The Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre is the gateway to a pristine 100 acre nature reserve which surrounds the Hanningfield Reservoir. Managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and set in mature woodland, the Centre gives uninterrupted views of the reservoir and is open 7 days a week. Facilities include displays about wildlife and sustainable living, an education room, refreshments and toilets. It also stocks a wide range of gifts, binoculars, telescopes and natural history books.

The building itself is designed for maximum energy efficiency with central heating powered by woodchip sourced from coppiced wood on our reserve. We have installed composting toilets and all waste water is treated using a reed-bed filtration system before going back to the pond.

On-site Education Officers offer a wide range of workshops, walks and events for children, families and adults to learn more about wildlife conservation and sustainability - details of which can be found on their website below. The nature reserve is fully interpreted with informative display boards, walking routes and bird hides, so its easy to explore and discover the rich diversity of wildlife living here. There is full disabled access to the visitor centre and bird hides.