Wildlife at Hamsterley Forest Visitor Centre

Hamsterley
Durham County
England
Hamsterley, Witton-le Wear, Wolsingham, Bishop Auckland, and Durham are the nearest towns or villages.
OS Grid Reference: NZ091312

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The Visitor Centre houses displays on forest wildlife and management, as well as a small gift shop and tea room.
It is also the starting point of the scenic four mile forest drive that runs through the heart of the forest giving access to the numerous picnic sites along the way.

Mammals: We can no longer see the red squirrel at Hamsterley since it has been squeezed out by the more versatile grey squirrel but we can spot lots of other interesting wildlife. The deer at Hamsterley are roe deer. Other mammals of interest are the water shrew and the otters that inhabit the banks of the becks running through the heart of the forest. There are also badger setts in the forest. We have information about Roe deer, Badger and Otter

Birds: Hamsterley is a great forest for birds of prey. Principle species resident here include the goshawk, buzzard, merlin, sparrowhawk and kestrel. Osprey and hen harrier have been sighted though they tend to be visitors rather than residents. Green and great-spotted woodpeckers can be seen in the wooded valleys along with nuthatch, treecreeper, dipper, redwing, fieldfare and grey wagtail. Wood warbler and Pied flycatchers visit Hamsterley in summer while crossbills overwinter here, feeding on the cone crop alongside siskins. You may catch a glimpse of some resident game birds-red and black grouse-and you are certain to see pheasant around the forest. The nocturnal nightjar has made many of our clear fell and young plantation areas its home. In early summer you can hear the male churring, punctuated by the calls of woodcock and tawny owls. We have information about Nightjar, Black grouse and Red kite

Insects and reptiles: Adders are our only snakes and you may also spot the odd slow-worm, a legless lizard. Common lizards can be seen in warm weather basking on the paths and low walls. Glow-worms are resident in Hamsterley, the females glowing in the grass at night while the males fly around seeking them out. The forest roads and rides are ideal habitats for many butterflies. Species of interest include Ringlet, Dark-Green Fritillary, Gatekeeper, Purple Hairstreak, White-letter Hairstreak as well as Brimstone. Fifteen species of dragonflies have been recorded in the woods. The Northern Wood Ant builds huge nests in the forest made from conifer needles. There are also a a number of rare sawflies and hoverflies in the forest. We have information about Adder

Habitats: Hamsterley's varied geography means that there is a rich variety of habitats. Hamsterley contains what is reputed to be England's highest beech wood at 350m and has a flower meadow lower in the valley designated as a site of special scientific interest(SSSI). Hamsterley is well known in the region for its range of fungi, come on one of our Fungal Forays to find out more. Other plants of interest to be found here include alpine clubmoss, chickweed wintergreen, common wintergreen, musk and lesser skullcap.There are rare ferns associated with oak and beech as well as butterwort and rare grasses.
Frogwood Bog is an important habitat for plants such as bog asphodel.
We also have juniper growing in the forest-you may recognise the smell of the berries, they are the main ingredient in gin! We have information about Lowland bog

How to get there:
Turn right in Hamsterley village following the brown tourist signs, turn left in hamlet of Bedburn to enter the forest and access the forest drive and car parks (£3 toll fee).

Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)

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Facilities:

	A wide range of gifts and souvenirs are on sale in the shop including pottery, woodware and novelty items.			Small tea room providing quality home cooked meals,cakes and preserves. Able to cater for large groups and birthday parties on request.
	Close by is the adventure play area which is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs. The centre is the starting point for most of the forest trails, including three walks and three cycle routes.

Activities

	Riverside Footpath (Bedburn)			Toll Road:Open 8am-8pm
	The ranger service is available to take guided educational visits for all levels and ages. Contact the visitor centre for details.			Permanent orienteering course with 28 control points available for educational use via a booking system. Maps are on sale in the shop priced at £1-25.
	Four cycle routes catering for different ability levels, from short family trails to a severe black route for the experienced cyclist. A 20 mile trailquest course takes in the whole forest allowing keen cyclists to test their map reading skills. There is a new Down-hill mountain bike course run by local riders and the site manager with an annual membership required to use the site.

Contact:
Neil Taylor
Ranger
01388 488312
e-mail: neil.taylor@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

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