The Haining, which is near Elsdon and close to its Benshaw Moor reserve, is already a haven for wildlife with the hay meadows bursting with plants such as yellow rattle and common spotted orchids. It is now the wildlife charity’s newest reserve.

Anybody travelling into Elsdon over the past 10 to 15 years from the A696 at Raylees, could not fail to notice large areas of land being planted with trees by the previous owners.  In total, around 40ha (100acres) of trees have established around two smaller but older plantations of Scots pine. This relatively new woodland is home to a range of bird species, and buzzards are often seen overhead.

A range of butterflies and dragonflies such as common hawker and small skipper enjoy the woodland edges and glades.  The small ponds are home to an impressive population of toads and the Elsdon Burn, to the northern boundary, is well used by otter.

Barn owls can be seen hunting over the grassland, at dawn and dusk.

Plans to develop the site’s wildlife potential are ambitious with the first steps for the wildlife charity’s Estates Team staff and volunteers including surveys to understand the site better and so guide the future management of the site. 

Surveys will help find out the range of species present around this diverse site to help staff decide on any changes to management. While many of the work may be out on foot in the traditional way, the Trust also hopes to deploy a drone to help with habitat mapping and assessing change. This may result in more areas or wetland and changes to the way it manages grassland habitats

In the middle of the reserve there is a modern house transformed from the old ruined Haining farmhouse by the site’s previous owners, which the Trust intends to use as a holiday let.  Not only will it provide a wonderful place for people to stay in the heart of Northumberland and in the middle of a nature reserve, but it will also generate an income to help it fund the management of the site.

A team of estates staff and volunteers will begin the immediate management of the woodland including the removal of many of the tree tubes, which helped this woodland become established. Many of the site’s ash trees have died from ash dieback and will be replaced with species such as oak and birch. 

The hay meadows at the heart of the site are in excellent condition but will benefit from autumn grazing to help the flower species thrive.

Access to the site is currently restricted to the public rights of way, one from near Elsdon passes the house then divides, a route going south to the Raylees road and a route north crosses out of the site and leads up to the Otterburn road. The Trust is considering options for making additional access but in the meantime asks visitors to stick to these rights of way.

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive says:

“This amazing piece of land is a wildlife hotspot and one of the Trust’s most exciting acquisitions in the last 15 years.

“It is such a very generous gift not just to the Trust, but towards helping the restoration of nature across the wider landscape.

“We intend to enhance what has already been put in place here and widen its impact for conservation. It is a truly wonderful location and demonstrates on a small local scale what could be accomplished more widely at a bigger connected scale to bring nature back.”