also to Balsham (No 16).

The site is open all the year round. Cycling is NOT permitted on the footpath.

The Dyke is supported by a conservation society 'The Friends of the Roman Road and Fleam Dyke'.

For more information, contact:

Julia Napier

The Secretary of FRRFD

30a Hinton Avenue

Cambridge CB1 7AS Tel: 01223 213152 

Email: @email

The nearest train station is Colchester.

Bus services from Colchester to Layer and Maldon pass along the Berechurch Hall Road, leaving a walk of about 1km to the reserve entrance.

There is a small car park located just off Bounstead road.

The site is open all the year round.

SSSI & an BCN Wildlife Trust reserve

19km (12 miles) SW of Peterborough. From Oundle, head north west to Glapthorn, and then head west to the Benefields. After 2km (1 mile), the reserve is on the right (north side of the road).

The nearest railway station is Peterborough from where there is a twice daily bus service to Glapthorn village (via Oundle), leaving a walk of about 1 mile.

There is limited parking on the broad verge, opposite the reserve entrance.

The site is open all the year round.  Visit the the BCN Wildlife Trust website for further information.

SSSI (part) & SPA, (owned and managed by Essex County Council)

This fine country park lies alongside the River Thames between South Benfleet and Leigh-on-Sea.

The nearest train station is Benfleet (on the Fenchurch Street to Southend line), which is a few minutes walk from the W end of the CP. Bus services run along the A13 through Hadleigh (get off at the Waggon and Horses PH) and to Benfleet train station.

The main access point is from a car park at the end of Chapel Lane, which leaves the A13 opposite the Waggon and Horses public house in Hadleigh. Other access points lie at the end of St. Marys Road, 250 yards NE of Benfleet station and from a footpath just W of Leigh-on-Sea train station.

The area is open all year round and the best White Letter Hairstreak areas are at the west end of the Country Park.

National Trust Nature Reserve, SSSI & NNR

5km (3 miles) east of Bishop's Stortford

The nearest railway station is Bishop's Stortford, about a 15 minute taxi ride away. There is an hourly bus service (First Village Link No 7).

The Bush End car park (fee payable) (located at TL547202) is always open while the car park at Shell House is generally open at weekends and during school holidays. There is also space for 2 - 3 cars at the roadside near the sharp bend just east of Woodside Green. There is open foot access to much of the forest.

Silver-washed Fritillaries have been recorded in the forest each year since 2006. Beggars Hall coppice (the western area of the forest) is probably the best area to see them during the first half of July.

LNR, SSSI (owned by Rochford DC and managed in collaboration with Natural England)

The woods lie just south of the village of Hockley, near Basildon.

The nearest train station is Hockley, about 20 minutes walk from the reserve. Bus services from Rayleigh and Southend run past the main entrance.

Leave the M25 at junction 29 and take the A127 towards Southend-on-Sea, and then the A129 to Rayleigh. At Rayleigh take the B1013 to Hockley. The car park is next to the Bull Inn public house.

The site is open all year round.

Part Country Park, Part Essex WT Reserve

6km (4 miles) West of Basildon.

Grizzled Skipper, Purple Hairstreak

The nearest train station is Langdon (on the Fenchurch Street to Southend line) which is less than 800m from the reserve. Regular bus services run from Basildon town centre to Langdon train station and to Langdon Hills.

Leave the M25 at junction 29 and take the A127 to Basildon. After about 4 miles, turn off onto the B148, following the brown-and-white duck signs until you reach the car park at the Langdon visitor centre on the LHS of the road.

The Nature Reserve - Willow Park (owned and managed by Essex Wildlife Trust is open all the year round which, together with One Tree Hill and Johnsons meadow (owned and managed by Thurrock Council) to the South and East, forms one of the largest areas of nature conservation in Essex.

Privately owned Woodland

8km (5 miles) east of Braintree

Silver-washed Fritillary

The nearest railway stations are Marks Tey and Kelvedon, both about a 15 to 20 minute taxi away. There is no suitable bus service.

The car park at the Visitor Centre is free but admission to the Gardens, Arboretum and Woodland Walks costs £3. However, access to much of the wood can be made along several rights of way (public footpaths).

