Weald and Thorndon country parks open 8am to dusk every day, Christmas Day included. Parking from £3.15, a free elf trail last December, New Year parkrun.
Brentwood’s two big country parks, Weald in South Weald and Thorndon at Warley, stay open every day through winter, Christmas Day included, from 8am to dusk. Both are run by Essex County Council, and both charge for parking.
Neither has announced its 2026 Christmas activities yet. Last year both ran a free festive elf trail through December, and Weald held a New Year’s Day parkrun.
The quick answer
- Open every day, 8am to dusk, including Christmas Day. Car park closing times vary; last December’s Weald elf trail page gave the park as open 8am to 4.30pm.
- Parking: £3.15 for an hour, £4.40 for two, £5.50 for four, £6.55 all day, at both parks.
- Last year’s free Festive Elf Trail ran 1 December to 4 January. The 2026 version is not listed yet.
Weald Country Park
About 520 acres of woodland, wildflower meadow and open grassland, which began as a medieval deer park in the 12th century. The deer enclosure has a resident herd of fallow deer, and food for the deer and ducks is £1 a bag from the visitor centre (Explore Essex, Weald Country Park).
- Stick Man sculpture trail: about 1.4km on surfaced paths from the visitor centre car park around the lake, fine for buggies and wheelchairs. Trail map 80p from the cafe, or download it.
- Cafe: open every day, 9.30am to 4pm on Sundays and Mondays, 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday.
- Address: Weald Road, Brentwood CM14 5QS. Park enquiries 01277 261343.
- Winter warning: the park asks visitors to keep off the ice.
Thorndon Country Park
Woodland to the north, open parkland to the south, with the Gruffalo Trail at Thorndon North. The Essex Wildlife Trust countryside centre (cafe and shop) is usually open 9.30am to 4.30pm every day. Bike hire is on 01277 218497, and mobility scooters can be booked on 01277 232944 (Explore Essex, Thorndon Country Park).
- Address: Brentwood, Warley CM13 3RZ. Park enquiries 01277 211250.
- Also there: marked walking routes, fixed orienteering courses (map £2.50 from the countryside centre) and a self-guided pebble walk.
Parking
| Stay | Price |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 hour | £3.15 |
| Up to 2 hours | £4.40 |
| Up to 4 hours | £5.50 |
| All day | £6.55 |
Pay by the MiPermit app or website, or at the machines on site. If you go often, the annual Explorer Pass covers parking at seven Essex country parks, from just over £1.70 a week according to Explore Essex.
Christmas at the parks: last year’s pattern
- Festive Elf Trail, both parks, 1 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 9am to 4pm. Free, for primary school children. Pick up a trail sheet on site while stocks lasted or print it at home, find the hidden elves, and enter a prize draw for an Explorer Pass. Parking charges applied (Explore Essex, Festive Elf Trail at Weald; at Thorndon).
- New Year’s Day parkrun at Weald, 1 January 2026, 9am. Free, no booking (Explore Essex, Weald New Year parkrun).
These are last year’s dates. Explore Essex has not yet listed a 2026 festive trail.
Nearby, for a bigger day out
Old MacDonald’s Farm is on the same Weald Road. Its Christmas pages still show last year’s opening pattern, so check its site for 2026 dates. For the town’s Christmas events, see Christmas lights switch-on and pantomime and Christmas shows. For more year-round ideas, things to do in Brentwood.
Still to be confirmed
The 2026 festive trail and any New Year’s Day event. On last year’s pattern the trail starts on 1 December; this page will be rechecked in mid November.
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