Langdon Hills Country Park

Dating back to the Saxon period, Langdon simply means 'long hill'. The park sits on a 385ft crescent-shaped hilly ridge which extends from Dunton to Vange. There are two main areas totalling approximately 400 acres (or the size of 200 full size football pitches), One Tree Hill and Westley Heights.

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The park is open 365 days of the year from 8.00am until dusk with ample parking. There are panoramic views over the Thames Estuary and across to London. The park includes informal picnic areas, ancient woodlands dating back to prehistoric times, flower-rich grassland meadows, areas of dense scrubland, and has a good network of footpaths and horse/cycle tracks linking to surrounding countryside. The lower car park at One Tree Hill is a good place to start a ride and leave your horse boxes.

There is an abundance of native trees including the rare wild service tree. In the spring the woodland is a carpet of bluebells and other woodland flowers. The park is a good place for birdwatching. When you walk around you may hear or even see all three native species of woodpecker. Stop a while and let the birds come to you at the winter bird feeding station. In the summer the colourful meadows are alive with the sounds of grasshoppers and crickets and visited by a large variety of butterflies.

Using the outdoors as a change of scenery to the normal work place has become increasingly popular for team building as employers have recognised the potential of the Country Park and the Rangers' experience in setting challenges for groups to work together, encouraging participants to put aside their normal constraints and inhibitions in order to succeed.

Ranger Service

There is a team of Rangers who work a ten-day rota system to ensure that two Rangers are on duty each weekend. They perform many tasks, from tree-felling to hay making, from educational visits to shows and demonstrations, as well as making sure the park is clean and tidy.

At Langdon Hills they are ably assisted by the "Friends of Langdon Hills", a group of volunteers with their own constitution, insurance, equipment and machinery, all of which is used to help the Rangers manage and run events at the park and promote the Langdon Hills Country Park throughout the area.

Education at Langdon Hills

Thurrock Council Ranger Service offers a broad spectrum of educational programmes based within the 400 acres of Langdon Hills Country Park.

All the following activities have been designed to cover appropriate parts of the national curriculum and the enclosed table highlights the main areas covered by each activity.

Each activity is also in line with the Qualification and Certification Authority schemes of work learning outcomes. An example of the objective links for one activity is enclosed within this programme and the full range is available on request.

The activities are flexible and may be tailored to meet any specific needs or requirements.

Reception and Nursery groups

We very happily welcome younger groups of children to the park so they may enjoy the surroundings and the activities we have to offer. All of the programmes are adaptable and the pitch may be altered to suit early learning goals.

Our classroom is the great outdoors, with activities being very much 'hands on'. We can retire to mini-marquees that still give the feel of being a part of the countryside if the weather is unfavourable.

Risk Assessments

All of the activities we offer have been comprehensively risk assessed and we are able to send them out to you on request. In addition to this if you require a pre-visit site inspection we are happy to offer a tour of the park at a time convenient to you.

Ranger guided school visits are charged at only £3.00 per child per day, adults free.

All Materials for your educational needs will be provided by the park, but suitable clothing and footwear must be worn.

How can you help us make your visit run smoothly? By providing: first aid, discipline, and lunchtime supervision. We ask for the ratio of one adult to every five children as a necessity to comply with Thurrock Council child protection procedures.

We can tailor your programme to your needs, to discuss your visit to the park contact the Thurrock Ranger Service by:

• Phone/fax: 01268 542066
• E-mail: langdon.hills@btconnect.com
• Or look at our web site: www.thurrock.gov.uk/langdonhills

Some examples of activities

• Tree Detectives
• Growing Plants
• Clubs and Societies

Tree Detectives

Through exploration and using their senses the children look at the different trees that grow around the park and describe what they are like and how they differ. Also looks at how trees grow, the things they need in order to do so and their importance to people and the many animals that live in them. Depending on the time of year seeds and dispersal may also be introduced.

• Describing trees
• Tree growth
• Parts of a tree
• Seed dispersal
• Growth requirements
• Role-play

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Mini-beast Hunt and Pond Dipping

Explores the different animals that can be found in the local environment and how they may vary depending on the habitat they are found in. The children have the opportunity to investigate several habitats including pond, woodland and meadow to find what animals inhabit them using the appropriate provided equipment. This leads into further discussion into how animals grow and their life cycles.

• Food Chains
• How to treat animals
• Making a record of animals
• Presenting results in a table
• Observing differences in habitats
• Making Predictions
• Using drawings to present results
• Looking at how animals reproduce and
• change as they grow older

Sensory Trail

Following a ranger around a small trail the children explore the park using their senses of sight, smell, hearing and touch all of which are heightened through purpose designed games and activities. Relays why it is important to use all of our senses when looking at the world around us, and how different animals use their senses to survive everyday life.

• Smelly cocktails
• Rainbow Cards
• Eye in the sky
• Meet a tree
• Sound cards
• Bat and Moth game
• Feely boxes

Growing Plants

Searching the park for the different places that plants grow the children learn why they grow where they do and the names of some of the parks more common plants. They are encouraged to describe them orally, using pictures and with simple words and to learn why it is important to look after and respect them. Depending on the season this activity may also present the chance to investigate the different flowers and seeds produced by plants, what they are for and how they grow.

• Describing plants
• Where plants grow
• How plants grow
• Plant parts
• Flowers, Seeds and dispersal
• Looking after Plants

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Clubs and Societies

A number of clubs and societies meet or arrange activities at Langdon Hills Country Park. All of the groups listed below can be contacted via the Thurrock Ranger Service.

Friends of Langdon Hills

They are a group of local people who enjoy the delights of Langdon Hills Country Park.

The Friends help with events such as 'Santa in the Woods', Tree Dressing, K9 Capers, Performance in the Park, and guided bike rides. They also attend shows such as Barleylands Country Fair, the Orsett Show, and other local shows.

They undertake woodland work such as coppicing and clearing paths, making bird boxes, batboxes and other items of wood from the park or from other recyclable materials. They also carry out a variety of wildlife surveys.

There are a number of social events such as barbeques and the opportunity to go badger watching or bat detecting.

If you would like to join them, for the opportunity to learn new skills, make new friends (members are of all ages) and contribute to the park, please contact them in one of the following ways:

• tel: One Tree Hill (office) on 01268 542066
• email: langdon.hills@btconnect.com

Basildon Cycling Club

Hold regular guided bike rides on the cycle tracks through the country park and surrounding areas.

Basildon Natural History Society

Hold regular meetings at the Laindon Community Centre on the second Wednesday of each month, make visits to places of interest as well as managing Marks Hill Reserve.

Essex Wildlife Trust

Own and manage the Langdon Nature Reserve, adjoining the Langdon Hills Country Park.

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Funding Providers

The access paths have been built with funding from the Pitsea Cleanaway Trust and WREN (Waste, Recycling, Environmental), Essex and Thurrock Councils.

Accessible Transport

Trans-vol provides accessible transport for people with impairments in Thurrock.
Bookings can be made by calling 01375 391444

Further Information

For more information on Langdon Hills please contact:

Langdon Hills Country Park
One Tree Hill
Corringham
Essex
SS17 9NH

Contact telephone numbers:

• Office hours: 01268 542066 or 07711 260825
• 24 hour emergency number: 01375 372468

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