Address: 174 Turner Rd, Colchester, CO4 5JR, United Kingdom
Phone: +441206853588
Rating: 4.7
based on 148 reviews.
Wildlife & Nature
Pros:
"Wildlife includes 30 species of butterfly and 50+ birds in the Spring."
"Highwoods country Park is a vast area covered with woods including large variety of trees & plants, and birds & animals like squirrels, deers, cows."
"Absolutely stunning nature forest park! Autumn is just beautiful here."
"Exceptional natural habitat with plenty of flora and fauna."
"What a beautiful place to walk and spend time in. The oak trees are beautiful and the buttercup and wild flower grass lands are so pretty."
"Beautiful walks through woods & around the lake."
"A stunningly beautiful place. Can't believe it's in the middle of a built up area."
Cons:
"Unfortunately some areas are a bit run down, namely the lake which was full of rubbish with rats."
"A shame that you always find idiots dumping litter at times."
Facilities & Amenities
Pros:
"There is somewhere to get a drink and eat if you want."
"Wonderful massive park with lots of walks and a super visitors centre with gifts / drinks/ ice creams."
"Plenty of parking, beautifully kept and maintained woodland with pathways and signs for different walks."
"Toilets were clean. Large car park."
"Park with lovely lake, pond and wooded area. Cafe and WC facilities and car park."
"There is a visitors centre which when open offers hot and cold drinks, snacks, trinkets and educational opportunities."
"Good outdoor adventure play area which is safety fenced and there is a separate area for younger children."
Cons:
"The only real drawback I found whilst walking the dog was the shortage of poo bins during the walk."
"They could do more with the cafe as only canned drinks and ices from a fridge."
"There is a lack of bins, though. Plenty at the entrance, but around the trails there aren’t any at all."
"Only slight criticism is the shop only takes Cash only."
"The only criticism is the disabled facilities. The disabled parking is not the closest parking to the toilets and cafe which is a bit strange and the disabled toilets are the furthest away."
"One toilet was blocked in the ladies toilet. Along with a soap dispenser being out of action."
"Be warned no hot food or hot drinks sold."
Recreation & Activities
Pros:
"A lovely place for all ages to have a walk, play, picnic."
"This is a family fun place. It's also good for regular exercise in the form of walks and running for keeping fit."
"Experience a great day out here, with play parks for children, and lots of paths for walking and cycling."
"Throughout the year they have different activities."
"Really nice woodland with lots to look at and walk through has a good play area to keep kids worn out and several picnic benches for eating at."
"The park has an assault course play area for children aged 8 and upwards. Also picnic table area and visitor information shop."
"Highwoods country park is great place for kids to have and explore, it’s has climbing walls, a really good play park and an excellent area for den building."
Cons:
"Shame that they haven’t got the play area open for half term kids were happy playing in the wood making dens but would of loved playing in the park as well."
"It is not the Park's fault but please be careful at the playground as it was very slippery and my daughter broke her arm."
"Really disappointed that with the school summer holidays starting the play areas are still closed and not expected to reopen until the end of the year."
"There are not many things to do for kids."
"The shop don't have many drinks in and the ice lolly callipo was mushy and went every where."
Accessibility & Parking
Pros:
"It cost just £1.00 to park and I paid with my MI Permit App which had not used since before the Covid-19 emergency begun over a year ago."
"Very good park to walk around and cheap to park (50p for two hours, £2.00 for 2+ hours, £4 all day)."
"Free car parking at the Chanterelle car park is a bonus, but parking at the Visitor Centre is payable by machine."
"Depending on which car park you use it will prices vary from free to 50p for two hours or £2 for four."
"Parking was easy."
"Parking is very reasonably priced."
"This Lovely park is just across the road from the Primary care centre and a short walk to the Colchester General hospital, at one pound for two hours parking a great way to while away the time."
Cons:
"Parking excellent value although MiPermi app not efficient or user friendly."
"Parking can be a bit tight."
"Car parks are paid by app only and the app wouldn't work so we abandoned our visit and went to Castle Park instead."
"Could benefit from improving the navigation signposting to find the carpark and more colour coded walking route signage along routes."
General Experience
Pros:
"Love Highwoods lots of space and some lovely walks in the heart of Colchester."
"This is such a beautiful Park, with so much to offer! Woodland walks, trails, fishing, perfect for exercise or just relaxing with a Picnic its also got good Car parking!"
"What a lovely park, so much to do and see, loads of different areas like woods, ponds, hills, fields to see."
"It's great to be able to find a little bit of countryside in the town."
"Well maintained, good parking, excellent signage and loads to do."
"So fortunate to live seconds away from here. A true country park with incredible variety of wildlife, walks, tracks, lake, shop, etc etc. A great escape from the hamster wheel."
"Fantastic country park. Great walks with lakes and hills."
Cons:
"It's a great place for treading in dogs muck."
"Never seen a dog warden here in 23 years."
"Some dog owner have ignored of rule that dog must on lead which made me fed up."
"Only failure is lack of toilets at the highwoods side, need to be addressed."
"Fine walk for dogs, my wife wanted to go in disabled buggy they advertise, but people running it are always ill, or the buggy is broken, I'm starting to wonder if it actually exists!"
"The shop don't have many drinks in and the ice lolly callipo was mushy and went every where also it was an amazing view around the lake and pond but no fish there I give a three for the view and the exercise but i left to because there's no signs to show you where we are we also got lost lol."