Little Waltham Meadows

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A chain of old flood and dry meadows on the east bank of the River Chelmer south of Little Waltham, including a patch of alder carr woodland. It was acquired by Essex Wildlife Trust in 1996 with the help of a local appeal and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

A range of grassland plants can be found in the meadows, including meadow saxifrage, bee orchid and yellow oat-grass. The interconnecting network of old hedgerows contain many ancient pollard or coppice stools of elm, common and midland hawthorn, hazel, willow, alder and oak.

Tawny owl, sparrowhawk and kestrel all use the hedgerows and wood or hunt over the meadows. Kestrels regularly nest both here and in Newland Grove downstream.

The meandering River Chelmer has a good range of plants, including water lilies, brooklime and yellow iris, and supports water voles. Emperor dragonfly, common darter, ruddy darter and black-tailed skimmer occur in the summer. Kingfishers and, on warm summer evenings, bats hunt for food along the river.

The alder spinney provides a fine show of marsh marigolds in spring, followed by fool's watercress and flote grass in summer.