Gateshead Birders

Watergate Park and Washingwell Woods

Watergate Park - Grid Ref. NZ225603 Reclaimed and landscaped site with lake and newly planted woodland. Watergate was a colliery employing hundreds of miners from the Gateshead area and beyond. The Colliery was vested in the National Coal Board in 1947 and it closed on August 20th 1964. Since closing thousands of trees have been planted to create a Forest Park. The lake here is an excellent place to watch ducks and other wildfowl, its also popular with swans. Visit the site of a Roman fort hidden beneath a wildflower meadow or walk up to one of the Great North Forests Greenheart sculptures from where you get some wonderful views across Gateshead and beyond. Washingwell Wood is located to the far side and contains some fantastic woodland walks.

Male Tufted Duck, one of 30 birds resident on the lake [Photo: SF]

The nearby Washingwell Woods is a small v-shaped woodland close to the A695 at Sunniside. Most of the area is taken up by plantations of Larch, though there are stands of Oak and other deciduous species present. Two small streams run down the arms of the woodland. The site is owned and managed by Gateshead M.B.C. There is a small car park close to the main road not far from the Marquis of Granby public house grid reference NZ217597.

The woods are worth visiting at any time of the year. Winter time brings large numbers of small finches to feed on the seeds of the larches, and there can be significant gatherings of Siskin, Redpoll and Goldfinch. Along the stream throughout the year can be seen Grey Wagtail, and on rarer occasions Grey Heron. The scrubbier areas are good for Whitethroat, and the surrounding farmland holds Yellowhammer, Linnet and Tree Sparrow. Hawfinch are occasionally recorded in the woods, the car park is a favourite spot for them.

For more information contact Melanie Bowdon on 0191 460 4696

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List of bird species recorded (Watergate Park)

List of bird species recorded (Washingwell Woods)