Low Barns Nature Reserve

Low Barns Nature Reserve.

Located off the A68 on the banks of the River Wear between Witton-Le-Wear and Bishop Auckland. It is signposted from both the A68 and A689 at High Grange. Access by car or public transport. Grid ref. NZ161315

The site, managed by the Durham Wildlife Trust, covers 120 acres, with habitats including mature mixed woodland, large and small ponds, open scrublands and river side footpaths. In addition there is a visitors centre and car park with a very active Winter feeding station close by. The centre has several monitors connected up to cameras of nest boxes and the feeding station. Good footpaths cover the site which has no steep inclines enabling easy access for the disabled. The river side path can be a bit muddy in wet weather.

The reserve attracts a wide range of woodland and wetland birds and with the Pennines so close by there is always the chance of seeing interesting raptors passing through.

If open, the visitors centre is well worth a call in before you explore the site as the staff are very friendly and helpful and knowledgeable of what birds are about. Several leaflets and books are available too along with a cafe. At the rear of the centre is an observation tower giving distant views over the largest lake.

At the side of the car park is a picnic area and feeding station. It's one of the best feeding stations in the county enabling very close views of species such as Chaffinch, Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Marsh Tit, Willow Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Greenfinch, Great Spotted woodpecker, Pheasant, Coot and Moorhen etc. Brambling and Siskin also visit the feeders. Please see the photos below for views of the feeding station.

The views over the lakes are provided by two- storey bird hides. There are a couple of photos below, taken from these hides.

There is a Tawny Owl box not far from the centre, which is normally inhabited.

I visited here in February 2006, and had a great view of a Bittern flying over the reeds.