Vange Hill

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A former plotlands area that is now an informal open space of grassland and scrub woodland. At the foot of the hill is a large drainage ditch built to prevent Vange from flooding and now surrounded by trees and scrub. From the top there are commanding views across the south Essex marshland and over the River Thames into Kent.

The soil here is free-draining, and the south-facing slopes in particular are warm and dry, which makes them particularly valuable for insects. Large numbers of the commoner butterflies can be seen in summer, and also marbled whites. Notable among its flowering plants are pale flax and fairy flax.