Salary Brook Country Park is a 62.8-hectare, multi-functional landscape, transforming open grassland into a climate-resilient, ecologically rich landscape.

The park is a key piece of green infrastructure at the heart of Tendring Colchester Borders, an exemplar Garden Community shaped by regenerative design principles, for which Periscope is leading the landscape masterplan.

As a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), the Park provides a vital amenity for local residents while reducing pressure on protected natural sites. It sets a new benchmark for accessible, high-quality green infrastructure that is accessible for humans and more-than-humans.

The park builds on the rich ecology of Salary Brook, a 15km watercourse flowing through floodplain marsh, wetlands, and wooded slopes and situated at the base of the Park’s valley. The Country Park draws on this character and stitches together a network of enhanced hedgerows, meadows, and enhanced woodland edges with over 650 proposed trees to form pockets of habitats along the valley edge, offering a variety of visitor experiences.

At the southern entrance to the park and set within the enhanced woodlands will be two Forest Schools, providing outdoor classrooms for environmental education and bushcraft training. A clearing in the woods will host the Woodland Loop, offering outdoor learning spaces, a MUGA, and adventure play area tailored for teenagers. Easily reached by foot, cycle, or car, these outdoor learning areas are designed to be inclusive and accessible for all young people and by integrating play and education into a woodland settings, they support ecological enrichment and provide meaningful social infrastructure to locals.

Boardwalks, interpretation points, and sensitive lighting also enhance the visitor experience without compromising habitats and wildlife. The park’s layered design promotes a stronger connection to nature, improved health, and long-term ecological stewardship.