Gateshead Birders

Derwenthaugh Meadows

Located at NZ200632

These damp meadows are directly behind Shibdon Pond but on the other side of the A1. Take the A69/A694 from Swalwell roundabout and at the roundabout take the first left . That is before the main left for Derwenthaugh road or the right for the A114 to the Meterocentre. Park carfully along the road and view the meadows on the lef. Do not enter the fields but you can view them well from the road. Neglected recently but probably because of that since 2008 they have started to revert to good wet pasture. This used to be the best site in Gateshead for Jack Snipe and Otter tracks in particular used to be regularly seen. It is still excellent for Orchids with good numbers of Northern Marsh, Common Spotted and the hybrid between them. It used to be a former site for the most northerly population of Southerm Marsh Orchid in the UK but the uncontrolled grazing has destroyed much of the flora.

The area is generally wet pasture with horse grazing. There is a stream which regualrly holds Kingfisher in the winter The location has security fence bounding the UBU factory site on its northernedge- left hand bank,with open pastureon its southern boundary right hand bank. The ditch is bisected at its western boundary by the Al western by-pass and a purpose built culvert allows wildlife access in and out of the Shibdon Pond LNR beneath the road.

[Photo: Peter Harvey]

Click flag for map