Longhirst
Woodland Trust wood
Size:
5.73 ha (14.16 acres)
Grid reference:
NZ221892
Map reference:
Explorer 325
OS Landranger 81
Although only planted in 1998 as a community based Millennium project this wood is maturing well and will increasingly provide an important landscape feature that complements the surrounding area. There is an excellent area for picnics in the middle of the wood and it sits on a network for footpaths for extended walks.
Paddock Wood is located in the village of Longhirst, approximately 2.5 miles northeast of Morpeth, in the county of Northumberland.
From Morpeth, follow the A197 towards Pegswood. Take the first exit from the mini roundabout onto the B1337. Go straight through Longhirst. Paddock Wood is on the left-hand side at the end of the village.
The closest railway station is in Pegswood or Morpeth. From here, buses and taxis can be taken for onward travel.
Visit National Rail for more details.
For visitors travelling by public transport the Arriva X18 bus runs from Morpeth bus station to Alnwick at regular intervals and stops at Longhirst post office in the village just south of the wood.
Visit Traveline for more information.
There are three public entrances to the wood, two squeeze stiles from the bridleway running along the southern boundary and one kissing gate from the bridleway to the northeast corner.
Both bridleways can be accessed from the main road through the village and meet the B1337 Morpeth Road to the east of the wood. There is a hotel and golf club within the village.
The woodland offers a pleasant level walk on approximately 650m of permissive footpath and connects to external public footpaths to form extended walks.
The central paths within the woodland are wide and inviting and incorporate an open area in the middle where there is a wooden seat. There is also a narrow perimeter path enabling a circular walk to be completed. Mainly flat grassy paths with some segments that can be muddy after rain.
Roadside parking on the B1337 Morpeth Road is restricted and must be undertaken with care and due regard for villagers. Other parking options are available in the village itself.
There are no freely accessible toilets in Longhirst , the nearest options are in Pegswood or Morpeth at the train stations, Carlisle Park or the public library in Morpeth.
Look for buzzards circling overheard searching for their prey. You might even hear a buzzard before you see it; listen out for a high-pitched ‘kee-yaaa' call. You might glimpse the white rump of a roe deer flashing as it acrobatically bounds through the trees or hare moving along the field margins.
Look out for:
The dominant native tree species are ash and oak with hazel, cherry, field maple and rowan. The shrubs planted include hawthorn, blackthorn and guelder rose, holly and crab apple provide variety to the mix. In the wetter ground, to the east, goat willow and guelder rose have been planted. Some specimen trees were also planted as millennium features, these include copper beech, small leaved lime, horse chestnut, western balsam poplar, scots pine and yew.
Look out for:
Paddock Wood contains a mixture of new planting, hedgerows and open grassy glades.
Explore:
Paddock Wood was planted by the Woodland Trust in 1998 using money raised by the local residents, Greggs Foundation and the Millennium Trust. Prior to this, the site was wholly within the footprint of the former Butterwell Opencast Coal Mine which was operational from 1973 to 1991 and produced 12 million tonnes of coal supplied mainly to power stations for electricity generation. The area was landscaped after the closure of the mine and prior to planting the area was grassland with hedges making up all of the boundaries.
There are a number of walking opportunities in the area including our own highlighted route which is a circular route taking in Paddock Wood and Hebron Lake, it is 6 miles long allowing approximately 3 hours to fully explore the route.
Would you like to volunteer at Paddock Wood to help us with wildlife monitoring, general maintenance and other important tasks? Perhaps you fancy helping out at our events or with welcoming visitors to the wood? We're regularly adding new roles to our volunteering team and welcome your support.
Keep an eye on our volunteering opportunities.
Visiting woods
Dogs are welcome for walkies in our woods. Take a look at our tips and guidelines for ensuring we keep our woods safe and special for dogs and wildlife.
Visiting woods
Discover events at our woods and the festivals and fairs you can find us at soon.
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