Join us as we discover hidden green spaces in our blog series
We're in Durham for our hidden green space this month, with a riverside meadow shared by a Durham volunteer
At Move the Masses HQ we’re always keen to find new green spaces to explore, if you know of a spot near you let us know, we’d love to hear about new places!
One of our Durham volunteers has been in touch to tell us about a little-known hidden green space. This is the seventh blog in our series – check out the others here. Don’t forget to let us know if you visit anywhere new as a result – we always love to hear from you! Likewise, if you have anywhere you think others should know about, please get in touch and we’ll feature it soon: hello@movethemasses.org.uk
Happy exploring!
How to access the meadow…
The meadow is situated behind a play park and field called Holliday Park. It is just off the main A690 road going from Durham City into Langley Moor (an old pit village).
Show location on Google Maps.
The River Browney (the largest tributary of the main River Wear than runs through Durham City) runs along one side and there are farmers fields to the other side from the park, all the way through to the Old Wildflower Hay Meadow.
A couple of well-trodden paths take you from the playing fields, maintained by the Friends of Langley Moor, through to the meadow area with lots of mini wooded cut-throughs to the stream. It is very popular with dogs and little people. It is a very popular place for dog walkers and runners and a great addition to go and walk around for anyone visiting the park.
There is a small car park between the play park and playing fields.
No toilet facilities.
Did you know…
Wildlife Meadows are cut once per year after the reproductive cycle, this ensures yearly growth. The soil nutrients are depleted to such an extent that a poor soil is left after about ten years. It is this poor soil that leads to a higher degree of biodiversity as no individual species can dominate. This is similar to traditional hay meadows where this process had been in place for many years.