Once naturally occurring here, the Silver-washed Fritillary was lost when the woods were planted with conifers in the 1950s. However a re-introduction scheme (started in the late 1990's) involving the Colchester Natural History Society, Natural England and the Forestry Commission is now helping to re-establish the species back in the Thrift Wood area of the Marks Hall estate.

Visit the Marks Hall Wood website for further information and a map of the site.

The best places to see the SWFs are along the path to the east of the deer fenced area (not a public right of way), along the avenue of Oak trees (public footpath), and in Thrift Wood (the area SE of the public footpath).

NNR

10 km north of Huntingdon and 1 km to the east of the A1(M) between junctions 14 and 15, near the A1/A14 junction. The reserve is accessed via the B1090 (from the B1043). The nearest village is Woodwalton.

Black Hairstreak, Grizzled Skipper, White-letter Hairstreak, Purple Hairstreak and White Admiral

Since 1973. See UKBMS for more details.

The nearest railway station is Huntingdon (6 miles/10 km south) or Peterborough (15 miles/25 km north). The frequent train service from London Kings Cross to Huntingdon takes about 1 hour. Taxis are available at Huntingdon station. And there are bus services (sometimes infrequent) to Woodwalton (check out the Cambridgeshire CC transport website for further information).

There is limited car parking at a lay-by on the B1090, near the entrance to the reserve.

The site is open all the year round, apart from occasional closures for shooting.

Please check in advance if travelling any distance and obey any warning notices.

Visit the Natural England website for further information and a leaflet.

SSSI (part)

On the north side of the village of Orwell, a small village 11km (7 miles) north of Royston & 11km (7 miles) south west of Cambridge.

Small Copper, Common Blue, Brown Argus and the rare Chalk Carpet moth.

The nearest railway station is Shepreth (2 miles/3 km south east). A frequent train service from London Kings Cross takes under an hour. There is an infrequent daily bus service to Orwell from Cambridge (Whippet Coaches No.75).

There is a car park on the High Street in Orwell village.

The site is open all the year round.

Wheelchair access: From the car park on the high street exit via the top left corner, follow the path up the hill to the wheelchair accessible kissing gate (if you need the gate unlocked it works on the RADAR key system).

Essex Wildlife Trust Reserve

In the north west suburbs of Southend-on-Sea, between Hadleigh and Eastwood.

Heath Fritillary (re-established in 1998)

The nearest railway station is Leigh-on-Sea, about 2.5km from the reserve. A regular bus services (except Sundays) runs along Rayleigh Road from Rayleigh, Leigh, Chalkwell and Westcliff railway stations, and Southend bus station; get off at Rivers Corner.

For Evenings and Sundays use the service serving Rayleigh station and Southend bus station via the A13 and get off at Woodman’s Arms.

Turn south off the A127 at Rayleigh Weir on to Rayleigh Road (A129) and turn left on to Daws Heath Road at the Woodman's Public House mini-roundabout. Alternatively, join the A129 from the A13, and turn right on to Daws Heath Road. Park on local streets with consideration for residents.

The site is open all year round. Visit the Essex Wildlife Trust website for further information.

Belfairs Wood to the south east and Starvelarks Wood (which together with Wyburn's Wood comprise the majority of EWT's Little Haven reserve) to the west are close-by and are also sites for Heath Fritillary.

More information can be found on this Pound Wood website.

Scheduled Ancient Monument and SSSI

The Road stretches in a near perfect straight line for 16km (10 miles) from the Fen edge at Wandlebury CP just on the SE outskirts of Cambridge, across the open chalk landscape N of Babraham and Linton, ending at the village of Horseheath.

The Road hosts a wide variety of the more common species including Common Blue, Holly Blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Essex and Small Skipper, which can usually be seen in some numbers and at close range (due to the abundance of summer flowers).

Up to 23 different species are generally recorded here each year. Chalkhill Blues have been occasionally seen and, together with the occasional Marbled White and Clouded Yellow, the butterfly species list stands at an impressive 26.

Since 2007. See UKBMS for more details.

The nearest train station is Cambridge, about 2 miles from the northern end of the Road. There are regular buses from Cambridge to Haverhill which stop at Wandlebury, Babraham, Hildersham, Linton and Horseheath. Another bus service operates from Cambridge stopping at Fulbourn and Balsham.

