Hadleigh Country Park

Modern times may have engulfed much of Hadleigh's history, but in the village centre you can't fail to notice the 13th-century church enclosed, not by a green, but by a busy one-way traffic system. Meanwhile out on the hill overlooking the railway line, linking the Essex coast with London and beyond it the Thames estuary and the Kent countryside, are the ruins of Hadleigh Castle which stand as testimony to a bygone era. Founded by Hubert de Burgh in 1231 as a guard against the risk of attack by France, it was rebuilt by Edward III in the 14th century.

Hadleigh Country Park has been an important conservation area since the 1950s due to its variety of habitats, from grassland and woodland to salt marsh and mudflat. The park covers 472 acres (191ha) and overlooks Canvey Island, the River Thames and the Kent Downs. The area once consisted of two farms, Poynetts and Kersey, which used only traditional chemical-free farming methods. The rich soil sustains a variety of wildlife making this a delightful place to visit; in spring you can see shaded woodlands of bluebells, yellow calandine, nettle-like yellow archangel and plenty of butterflies; in summer you may hear the sound of a cuckoo or spot grass snakes and adders on the rough grass and heathland.

After Hubert de Burgh's death, in 1243, the danger of attack from France decreased and the castle fell into disrepair. They were spruced up again when Edward III came to the throne, in 1327. Huge sums were spent on importing stone and sand from Kent, chalk and plaster from London, wood and tiles from Thundersley, straw from Benfleet and glass from Rayleigh.

By 1551 the slopes were unstable and the castle suffered from landslip. It was sold to Lord Richard Riche who made a tidy sum selling the stone as building material for houses and churches on his extensive properties in Essex and by 1600 the castle was in ruins.

In the 19th century there were tales of a ghostly woman in white who dislocated the neck of a milkmaid when she refused to meet her at midnight, and of smugglers who sailed up the River Thames, climbed the hill and hid their ill-gotten gains in the ruined castle. Such stories were told in the pubs in Hadleigh, where it was also believed that there was a tunnel linking Hadleigh Castle with the Castle Inn.

This is now a training centre for the Salvation Army. In 1890 General William Booth set up a colony here for the rehabilitation of down and outs from London. Some 400 men passed through the establishment, working at various aspects of farming, before either returning to their families, settling down in the local area or seeking pastures new via the Salvation Army's emigration department.

While you're there

Visit Two Tree Island Nature Reserve to the south east of the castle. Topsoil was brought in to cover this former rubbish dump, which today is a paradise for insects and small mammals. There is a bird hide overlooking the lagoon and marshland, which attract kingfishers, grey herons, avocets and short-eared owls and will appeal to twitchers.

Where to eat and drink

There is plenty of choice in the High Street including some fine restaurants and pubs. Try the Waggon and Horses or The Castle - both serve traditional pub grub and a variety of ales. Also worth a visit, for non-alcoholic drinks and cakes, is the Salvation Army Tea Rooms at Home Farm.

What to look for

Look for the south east tower at Hadleigh Castle, the highest part of the ruin, for a view of the Thames as seen by landscape painter, John Constable (1776-1837). In 1814, Constable made a sketch of the castle, later used in his painting Hadleigh Castle (1829).