Parks and countryside

Chafford Gorges Nature Park lies in the centre of Chafford Hundred. It has more than 200 acres of green space, and is rich in wildlife. The Nature Park is made up of Warren Gorge, Lion Gorge, Grays Gorge, Mill Wood and Wouldham Cliffs. The gorges are manmade, having been the site of chalk quarrying from the 18th century to the late 1950s. Many of the surrounding quarries were redeveloped for housing. The range of chalky, sandy and gravely soils support large numbers of nationally significant plants and invertebrates. There is an Essex Wildlife Trust visitor centre at Warren Gorge, the largest gorge, with a shop and café that acts as a gateway to the Nature Park.