Forests & woodlands · North East England
Gosforth Park Nature Reserve
In or near Benton.
Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- Longbenton · 2.0 km
- Paid entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
Getting there & planning your visit
Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is located in Newcastle upon Tyne, postcode NE3 5EP. The nearest railway station is Longbenton, which is 2 km away. Admission to the reserve is free.
About
Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is a named forest, woodland or nature reserve in the United Kingdom. Address: Salters Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 5EP. Opening hours: Mo-Su 09:00-16:00. Coordinates: 55.0265°, -1.6005°.
Photo gallery
Official information
Gosforth Nature Reserve is a vital sanctuary for wildlife located on the outskirts of Newcastle. It features diverse habitats including woodlands, wetlands, and reedbeds, where visitors can observe over 1,600 recorded species. The reserve is open year-round for exploration via a visitor pass or membership.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Gosforth Park SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Northumberland Shore SSSI
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Gosforth Nature Reserve is a wildlife haven in Tyne and Wear, England. It includes extensive woodland and wetland habitats and is managed by the Natural History Society of Northumbria. Access to the reserve is restricted to NHSN members and those in possession of a valid day pass. Dog walking and other recreational activities are not permitted on site. The reserve is part of Gosforth Park, the old estate of Gosforth House.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In medieval times, what is now Gosforth Nature Reserve would have been agricultural land, there is some remaining evidence of ridge and furrow. The general habitat in the area would have been heathland, hence the name of the nearby village of West Moor and the nearby track called Heathery Lane. When the Brandling family took over the land and built their large estate house they had the surrounding area landscaped, as was the fashion of the day. This included planting new woodland and creating a new lake for boating and fishing. From historic maps it appears that the lake was created in the period 1810–1820 and that most of the woodland was planted around the mid-19th century. The Brandling…
Architecture
Gosforth Park Nature Reserve was designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1977. The citation includes: <blockquote>The locality is regionally important for its aquatic, grassland and woodland invertebrate faunas which include two nationally rare species, a small beetle Triplax scutellaris and Adrena alfkenella, a solitary bee.</blockquote>
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.0265, -1.6005
- District
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Parish
- North Gosforth
- Postcode
- NE3 5EP
- Parliamentary constituency
- Newcastle upon Tyne North
- Nearest railway station
- Longbenton — 2 km
- Opening
- Non-Members: 9am – 4pm (last entry 3pm); NHSN Members: 8am-sunset (varies by month)
- Official site
- www.nhsn.org.uk
Sources
- osm: w741626362 (ODbL)
- wikipedia: Gosforth Nature Reserve (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Gosforth Park Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 93167.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Newcastle Racecourse
Racecourses · 0.9 km
Gosforth Park
Parks · 0.9 km
North Gosforth Chapel
Chapels · 1.0 km
Gosforth House
Racecourses · 1.2 km
Caretaker's Flat, Brandling House
Historic houses · 1.2 km
Border Minstrel
Historic pubs · 1.3 km
McCracken Park
Parks · 1.3 km
Killingworth railway station
Heritage railway stations · 1.3 km
North Gosforth
Other places · 1.4 km
West Moor
Natural landmarks · 1.5 km
Gosforth East Middle School
Other places · 1.6 km
Benton
Towns & cities · 1.6 km
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Gosforth Park Nature Reserve?
- Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is in the Scottish Lowlands, United Kingdom (postcode NE3 5EP), in the parish of North Gosforth.
- What is Gosforth Park Nature Reserve?
- Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Gosforth Park Nature Reserve?
- The nearest railway station is Longbenton, about 2.0 km away. Drivers can use postcode NE3 5EP.
- Who owns Gosforth Park Nature Reserve?
- Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is owned by Newcastle Racecourse.
- Is Gosforth Park Nature Reserve a protected site?
- Yes — Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is part of the Gosforth Park SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Northumberland Shore SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Gosforth Park Nature Reserve free to visit?
- Yes, Gosforth Park Nature Reserve is free to enter.
- How do I get to Gosforth Park Nature Reserve?
- The nearest railway station is Longbenton, about 2.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode NE3 5EP.