Days out this summer don’t have to cost the earth.  Why not plan a picnic with friends or family and enjoy some of the wonderful parks our area has to offer.  Essential equipment: bats, balls, rackets etc and oh, the picnic!   Let the fun begin.

Harlow Town Park.  School Lane off First Ave/Mandela Ave Harlow 01279 446404
Car park charge applies.164-acre scenic landscaped park.  Large pets corner (free) with many animals, birds and aquarium house.  Adventure playground suited for older children.  Paddling pool open during school summer holidays.

Thorndon Country Park, Brentwood.  2 entrances.  North entrance, The Avenue, South entrance Brentwood Rd.  01277 211250.  Visitor centre at North entrance. Parking charge £2.00 all day.Wonderful walks and cycle paths through the trees, picnic areas, fishing, gift shop.
Specific dog free picnic area with small child’s sandpit.

King Georges Park, Brentwood.  2 entrances.  Seven Arches Rd and  Ingrave Rd.
Large area of playing fields, with extensive children’s play area.   Variety of equipment to suit all ages.  Skate boarding and bike area.  Crazy golf.  Open air splash pool, during school summer holiday.  Cafeteria.  Parking charge £2.00 all day.

Weald Country Park. Pilgrims Hatch.  Visitor centre entrance, Lincolns Lane off Coxtie Green Rd. 01277 216297.  Stunning 550-acre park and woodland.  Superb picnic venue.  Lakes and ponds.  Deer enclosure.  Deer can be fed by purchasing special feed (35p per cup) or bring a selection of vegetables (broccoli, carrots, potatoes).  Also plenty of ducks looking for bread!  Visitor centre serves snacks, hot drinks and ice cream.
Parking charge £2.00 all day.

Hainault Forest Country Park. Chigwell Row, Romford Rd. 020 8500 7353
Large open parkland with four acre fishing lake.  Children’s farm area (free).  Visitor centre.  Snack shop.   Parking fee on entrance.  

Coalhouse Fort. The building - a scheduled ancient monument- is an armoured casement fort built in 1884 by Gordon of Khartoum on the site of previous fortifications and is one of the finest surviving of its type. A large landscaped area surrounds the fort with a car park and riverside walks and footpaths. There is a children's park area and a boating lake (once part of the moat), which is open in summer. The whole site has excellent views of the river Thames. Free Parking is available. Entrance is in Princess Margaret Road, East Tilbury.

River Lee Country Park. Covering 1,000 acres on either side of the River Lee between Waltham Abbey (Essex) and Broxbourne (Hertfordshire). It’s a unique patchwork of lakes, waterways, green open spaces and countryside areas all linked together by paths, walkways and cycle tracks.

Walking - the Park has a variety of walking opportunities for all abilities from flat surfaced way-marked paths, to grass country tracks and hills. The Information Service has details of all the routes available throughout the Park, including the specially designed walks to help you discover different birds, flowers and insects through the seasons on the way. Many of the paths are suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.

Picnic sites -  the Park has lots of places where you can picnic in comfort; many close to car parking, toilets and refreshment facilities. The closest picnic sites for Epping Forest District residents are situated at Fishers Green, Holyfield Weir and Abbey Gardens in Waltham Abbey. No barbecues.

Dragonfly Sanctuary - located at the Cornmill Meadows at Waltham Abbey, is the best single site to see Dragonflies and Damselflies in the region. The slow-flowing rivers and luxuriant water plants, found at this Site of Special Scientific Interest, provide an ideal home for these fascinating insects.  Visitors are most likely to see the dragonflies between late May and early September plus on a warm, sunny day as they are solar powered and need sunshine to warm their wing muscles for flight. Access around the Dragonfly Sanctuary may be difficult for some disabled people.
For more information about the park and what you can do call 01992 702 200 or visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk

Handy tips for summer outdoor survival
So that you are always prepared for most eventualities put together a small ‘summer survival pack’ that goes wherever you and your family go. Also remember try not to wear really bright colours or strong perfumes… they attract our buzzing friends!!

• Pack wet wipes
• Suncream
• Insect repellent
• Tweezers ( for removing bee stings and splinters)
• Antihistamine (in case of an allergic reaction)
• Plasters