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• Managing Organisation:

  Gateshead Council

• Contact:

  Stephen Rutherford

• Telephone:

  0191 4142106 
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Information about this open space

These two parks are situated within the lower Derwent Valley 6 miles from the centre of urban Tyneside and occupy an area of 134 hectares.  The Derwent Walk Country Park started life based on the track bed of the former railway line from Blaydon to Consett after its closure in 1962 and Gateshead Council took over management of the section from Swalwell to Rowlands Gill in 1986. Derwenthaugh Park stands on the site of the old Coke Works that was closed in 1986, the land reclaimed and the Park opened in 1998. The 2 parks were combined as a single management unit in 2005.  The increasing demands for recreational opportunities in the valley have been met by a succession of Council initiatives including provision of both formal and informal facilities ranging from a County standard cricket ground and 2 multi-user routes to the Gateshead Countryside Mobility Scheme using motorised scooters to allow disabled access to large parts of the parks. It is estimated that these opportunities attract over 300,000 visitors a year.  Much of the valley sides are cloaked in woodland rich in wildlife that has lead to the designation of the best parts as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The river and its surrounding meadows are the home for many special creatures such as Otter, Kingfisher and Banded Demoiselle. These and many others can be seen in quieter parts of the parks or viewed from the Public Observation Hides at Far Pasture and Thornley Woods.