Druridge Pools
The site consists of a deep lake to the north and two wet fields to the south. The lake supports large flocks of wintering wildfowl, mostly wigeon and teal but including goldeneye; wading birds feed along the shores. The two adjacent wet fields are very good feeding sites, especially for snipe, redshank and teal, along with occasional rarities such as pectoral sandpiper and black-winged stilt. These fields need to be grazed in the autumn and winter to maintain the value of the habitat.
Juliet's Wood
This site is an area of ancient semi-natural woodland in two parts. The area between the woods was formally agricultural grassland, but was replanted with trees in 1991 and again in 2009. The western wood has a fairly uniform canopy dominated by oak with some rowan, birch and wild cherry. Regeneration is limited to rowan seedlings. The under storey is generally sparse but includes hazel and holly. The field layer is mainly grassy, but to the south it becomes richer, with several plant species indicative of ancient woodland.
Annstead Dunes
Annstead Dunes, also known as
Newsham Pond
The whole site on the edge of Blyth makes up an area of a little over 1 ha, comprising pond, grassland and scrub. The pond is set in a steep-sided hollow, crossed from north-west to south-east by a large bore pipe, now broken in two places to leave an island. Most of the west, north and east banks are thickly covered in willow, providing cover for water fowl and small mammals, including water vole. The main (NE) section is about 2m deep in places. A dipping platform has been provided on the pond.
Mill Burn
A narrow strip of grassland lies between blocks of conifer plantations. The Mill Burn runs through the centre of this strip with sections running over bare slabs of limestone, and the steep banks rise up to the forest edge on each side. An overhanging limestone outcrop occurs on a spur leading east from the reserve. There are occasional patches of willow and banks which are dominated by bracken - at the upstream end, the site is extremely wet. The site contains a diverse range of grassland types including limestone, mire and heath types.
Little Harle Pasture
The site lies on the upper reaches of the river Wansbeck near Kirkwelpington. The Wansbeck flows in an easterly direction cutting a series of meanders through the alluvium of the flat valley bottom. The river is constrained by steeply sloping valley sides which face north and south. These are largely covered by a mixture of commercial conifers and deciduous plantations with a smaller area of old broad-leaved woodland and open grassland.
Grindon Lough
The water level fluctuates over a large range, possibly due to drainage through the limestone. This limits the development of marginal vegetation. The Lough can be viewed from the road and is a good site for waterfowl especially in winter. The shooting rights have been leased by the Trust since 1972 as a memorial to Drs. George Jeans and Tom Hird of Corbridge. A number of geese can regularly be viewed including greylag, pink footed, bean and Greenland white-fronted geese. Whooper swans also use the lake, although the water is too shallow for diving ducks.
Greenlee Lough
The site contains a mix of habitats beyond the open water of the Lough including carr woodland, bog and grassland. There is a good variety of water plants including 11 species of pondweed and stonewort. Around the margins are areas of reed bed with other plants including bog bean and marsh cinquefoil. The Lough is used extensively by wildfowl and waders that feed in the shallow waters and wetlands.
Grasslees Burn Wood
Nearer the burn there are fens dominated by yellow flag and meadowsweet. Parts of the site are bracken-dominated but contain a good spring flora. Birds include pied flycatcher, redstart, wood warbler, cuckoo and woodcock. Roe deer are now excluded to encourage regeneration of parts of the woodland, which seems to be very successful particularly for birch. The reserve is managed in association with the Defence Estates of Northumberland National Park Authority.
Goose's Nest Bluebell Bank
One of the best bluebell sheets in Northumberland on the site of a felled woodland. Very little natural woodland cover now remains though attempts have been made to establish trees on site. Natural regeneration of mainly rowan and birch is present on the north end. The site is dominated by bluebells in late spring and then by a cover of bracken. The site is on a well-drained east to north-facing bank about 10m in height. There is a large badger sett on the bank and foraging paths lead off into surrounding fields.
