Southern Country Park is one of our newest parks, covering approximately 23hectares. Created as part of a Section 106 agreement in the late 80s; East Herts Council took it over in 2001, winning the prestigious Green Flag Award every year since 2008.

The park has several distinct areas, with the balancing pond for fishing and duck feeding, the enclosed picnic area and large grassed areas for informal play and kite flying, plus an exciting older children's play area and dog agility area adjacent to the car park off Thorley Lane East. There are also a wide variety of wildlife habitats and features such as woodland, grazing areas, chalk banks, informal play spaces, streams and a small natural pond.

Read the Bylaws for Southern Country Park [1MB] .

Main Entrance:
Southern Country Park
Moor Hall Lane
Bishop's Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 4GZ

Car Park Entrance:
Southern Country Park
Thorley Lane East
Bishop's Stortford
Hertfordshire
CM23 4BH

Southern Country Park Play Areas

  • Tyre Swing
  • Group Swing
  • Twin Cable Aerial Runway
  • Single Low Rotator Unit
  • Overhead Rotator Unit
  • Rotating Dutch Disc
  • Senior Multi-Unit with Slide (Nexus style)
  • Rotating Balance Beam
  • Twin Goal Posts with Rebound Fencing

Greenspace Action Plan for Southern Country Park 2018-2023

East Herts Council has worked with Countryside Management Service (CMS) to create a new five year management plan for Southern Country Park in Bishop's Stortford - see Southern Country Park Greenspace Action Plan 2023 - 2028.

 

The aim of this new management plan is to maintain and enhance the park over the next five years by working closely with the Friends of Southern Country Park and our partners to keep up the same high standards that visitors have come to expect while doing all we can to support and benefit the local wildlife.

Previous Greenspace Action Plans for Southern Country Park

The Southern Country Park Greenspace Action Plan 2008-2013 [37MB] , was developed in 2008 and was our first greenspace action plan for the park. This was followed by the second  Southern Country Park Operational Action Plan 2013 -2018 [1MB] .  Using these carefully considered management plans and by working closely with the "Friends" group and the local community, the standard of the park has improved greatly.

Friends of Southern Country Park

Friends of Southern Country Park is a group formed to get the most out of the park by giving back as much as possible. It is open to anyone interested in supporting the work and aims of the group. 

For more information on what the friend are doing in the park or how to get involved please email FoSCP@gmx.com or visit the Friends of Southern Country Park Facebook page.

Fishing in Southern Country Park

From September 2016 East Herts Council will be starting a ticketing scheme for fishing in Southern Country Park; bailiffs will be patrolling the area and issuing tickets subject to a valid rod licence being presented. For more information please read our Fishing page.

Orienteering in Southern Country Park

Three new orienteering routes have been set up in Southern Country Park. 

Dog Walking & Dog Agility

We have a bespoke dog agility area within the Park.  For more information, please see related links below

Geocaching in Southern Country Park

Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt using GPS enabled devices. Participants navigate to a set of co-ordinates and then try and find a hidden container. We have hidden geocaches in Southern Country Park and Grange Paddocks open space in Bishop's Stortford.

More information is available on the Geocaching website.

Slacklining in Southern Country Park

Slacklining is similar to tightrope walking but on a flat piece of tubular webbing tied between two support structures (anchors). Experienced slackliners can perform tricks, jumps and bounces on the slackline. We have installed three wooden tree trunks in the park by the play area to be used as anchors for your own slacklines. For more information visit the UK Slackline Association website.

Boardwalk

A boardwalk has been constructed over the existing gabions in the balancing pond to provide an attractive "easy access" walking route along the edge of the reedbed. As the reed bed is a sensitive natural area, and home to a wide variety of unusual birds and invertebrates, all dogs must be kept on a lead when using the boardwalk. No fishing is allowed from the new boardwalk and a floating rope and a bank of water lilies has been planted to deter angling.

Bishop's Stortford Parks and Beyond Walks

Explore the south west corner of Bishop's Stortford by following Parks and Beyond circular walks which link together five East Herts Council managed open spaces - Southern Country Park, Northern Parkland, Thorley Wedge, Bishop's Park and The Firs. 

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