Rainton Meadows facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rainton Meadows
View from a bird hide of one of the ponds at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve, County Durham. The church spire in the distance is St Mary's, West Rainton.
Rainton Meadows Location in Tyne and Wear
Location	Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, North East, England
Area	60 ha (150 acres)
Established	1997
Governing body	Durham Wildlife Trust
Website	Reserve details

Rainton Meadows is a cool nature reserve located near Sunderland, north-east England. This special place covers about 60 hectares, which is like 150 football fields! It was set up in 1997 and is looked after by the Durham Wildlife Trust. Right next to it, you'll find Joe's Pond, another important spot for wildlife.

Discover Rainton Meadows

This nature reserve used to be a coal mine called Rye Hill. But now, it has been transformed into a beautiful home for nature! You can find many different types of natural areas here. These include grassy fields, bushy areas, old woodlands, and several ponds. It's a great place to explore and see wildlife.

Amazing Wildlife

Rainton Meadows is home to lots of different animals. You might spot graceful mute swans on the water. Look up to see skylarks flying high and lapwings swooping around. If you are lucky, you might even see a short-eared owl hunting!

On the ground, keep an eye out for brown hares hopping through the grass. You might also see roe deer quietly moving through the trees. In the water and damp areas, there are water voles, dragonflies, common frogs, common toads, and smooth newts.

Plants and Flowers

At the southern end of the reserve, there are damp meadows. Here, you can find plants like hemlock and willowherb. There's also a dry meadow where pretty cowslips bloom in the spring.

Rainton Meadows is also the main office for the Durham Wildlife Trust. They have an education centre there. This centre includes a special classroom and a community wildlife garden. It's a great place to learn more about nature!

How to Get There

It's easy to find Rainton Meadows! Just follow the brown signs from the A690 road, which runs between Durham and Sunderland.

If you're coming by bus, several routes can get you close:

• The 20A bus stops at Rainton Bridge every 20 minutes.
• The 35 bus also stops at Rainton Bridge every 20 minutes.
• The 20 bus stops nearby, and it's a short 5 to 10-minute walk from Gillas Lane West.
• The 4 and 71 buses go to nearby Fencehouses and Chilton, which are about a 15 to 20-minute walk away.

Visitor Facilities

Rainton Meadows has some great facilities to make your visit enjoyable:

• Accessibility: All areas are easy to get to for visitors with disabilities.
• Toilets: There are special toilets for disabled visitors.
• Guide Dogs: Guide dogs are welcome at the reserve.
• Access: The reserve has ramps and level access for easy movement.
• Café: There's a café on site where you can buy tea, coffee, sweets, light snacks, and ice cream. It's a perfect spot to relax after exploring!