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You are here > Home > Things to Do > Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre

Durham Wildlife Trust
Rainton Meadows
Chilton Moor
Houghton le Spring
Tyne and Wear
DH4 6PU

Tel: +44 0191 584 3112

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Add Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre to your Itinerary

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre
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About

Car park barriers now open from 9.30 – 16:30 – Visitor Centre, office and café still closed.
 

Home to Durham Wildlife Trust’s headquarters. The visitor centre is open seven days a week from 10am – 4.30pm as is the nature-themed WildPlay area. The centre has a range of facilities including toilets, a classroom, meeting rooms and a coffee shop.

There is an excellent network of accessible pathways linking viewing areas that look across the lakes and wetlands, with areas of grassland and woodland completing the habitats on site.

Although a relatively new site Rainton Meadows has developed into a significant area for wildlife over the last 20 years. The wetlands and grasslands support a wide range of birds and over 200 species have been recorded. Waders such as redshank, oystercatcher, lapwing are regularly seen and also more unusual species such as little ringed plover. All five species of UK owl can be seen at different times of the year and there are good numbers of warblers, finches, tits and farmland birds.

Stoat, weasel, brown hare and roe deer are regularly seen and the wetlands attract numerous dragonflies and damselflies. Butterfly numbers are also high, particularly grassland species.

Native breed cattle are used to naturally manage the grasslands during the winter months (all grazing is within fenced compartments) adding to the interest on site.

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Access to Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre is free but non-members are asked to make a donation for car parking.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4 of 5 stars
111 reviews
  • Travelers Choice 2020
  • Excellent
    54
  • Very Good
    38
  • Average
    12
  • Poor
    5
  • Terrible
    2

Recent Reviews:

  • 167SteveB167
    Trip Type:
    Family
    Lovely nature reserve
    5 of 5 stars
    Sunday, 25th October 2020
    Had a lovely morning walking around this nature reserve with my young children. It has been over ten years since I last visited and was really impressed by how lovely the site has become. There... Read full review
  • Michael O
    South Shields
    DOGS! DOGS! DOGS!
    2 of 5 stars
    Thursday, 5th November 2020
    I was a member of DWT but the place is now just overun by dog walkers or should I say dogs. I wrote to the DWT secretary who sympathised and agreed to a great extent but the trust is powerless to... Read full review
  • MissAmyLouiseLamb
    Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
    Trip Type:
    Couples
    Perfect lockdown walk
    4 of 5 stars
    Sunday, 3rd January 2021
    Beautiful place for a stroll around. There are many different routes to take of all different lengths. There are lakes, woodlands and areas to look out for birds. Beware if your planning on going in... Read full review
Write a review
© TripAdvisor 2021

Access Information

Opening Times

2021 (1 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021)

* Car park barriers now open from 9.30 – 4.30 – Visitor Centre, office and café still closed.

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DurhamWildlifeTrust/

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