There limited car parking at the northern end of the Roman Road, where it meets Wort's Causeway (TL492547), at the Pay & Display car park at Wandlebury Country park (TL494532) and on the side road from Babraham whee it crosses the A11 at Worsted Lodge (TL526519).

The site is open all the year round.

The Roman Road is supported by The Friends of the Roman Road and Fleam Dyke conservation society.

SSSI (owned by Woodland Trust and leased to RSPB)

6km (4 miles) west of Harwich, between the villages of Wrabness and Ramsey. Turn off the A120 Colchester to Harwich road on to the B1352.

White Admiral

Since 1983. See UKBMS for more details.

The nearest railway station is Wrabness, about 0.8km from the reserve entrance (along a public footpath). Regular buses running between Harwich and Colchester go past the reserve on the B1352. Plan your journey here.

There is a car park at the main entrance, which is signposted from the B1352, at TM191310.

The site is open all year round. Visit the Woodland Trust website for further information.

The Essex Wildlife Trust reserve at Copperas Wood lies about 1 mile to the east and is well worth visiting (Purple Hairstreak).

SSSI (owned and managed by the Therfield Conservators) – the beech woodland Fox Covert forms part of the overall Heath and is a Herts & Middlesex Reserve.

2km (1 mile) south west of Royston

Chalkhill Blue, Marbled White & Brown Argus

The nearest railway station is Royston, a 10 minute walk from the reserve.

There is a car park at the reserve entrance on the south side of Baldock Road.

The site is open all year round. Visit the Herts & Middlesex WT website for further information.

Essex Wildlife Trust Reserve

11km (7 miles) south east of Chelmsford

Regular woodland species.

The nearest railway station is Chelmsford. There is a regular bus service from Chelmsford to South Woodham Ferrers, stopping at the main gate to the wood.

The entrance is on the B1418 road south of the Brewers Arm pub in Bicknacre. There is parking for a one or two cars at the main gate, with overflow parking on the opposite verge.

The site is open all year round. Visit the Essex Wildlife Trust  website for further information.

National Trust Nature Reserve, NNR

Wicken Fen is divided by a man-made watercourse called Wicken Lode. The area north of Wicken Lode, together with a small area known as Wicken Poors' Fen, forms the NNR.

These areas contain original peat fen with communities of carr and sedge. They support rare and uncommon fenland plants such as marsh pea, Cambridge milk parsley, fen violet and marsh fern. This part of the Fen can be enjoyed from a series of boardwalks.

The area south of the Lode is called Adventurer's Fen and consists of rough pasture, reedbed and pools. The dykes, abandoned claypits and other watercourses carry a great wealth of aquatic plants, many of which are uncommon elsewhere.

16km (10 miles) north east of Cambridge, situated in between the villages of Wicken and Upware on the A1123.

The Fen hosts a general array of the more common species including Green Hairstreak and Brown Argus. The nationally rare Reed Leopard moth is common at the site. Other local moths include Cream-bordered Green Pea, Yellow-legged Clearwing and Emperor. The reserve also supports large numbers of snail, spider and beetle species. Damselflies found here include the Emerald, Azure and Common Blue; together with dragonflies such as the Southern and Brown hawker, Emperor, Hairy, and Black-tailed Skimmer.

The nearest railway station is Ely. There are regular bus services from Cambridge to Ely which stop at Soham which is about 5km away.

There is ample parking within a short walk from the Visitor Centre for cars and coaches. For disabled visitors, closer parking is available by arrangement with the Visitor Centre staff.

The site is open all the year round (except Christmas Day) and has a visitor centre and cafe. Admission fee applies to non NT members.

Visit the National Trust's Wicken Fen website and the Natural England website for further information.

SSSI & BCNP Wildlife Trust reserve

Unimproved grassland

This small site (only 2 acres) is 10km (6 miles) NW of Huntingdon. From the B1090 Abbotts Ripton to Alconbury road turn right and right again into Wood Walton. Pass beneath the railway line and take the first left onto New Road.

Grizzled Skipper along with Marbled White. Flora includes Pyramidal orchid and the nationally scarce Sulphur Clover.

The nearest railway station is Huntingdon from where there is a infrequent bus service to Wood Walton village, leaving a walk of about 0.5 mile.

Park in the passing place opposite the gate to the reserve.

The site is open all the year round.

Visit the the BCN Wildlife Trust website for further information.