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Notice: Unfortunately the public hide has been vandalised and is currently out of use until further notice due to safety concerns. Please do not attempt to access the public hide.

The hide will be repaired/rebuilt when we have the capacity to. In the meantime, please bear with us as our team is extremely busy.

Holywell Pond panormaic - Steven Playle

Holywell Pond. Image by: Steven Playle.

Holywell Pond

A pretty pond surrounded by grassland, used by over wintering migrant birds attracted by the pond's proximity to the coast.

Location

North of Holywell Village
Holywell
Northumberland
NE25 0LQ

OS Map Reference

NZ 318 749
A static map of Holywell Pond

Know before you go

Size
14 hectares
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Entry fee

No
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Parking information

There is limited roadside parking available, please take care not to block resident Footpath Parking Boundary.

Grazing animals

There are sheep occasionally in the field.

Walking trails

Paths lead to the members' hide and along the southern boundary to the public hide. There is initially a wide tarmac path which narrows slightly before becoming a gravel path leading to the reserve entrance.

Access

The main access to the reserve is via a public footpath, which leads between the houses at the northern end of East Grange, at the eastern edge of the housing estate. Entrance to the reserve is via a wide 5-bar gate. Parking is limited on the roadside in the housing estate. Terrain is a level, well-surfaced public footpath along the southern perimeter leading to the public hide. A level grass track leads to the locked member-only hide.

Dogs

On a lead
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Facilities

Bird hides

When to visit

Opening times

24/7/365

Best time to visit

All year round

About the reserve

The site consists of a large subsidence pond surrounded by grassland and some mature and semi-mature areas of woodland and scrub. The pond margins to the west and north are well vegetated with reedmace dominating and the surrounding grassland supports populations of common spotted and northern marsh orchids.

Breeding species include little grebe, pochard, greylag goose and sedge warbler. In winter, wigeon, goldeneye and tufted duck are joined by greenshank, green sandpiper, amongst other rarities.

There are two hides on site, including a public hide 200m right from the gate which is open at all times and a member only hide for which keys can be purchased for £10 from NWT Head Quarters in Gosforth.

Species

Habitat

Contact us

Northumberland Wildlife Trust
Contact number: (0191) 284 6884
Contact email: mail@northwt.org.uk

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