Gateshead Birders

Chopwell Woods

360 hectare mixed woodland alive with an amazing variety of wildlife.Despite its location on the edge of the Tyneside conurbation,animal and plant life thrives beneath the canopy of Tyne & Wear's largest woodland. The Wood's wildlife value lies not in one or two rare species, but in the sheer divesity of plant and animal life that call the Wood their home. A very large Forestry Commission woodland in the Derwent Valley which is managed for the production of commercial timber. Most of the wood is made up of pines, though there are areas of spruce, larch, beech and some remnants of ancient oak woodland. There are many access points but the easiest for the first time visitor is the main car park at Hookergate, grid reference NZ137584, off the B6315, Rowlands Gill to High Spen road.

A wide range of common woodland species can be seen, but the area is particularly good for those that like conifers, such as Coal Tit and Goldcrest. The wood attracts very large numbers of Siskins, and sometimes Crossbill, which occasionally stay to breed. Some of the Beech plantations are good for wintering Hawfinch, and these sometimes gather here in relatively large numbers. An evening walk through the woods is often productive and large numbers of Tawny Owl can be heard, and many displaying Woodcock seen.

Mammals: Chopwell Wood is home to a number of mammals. These include badger, red fox, red squirrels, roe deer and otter, the latter inhabiting holts on the banks of the River Derwent which skirts the southern side of the wood. The woodland provides valuable habitat for brown long-eared bats and Daubenton's bats.

Birds: Ninety-three species of bird have been recorded in the Wood. Residents include green and great spotted woodpeckers, tree-creepers, Woodcock and a whole 'parliament' of tawny owls! Seasonal visitors to the Wood include siskins, willow warblers, chiffchaffs and swallows.

Insects and reptiles: Associated with the wide diversity of plants are numerous invertebrates including sixteen species of butterfly, over two hundres species of moth and wood ant. Visit one of Chopwell's 'bomb ponds' and you may encounter dragonflies and damselflies flitting amongst the bankside vegetation. There are three of these WW2 bomb craters which have become ponds with significant ecological interest. In and around the ponds themselves live three species of newt, including great crested, as well as frogs and toads.

Habitats: Over 250 plant species have been recorded, ranging in size from the minute duckweed with leaves only 5mm in diameter, to giant Douglas Firs at over 40 metres tall. Visits at different times of the year will reveal the diversity of flora in their full glory. During the spring, the woodland floor is awash with colour with the flowers of bluebells, wood anemone and lesser celandine. Later in the summer forest rides and roadsides are scattered with common spotted orchid, harebell and meadowsweet.

How to get there:
The entrance to the wood is located in the southern end of High Spen village, off the B6315.
By Bus:
From Newcastle (Eldon Square) service no. 611
From Gateshead number 621 (no Sunday service).

Click flag for map

List of bird species recorded here