Nature Reserves
Northumberland Wildlife Trust manages a number of nature reserves within the National Park as well others throughout the North East. The Trust is the leading charity dedicated to wildlife conservation and environmental education in North East England. It employs around 30 skilled staff, most of whom are based at the offices in St Nicholas Park, Newcastle, and many hundreds of volunteers get involved in all aspects of their work.
Whitelee Moor
Location: Redesdale head, off the A68 near Carter Bar
OS grid reference: NT700040.
Whitelee Moor is the Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s largest reserve and is a site of European conservation importance due to its active blanket bog and heather heaths. It also contains other habitats and species of national and international importance. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Greenlee Lough
Location: Near Once Brewed
OS grid reference: NY767694.
One of the Roman Wall Loughs, this reserve is managed jointly by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumberland National Park Authority and English Nature. The site contains a mix of habitats beyond the open water of the lough including carr woodland, bog and grassland. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Barrowburn Wood
Location: Near Alwinton, Upper Coquetdale
OS grid reference: NT915061.
Barrowburn is an area of woodland lying on the north facing banks of the Barrow Burn. The woodland is mixed, containing alder and willow with areas of hazel coppice. Oak, rowan and birch are also present. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Harbottle Crags
Location: Harbottle
OS grid reference: NT922040.
The nature reserve is an area of beautiful open moorland with open moorland with sandstone outcrops and crags. The outcrops include the Drake Stone, where nearby rocks have been scratched and polished by the ice sheet of the last glaciation. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Holystone Burn
Location: Holystone, Upper Coquetdale
OS grid reference: NT944020.
The reserve is managed in partnership with Forestry Commission to conserve the Yardhope Oaks, a sessile oak woodland, as well as juniper scrub, a small area of reedbed and flushes containing bog myrtle. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Holystone North Wood
Location: Holystone, Upper Coquetdale
OS grid reference: NT945028.
This reserve is a semi-natural, acid sessile oakwood, an upland habitat more typical of the Lake District. Many of the trees are multi-stemmed indicating former coppicing, although records show that the wood was last worked in this manner over 60 years ago. More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Falstone
Location: Kielder
OS grid reference: NY708860.
Falstone Moss is the most accessible of the Border Mires. There is an interpretation board on site and a self guid leaflet available from the National Wildlife Trust office. Species such as meadow pipit, red grouse, adder, roe deer and the hairy caterpillars of northern eggar moth can be seen from the walk.
More information can be found on the Northumberland Wildlife Trust website.
Information courtesy of Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
