White Colne

Parish Council

White Colne Meadows

White Colne

Parish Council

Photographs by John Watt

In the 1920s the Hunt family of Earls Colne gifted six acres of arable land, located close to the railway, to the Parish of White Colne.  It became allotment gardens used by over 100 village families until, in the 1970s, a large part of the site reverted to arable farming.

Thirty years later the Parish Council proposed that this area be developed as a “Doorstep Green” – a space for informal recreation, accessible to all and designed to encourage wildlife.  

With financial support from The Countryside Agency, Coda Wildlife Trust, Awards for All and Essex Environment Trust, and under the guidance of  The River Colne Countryside Project, the villagers of White Colne have created White Colne Meadows.

While contractors did much of the heavy work, volunteer groups planted over 1000 trees and hedging plants, built the pond dipping platform, erected bird and bat boxes, created insect habitats, installed picnic tables, benches and interpretation boards.  Most recently, work groups planted bluebell plugs, cleared the pond and erected the pavilion.  

The beacon was designed and made by local blacksmith, Tatums of Wakes Colne, installed in September 2005 and lit to celebrate Trafalgar Day, 21st October 2005.  The art feature was designed to our requirements by Rod Fender of Black Forge Art, and was installed in April 2006.  The Meadows are becoming increasingly popular with walkers and families, for picnics and informal games.  We have also had several events – among them kite flying and organized games. We celebrated Trafalgar Day in 2005, Victory Day also in 2005 and a Medieval Revel in 2006 marked the official opening.

David Hopkins from The Countryside Agency said: “You should be very proud of what you have achieved - it is a very unique space you've created and you have really breathed life into it….I love the sense of peace one feels there….Congratulations on your success not only in creating the green - but most importantly for the future harnessing so much skill and involvement from people in the village who have "built it" with their own hands.”

The Meadows site can be found at the end of a long chase; the entrance gate is just past the village hall off Bures Road.

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