300 years ago Essex was home to the most famous highwayman of all, the legendary Dick Turpin! Turpin and the 'Essex Gang' plagued the Essex countryside by stealing and smuggling anything that they could get their hands on! Farm house invasion and highway robbery became their specialities. The gang's illegal activities didn't go unnoticed and Turpin was soon on the run from the law. He was eventually captured and sentenced to death by hanging. However, that wasn't the last that people saw of him. Turpin and his gang still plague the region from beyond the grave. Sightings of their ghosts are regularly reported in the county's woodlands and on old carriage tracks. Locals advise to stay well away from these areas in the dead of night. You never know what may be lurking deep in the woods...
What's lurking deep in the woods?
The UK Mega Essex 2015 night cache event will be held at the largest Essex country park, located in South Weald. At nearly 500 acres, this 700 year-old park has so many interesting features for families to enjoy. At night time the park is a popular stomping ground for deer, bats and badgers.
Children can meet the park's deer families and feed them too
We are planning a night trail around the woods in the park. The event with start with a bat walk and talk where the rangers will guide groups around the lake with bat detectors in search of the park's evening inhabitants. This can be participated in as an alternative to the night trail, or to occupy attendees who will be heading out on the night trail later in the evening. When the night event is published, attendees will be required to let us know how many people will be in their party and whether any children under 12 will be with them so that we can allocate time slots. Those with children will be sent out on the earlier night trail which won't be quite as scary as the trail designed for those going out later in the evening.
Dogs are allowed at the event as long as they are on a lead and kept under control, however, please be aware that we expect this event to be very busy. Rangers have alerted us that ticks can be found in some areas of the woodland. Therefore we recommend that attendees wear long trousers for the event just in case.
There is a small parking charge for parking in South Weald country park. If you will be attending several of the events during Mega Week hosted in Essex Country Parks (Rocky Ride Extreme, Glaciers and Gruffalos, The Highwayman's Horror, Mersea Day, Cudmore Grove CITO) you can save money for purchasing a car parking ticket for just £10 which is valid for the whole of Mega Week. This also entitles you to visit any other Essex Country Parks during the week. Click here to reserve your parking ticket.
Weald Country Park
South Weald
Brentwood
CM14 5QS
Between 7pm and 10pm on Thursday 30th July 2015