Dunmow Cutting
A linear country park passing through fifteen miles of
countryside along the former Bishop’s Stortford to Braintree
railway, you could travel between Braintree and Bishop’s
Stortford in around 45 minutes. The passenger service was closed in
1952, but steam, and later diesel locos continued with goods
traffic until the line finally closed in 1969.
Open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders, the Flitch Way is flat
and mostly traffic free. This will take you through wildlife-rich
railway cuttings, Victorian stations and bridges, with views across
impressive farmland, nearby villages and woods. There are many
public footpaths exploring the countryside just off the
route.
Dunmow Cutting is an important wildlife area. The south facing
banks support unimproved grassland dating from the creation of the
railway. While the area around has become intensively farmed the
railway banks in the cutting are relatively undisturbed. They were
kept open during the lifetime of the railway for safety reasons and
they retained a wide variety of wildflowers. This area is
especially rich because it goes through a chalk soil. Since the
demise of the railway it has become overgrown with scrub. This
invasive scrub has to be kept back to create and maintain clearings
where wild life can prosper, for the beneft of butterflies, other
insects and wild flowers in the cutting.
This work continues each winter where more and more areas are
opened up, taking out the trees on the north banks to let in the
sun and improve the grassland. The banks need to be raked to reduce
the nutrients so that the wildflowers will flourish.
You are looking for a small white container slightly smaller
than 35mm container, bring your own pen and stealth is
required.