Benwell Nature Park facts for kids

Benwell Nature Park is a wonderful green space in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It's officially a Local Nature Reserve. This means it's a special place where nature is protected and can grow freely. The park offers many different natural areas for plants and animals to live.

Discover Benwell Nature Park!

This amazing park is home to many different types of natural habitats. You can explore a peaceful pond and a marshy area. There are also wide-open meadows and long hedgerows. These are perfect places for insects and birds.

The park also has beautiful woodlands with lots of trees. You might even spot some interesting stone outcrops. These are natural rock formations. For visitors, there's a nice picnic area right by the pond. You can also find a lovely herb garden close to the main Park Building. It's a great spot to learn about different plants.

How Benwell Nature Park Began

Benwell Nature Park was created in 1982. Before it became a park, there were two streets here. They were called Joan Street and Helen Street. Half of Atkinson Road was also part of this area. These streets were taken down to make space for the park.

Today, if you look closely, you can still see a small piece of the past. There's a short section of an old cobbled back lane. You can find it at the southwest corner of the park. It's a little reminder of what was once there.

Community Power: Making the Park Special

The creation of Benwell Nature Park was a real team effort! The local community played a huge part. Many volunteers gave their time and energy to help build and care for the park. Even schoolchildren from the city got involved. Their hard work helped turn this area into the beautiful nature reserve it is today.

Because of all this dedication, the park has won many awards. It has received the prestigious Green Flag Award. This award recognizes well-managed parks and green spaces. Benwell Nature Park has also won honors from Northumbria in Bloom. These awards show how much the park is loved and appreciated by everyone.