THE revamped Hadleigh Farm and Country Park will open to the public this summer.

The new cafe and visitor centre will be open to the public during the Easter weekend ahead of a grand opening in July, according to the Salvation Army which owns part of the land.

Originally planned to open this month, the Essex Legacy and Active Essex teams at Essex County Council have been preparing for the park’s official opening since 2012.

Park redevelopments include adapting the Olympic mountain bike track for the general public, a visitor centre, and 400 space car park.

Investment in the park has topped £6.8million since the Olympics.

The centre will be the first thing visitors see when they arrive at the park and there will also be a cafe run by the Salvation Army, bike shop and workshop, offices for park rangers and a classroom.

There will also be an outdoor children’s play area and seating.

Hadleigh Farm hosted the Olympic mountain bike event in August 2012, with more than 40,000 spectators flocking to the site over two days.

Paths at the park have also been resurfaced and widened to accommodate children in prams, wheelchair users and pedestrians.

Hadleigh Farm is closed to the public as works continue, but the Country Park which sits next to Hadleigh Farm, is open, although some trails are temporarily closed because of the redevelopment project.

Architrail have designed the new trails and works have been possible thanks to volunteers from Hadleigh Mountain biking Club and the Country Park Rangers.

A Salvation Army spokesman said: “The Rare Breeds Centre at Hadleigh Farm, Castle Lane will re-open on Monday, March 30.

“The site is also home to Hadleigh Tea Rooms. Open most of the year round the cafe provides idyllic views of Hadleigh Castle, Country Park, and the Thames Estuary. Staffed by trainees from Hadleigh Training Centre the tea rooms serve breakfast, lunch and homemade cakes.

“Over Easter weekend visitors can also enjoy the newHub facility which includes an additional cafe. The Hub will be running special Easter activities including an Easter egg hunt and the opportunity for the public to explore a new sensory room, reading room and exhibition.”

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Building work is almost complete and we hope we will be announcing the official opening date just after the Easter weekend.”

Chris Hyde, chairman of Hadleigh Mountain Bike Club, said: “We are ecstatic they are finally getting it open for all to enjoy.

“We’ve been very lucky at the club with the amount of access they have given us since the Olympics but it’s going to be great that everyone can finally see what they’ve done with it.

“It’s difficult as some people may complain it has taken so long, but all you’ve got to do is get down there and see the facilities, it’s going to be amazing.”