Roding Valley Meadows

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This is the largest surviving area of traditionally managed river-valley habitat in Essex. It consists of flower-rich hay meadows, both wet and dry, bounded by thick hedgerows, together with a small amount of scrub, secondary woodland and tree plantation. It follows the River Roding for some 1.5 miles between Chigwell Lane and Roding Lane, Buckhurst Hill, as it meanders across this ancient landscape.

The meadows are managed in the traditional way by taking a hay cut in summer, followed by grazing by Longhorn cattle. They are rich in flowers, including pepper saxifrage, southern marsh orchid, ragged robin, marsh marigold and devilsbit scabious.

The green lane that runs from near the river to the M11 motorway by Grange Farm forms part of the old route from Epping Forest to Romford market, and has many woodland flowers.

Birdlife is good and varied. In spring and summer, sedge warbler, skylark, reed bunting and whitethroat can be seen about the river and meadows. Late summer sees flocks of finches and other seed-eating birds on the seed heads of thistle and teasel. Grey heron, little grebe, snipe, green sandpiper and common sandpiper are regular winter visitors. Raptors about all year include little owls.

Many insects inhabit the meadows and the hedgerows, both unusual and common. Most summers produce drifts of meadow brown and other grassland butterflies.