Where to watch wildlife - suggested walks

Tunstall reservoir

Tunstall reservoir is located within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has an excellent walk along its eastern edge through a semi-natural broadleaved woodland. The Tunstall reservoir walk is not only a very scenic and relaxing walk but once in the woodland offers the chance to view a variety of wildlife.

The woodland on the eastern edge of the reservoir is extremely species rich and contains a variety of species, including, sessile oak, ash, alder, willows, rowan, hazel, holly and birch. The woodland has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest named Backstone Bank and Baal Hill Woods.

The understorey includes a variety of shrubs and plants, including bilberry and great wood rush. Any lying dead timber around the woodland also provides a home to invertebrates and small mammals.

There is a footpath around the reservoir, and a good starting point is at the northern end near the nature reserve. Part of Tunstall reservoir is designated as a nature reserve and supports a number of birds throughout the year including Great crested grebe, tufted duck, goosander, moorhen, coot, mallard and common sandpiper. Redshank, lapwing and oystercatcher have also been known to roost on the dam.

Look out for butterflies around the site as there is a quite a diversity – with up to 13 species including red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock and meadow brown.

Distance	Time	Map
1.9 miles	Allow 1 hour

Please note: suitable footwear required.

Scaling Dam reservoir

Scaling Dam reservoir is located within the North York Moors National Park.  The western end of the reservoir site has been designated a nature reserve and part of this is also within the North York Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest.  Although there is no public access within the nature reserve we have developed an excellent circular walk that follows the boundary of the nature reserve and the reservoir.

In addition to the abundant bird life keep an eye out for wildlife including brown hare, roe deer, stoat, weasel and common shrew as well as adder and common lizard.

The circular walk begins from the sailing club car park as a grassy path which goes through a small area of woodland and onto a track known as Boghouse Lane.  Going in an anti-clockwise direction this track skirts the edge of the nature reserve with boardwalks crossing particularly boggy areas and a bridge taking you over the main inlet stream to the reservoir (look out for frogspawn from the bridge in the springtime).  The path then takes you onto the moor, still skirting the edge of the nature reserve and a stile eventually leads you back towards the reservoir, adjacent to conifer and  broadleaved woodland.  The rest of the path stays close to the reservoir going through areas of heather, species rich grassland and gorse.

The heather is not burnt or grazed allowing it to develop to maturity unlike areas of the surrounding moorland that are regularly burnt as part of a management regime for grouse shooting.

The walk continues past a second car park and along the dam embankment back to the starting point.  There are toilets at both car parks and the fishing lodge in the Sailing Club car park also provides refreshments and a seating area.

Distance	Time	Map
4.6 km	Allow 1.5 to 2 hrs

Please note: suitable footwear required.

Remember: visit the bird hide close to the sailing club which offers a good vantage point for bird watching all year round. Scaling Dam is important for wintering wildfowl and from September-October onwards the reservoir has over wintering coot, pochard and mallard amongst others. In spring and autumn passage migrant and scarce wildfowl can also be seen including shoveler, gadwall, goosander and osprey.

Teesdale reservoirs

This walk starting at Balderhead Reservoir offers an invigorating walk with stunning views of three of Northumbrian Water’s six reservoirs in Teesdale.

Balderhead Reservoir was built in 1965 and is surrounded on its Northern and Southern shores by the Lune Forest SSSI and Cotherstone Moor SSSI. Starting at the car park at the northern end of the dam head south across the dam, then head east leading past the youth hostel and down towards Blackton Reservoir. Continue to head east joining the Pennine Way to East Friar House then up on to Cotherstone Moor past Goldsborough Hill and over Yawd Sike burn.

When the path forks take the route on your left and follow the path for 1 km before taking another left on to a footpath which will take you down to West Briscoe Farm. When you reach the road head west along the southern shore of Hury Reservoir, this will eventually lead right onto a footpath towards a dam over the reservoir. Hury Reservoir built in 1894 has high numbers of waders such as oystercatcher and lapwing during the breeding season and is also an excellent wild roach fishery.

At this point Mere beck meadows SSSI will be on your left, this small meadow supports important plant communities characteristic of northern hay meadows maintained by traditional farming methods.

Once over the dam take the path left and head west across fields along the northern edge of Blackton Reservoir towards Hannah’s Meadow and Birk Hat crossing Hunder Sike burn halfway along the path. Hannah’s meadow is designated as a SSSI and is managed by the Durham Wildlife Trust and is another excellent site for summer flowers.

Take time to visit the Hannah’s Meadow interpretive centre and the Northumbrian Water bird hide which offers pleasant views of the reservoir. Built in 1896 Blackton Reservoir is the shallowest of the Tessdale reservoirs and its western end is designated as a County Wildlife Site so keep an eye out for birds such as wigeon, common sandpiper and tufted duck.

From the bird hide continue west along the footpath for a short while before heading up to High Birk Hatt. From here it is only a small distance west along the footpath back to the car park and finishing point of this walk. 

Distance	Time	Map
12.6 km	Allow 3 to 4 hrs	Balderhead  Blackton  Hury

Please note: suitable footwear required.