The Rangers Office is located at Great Notley Country Park Discovery Centre, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex, CM77 6FS. Facilities are also available at Rayne Station on the Flitch Way including freshly brewed coffee, tea and snacks available at weekends from Rayne Station Centre from 10am to 3pm.

Great Notley Country Park and the Flitch Way covers an area of 100 acres with views across open farmland to the west, and a link to over 15 miles of walking and cycling paths along the Flitch Way. The site offers many facilities including a sensory trail, endless play equipment, cycle hire centre, fishing, visitor centre and bistro, sports and educational facilities, plus an extensive events programme.

Drakes Bistro:
Whether you fancy a lite-bite or a two course lunch, it will be a great place to relax and enjoy yourself. Drakes will offer a choice of healthy, freshly prepared foods, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.

The bistro will be open every day except for Christmas Day and is available for private hire.

How to find us:

Map

Rayne Station is situated in Rayne village, just of the A120, west of Braintree.

Opening Times:

There will be some disruption at Great Notley while the improvement works are going on; the site will be open daily from dawn to dusk, however access to the Discovery Centre may be restricted whilst work is being carried out.

Rayne Station: Toilets daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Rayne Station Refreshments: Open weekends from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Parking:

Parking is available at Great Notley Country Park. Please note from the 31st of March parking charges will apply - £2 per car all day.

There is a limited amount of parking available at Rayne Station.

Events:

The Ranger Service organise and run a variety of eventsat Great Notley, along the Flitch Way and in places such as Garnetts Wood, near Banston which they also look after. There is some thing for every one whether you want to keep the kids amused in the school holidays or a days conservation work with the Rangers. Please see our events listings for details or contact the Discovery Centre and ask to be placed on our email mailing list.

Facilities:

Information and toilets available at Rayne Station Centre daily; Refreshments available weekends only.

Meeting Room available for hire at Takeley Station. The Station House at Takeley has a fully accessible meeting room suitable for 25 - 32 people. It is equiped with a digital projector and interactive whiteboard, there is also access to a colour scanner and photocopier (charges apply). Teas and coffees can be provided on site and additional catering can be arranged. Please contact the Ranger Staff to discuss your requirements.

Access:

Great Notley Country Park is relatively flat and has a network of all season paths which are suitable for most users. Some paths may have some disruption to them during the improvement works, but we will try and keep disruption to a minimum.

The length of the Flitch Way has a multi user surface and should provide good access for most users. Please contact the ranger service should you wish to discuss accessiblity for your particular needs accessibility.

The majority of the Flitch Way is open to walkers, cyclists, and horse riders. As with all multi user routes, consideration should always be shown to other users.

Motor cycles and other motorised vehicles are NOT PERMITTED along any part of the route.

Cycle Hire:

The Cycle Centre offers you the chance to hire bikes, tandems, trailers, child seats and tagalongs for exploring Great Notley Country Park and the Flitch Way.  There are also facilities to buy a range of new and used bikes, parts and accessories and they offer servicing and repairs. Opening times vary by season and weather conditions so please call the Park for more details.

Volunteers:

The Rangers run regular volunteer work parties to help on a variety of sites including Garnetts Wood. The groups meet on Wednesdays and alternate Saturdays, tasks and sites vary each week but can include woodland coppicing, pond restoration and even helping with biological surveying. Every one is welcome, so if you are interested in joining please contact the Ranger Service for details of the next work party.

If you are interested in finding out about the Friends of the Flitch Way please visit their web site at: www.friends-of-the-flitch-way.org.uk.

Education:

The Education Team offers early years to Key Stage 4 curriculum-linked education programmes. For more information please call 01245 435869.

Contact:

Great Notley Country Park and the Flitch Way 01376 347134