The Wheetslade Country Park is a wonderful habitat to explore with an expanse of grassland combined with areas of woodland and wetland. There is a free car park as you enter the country park and there are some well-maintained paths. Visitors can choose to make their way upwards to the top of a large hill which climbs to 95m above sea level and is furnished with gorse and various shrubs and small trees.
This site is managed by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust and has been landscaped from a former colliery site. As visitors travel up or around the large hill, Linnets or Yellowhammers can often be found and in the spring/summer months a chorus of Warblers can be heard, whilst Skylarks hover high above. During the autumn/winter Redwing and Fieldfare are recorded.
To the North West there are areas of wetland and woodland which enhance this wildlife oasis, deep in the urban fringes, surrounded by farmland and local businesses.
A Yellowhammer
In the nearby fields Grey Partridges and Lapwing are usually present.
Green Woodpecker has been recorded at times in the adjacent woodland and migrants such as Ring Ouzel, Redstart and Whinchat are recorded some years during the spring/autumn months.
Visitors are also recommended to visit the nearby birding sites of Gosforth Park, Big Waters, Killingworth Lake and Arcot Pond.
County
Northumberland
Map Reference
NZ 260 723
Habitats
- Grassland
- Woodland
- Wetland
Access
The reserve is suitable for accompanied wheelchairs.
A downloadable access sheet is available from the NWT website at www.nwt.org.uk
Facilities
There are toilets available in the nearby town of Killingworth.
Parking
Park at the eastern end of the site near High Weetslade Farm on the B1319 near its junction with the A189.
Additional Information
More information is available from the NWT website at www.nwt.org.uk