Weetslade Country Park

About the reserve

With habitats including wildflower meadows, grassland, scrub, reed bed and woodland areas, the reserve attracts a variety of wildlife including grey partridge, otter and kingfisher. Notably, during spring, the site is alive with the beautiful song of dozens of skylark, while in summer, visitors can delight in the aerial shows of swallows, swifts and martins. Towards the end of summer, flocks of goldfinches can often be seen pulling the seeds out of the large stands of teasel.

The park lies to the north of Gosforth Park, on a strategic wildlife corridor. From the hilltop, with a prominent drill head sculpture reminiscent of the site’s mining past, it’s possible to view the North Sea, the Cheviots and Newcastle city. The Seaton Burn runs close by and the Weetslade reed beds, are home to many species of invertebrates such as common blue damsel flies, dragon flies and birds such as reed buntings. The reed beds also provide important winter roost sites for pied wagtails, starlings and hen harriers. Small pockets of willow carr have been planted around the edges providing a foraging habitat for great crested newts and Daubenton’s bats.

The site is managed by Northumberland Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Land Trust.