Our great green spaces ; Essex has some great country parks and seven of them have just been awarded Green Flag Awards

Seven Essex country parks have been awarded Green Flags, markingthem out as some of the best green spaces in the UK.

The country parks at Danbury, Weald and Thorndon near Brentwood,Great Notley near Braintree, Belhus Woods at South Ockendon,Hadleigh and Cudmore Grove at East Mersea will all proudly displayGreen Flags showing that they are well maintained and managed andhave excellent facilities.

A record number of Green Flag awards have been awarded this year,showing how many great green spaces there are in the country.

Standards "The Green Flag Award Scheme, and its growth, isessential in driving up the standards of our parks and greenspaces," said Phil Barton, Green Flag Plus Partnership chairman.

"Access to quality green space is something we all desire and thescheme plays a key role in providing it."

All award-winning sites now have the chance to receive a furtheraward from the Green Flag Plus Partnership, the People's ChoiceAward.

This award is voted for by the public, so if you want to see yourlocal park in Essex receive a national accolade as the people'schoice, then visit the Green Flag Award website atwww.greenflagaward.org.uk now to register your vote.

Belhus Woods Country Park has a diverse landscape of ancientwoodland, grassland and lakes. It is ideal for fishing and birdwatching, complete with a cafe and visitor centre.

Cudmore Country Park can be found at the eastern end of MerseaIsland. Its coastal location makes it perfect for walking the seawall, exploring the shore and watching birdlife. Behind the sandybeach lies an area of cliff top and grassland, providing a tranquilopen landscape for picnics, flying kites and other outdooractivities.

Danbury Country Park has been created from the lakesideornamental gardens of Danbury Palace. On site visitors can enjoywalks through the woodlands, picnics, fishing, flying kites orwandering through the ornamental gardens and enjoying thespectacular rhododendron displays.

Great Notley Country Park and the Flitch Way covers an area of100 acres with views across open farmland to the west, and a link toover 15 miles of walking and cycling paths along the Flitch Way. Thesite offers many facilities including a sensory trail, playequipment, cycle hire centre, fishing facilities, a visitor centreand bistro, sports and educational facilities, plus an extensiveevents programme. Hadleigh Country Park is one of the largest parksin Essex and gets its name from Hadleigh Castle, an impressive ruinof a fortress built over 700 years ago. Hadleigh Country Park is agreat place for a picnic, flying a kite or taking a walk along theseawall between Leigh and Benfleet. The park is also an excellentarea for all wildlife lovers and bird watchers.

Thorndon Country Park and Hartswood provide a large area ofcountryside and woodland. Visitors can enjoy walks in beautifulwoods and historic parkland. The site is steeped in history andfilled with the scent of wildflowers and the call of birds.

Weald Country Park offers a mixture of woodland and grassland,plus two lakes and a number of ponds. There is a network ofpathways, a well-established visitor centre and a deer paddock. Thedeer were reintroduced in 1987 as a reminder that the park was oncea royal hunting estate.