Short birdwatching visit · Durham Wildlife Trust
Hannah’s Meadow
- Tier
- Good stop nearby
- Best season
- Bird seasons not individually stated
- Headline birds
- Redshank · Lapwing · Skylark
- Parking
- Use Balderhead Reservoir’s public car park, as recommended by the Trust.
- Hides
- Not stated by the operator
- Step-free
- Some boardwalks accommodate wheelchairs, but the full rough circuit is not suitable for mobility scooters.
Baldersdale, near Hunderthwaite
Hannah’s Meadow protects traditionally managed upland hay meadows and grazing pasture in Baldersdale. The Wildlife Trust names Lapwing, Skylark and Redshank among birds using the rushes and sedges, with Curlew and Meadow Pipit also listed. The reserve’s farming history and flower-rich meadows provide the setting, but the birding visit follows the permitted paths rather than crossing the hay crop. A waymarked walk from Balderhead Reservoir links the meadow with the wider valley landscape. The Trust recommends June and July for the flowers; its bird list does not assign individual seasonal viewing windows.
Birds and seasons
- Redshank · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Redshank
- Lapwing · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Lapwing
- Skylark · Headline bird — Season not stated Source for Skylark
Plan your visit
- Hides and viewpoints
- Not stated by the operator – check before travelling
- Paths
- Follow the waymarked public paths and boardwalks. The reservoir circuit has rough and uneven sections.
- Toilets
- The Trust lists no facilities within the reserve.
- Parking
- Use Balderhead Reservoir’s public car park, as recommended by the Trust.
- Dogs
- Dogs must be on a lead.
- Access notes
- Some boardwalks accommodate wheelchairs, but the full rough circuit is not suitable for mobility scooters.
- Step-free access
- Some boardwalks accommodate wheelchairs, but the full rough circuit is not suitable for mobility scooters.
Getting there: Reach Balderhead Reservoir via the B6277 and the Baldersdale road through Hunderthwaite. The pin follows the published public reservoir car park grid NY929186; follow current signs to the reserve’s permitted entrance and paths. The Trust says public transport is not readily available, so plan the arrival before travelling.
Sources
Social preview: original typographic artwork by Does Your Duck Quack.
Nearby special trips
- Foulshaw Moss · 36.3 straight-line miles
- Hartlepool Headland · 38.3 straight-line miles
- Ripon City Wetlands · 39.0 straight-line miles
Continue birding nearby
Nearest full guide: RSPB Haweswater, 28.9 miles away in a straight line.
- Upper Teesdale NNR: Cow Green approach · 10.6 miles in a straight line
- Baal Hill Wood · 15.1 miles in a straight line
- Derwent Gorge and Muggleswick Woods NNR · 21.1 miles in a straight line