Low Barns Visitor Centre, Witton-le-Wear
Marston Lake at Low Barns
The centre is a fantastic base to find out more about the wildlife of the Trust’s Low Barns Nature Reserve on the banks of the River Wear, one of the finest in the North East. The Trust has managed Low Barns since the 1960′s, tranforming it from an industrial site to a wildlife haven designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The site’s flat terrain and large accessible bird hides make it an ideal place to visit for everyone.
The Visitor Centre has a coffee shop that sells light refreshments, books, gifts, locally made bird boxes and a full range of bird food and feeders from the award winning Vine House Farms. The centre and bird hides provide a wealth of information on how Low Barns was created and the wildlife it supports. Screens in the centre show images from the bird feeding station and bird boxes around the site, and there is a display of wildlife photography provided by the Low Barns Photographic Group.
Low Barns is open everyday except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Low Barns is a hub for the Low Barns Volunteer Task Force – a team of volunteers that manage the Western Reserves for both wildlife and people. The Visitor Centre is staffed by a fantastic team of volunteers both during the week and at weekends. For more information on volunteering visit www.lowbarns.co.uk
Low Barns Opening Times
1st April – 31st October: Mon-Sun & Bank Holidays (9.30am – 5pm)
1st November – 31st March: Mon-Sun (9.30am – 4pm)
A £2.50 parking charge for non DWT members applies.
West Pasture Hide
The West Pasture Hide is used throughout the year as a classroom. The hide is a fantastic resource for people of all ages and is used for environmental education. For a list of dates when the West Pasture Hide is closed to the public please visit www.lowbarns.co.uk and go to the ‘Latest News’ section of the website.
For further information on Low Barns Nature Reserve click HERE.
For information on events at Low Barns click HERE.
Durham Wildlife Trust
Low Barns Nature Reserve
Witton-le-Wear
Bishop Auckland
County Durham DL14 0AG
Tel: 01388 488728
