Outdoor activities at Wallington

Cyclists biking in autumn at Wallington, Northumberland — Cyclists biking in autumn at Wallington | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Covering nearly 13,500 acres of countryside, the Wallington Estate includes miles of footpaths, 15 tenanted farms, and the village of Cambo. Get active on a day out by strolling along one of the scenic walking trails or cycling the Dragon cycle trail. While you’re out, spot wildlife including red squirrels, otters and white-clawed crayfish.

Walking at Wallington

There are miles of footpaths and trails on this Northumberland estate. Some of the walks take you through fields where there may be livestock at certain times of the year. Read our tips for walking near livestock.

River walk

Meander along the banks of the River Wansbeck, explore the woods and see what wildlife you can spot on this easy riverside walk. It's 2.6 miles (4.2km) long, starts in the Walled Garden and finishes in the West Wood.

River walk map and more details

Farm walk

The relatively easy, 2.2-mile (3.5km) circular Farm walk goes through woodland and grassy fields on the Wallington Estate, where you can take in wonderful views across the Northumbrian countryside.

Farm walk map and more details

Wannie Line walk

Stretch your legs on the Wannie Line walk. A little over six miles (10km), it starts from the National Trust car park in Scots Gap and follows the former railway lines that ran through the estate until the Beeching cuts in the 1960s.

Wannie Line walk map and more details

Greenleighton Moor walk

The six mile (10km) Greenleighton Moor walk is a challenging, circular trail across moorland and around the shores of Fontburn Reservoir. It starts from the car park at Greenleighton Quarry.

Greenleighton Moor walk map and more details

Two adults and a child cycle on a path through the trees on the Dragon Cycle Trail at Wallington, Northumberland — Cycling along Wallington's Dragon Cycle Trail | © National Trust Images / Chris Lacey

Cycling at Wallington

Explore Wallington on two wheels on the Dragon cycle trail. This safe, entry-level trail has been designed with beginners and little legs in mind.

There are two family-friendly routes to choose from. The Green route is an easy, 1.5km trail which is perfect for children. The Blue route is a more challenging 4.5km cycle trail.

Both routes will send you pedalling down to the West Wood where you can stop off at the wildlife hide to see if you can spot a red squirrel. You’ll finish back where you started, within easy reach of the play area.

The Green route

The Green route is a short, circular trail perfect for building confidence and practising cycling skills. Head out onto the trail from the top end of the car park and take the sweeping all-weather track towards the West Wood and back to the beginning.

The Blue route

The Blue route takes you out to Broom House Farm and beyond, exploring farmland and woodland. Climb Coombe Hill for views across Northumberland and take a breather at the picnic spot along the way. You might even spot a deer or two on the exciting ride downhill through the woods, nicknamed the Dragon's Tail.

Cycle hire

Cycle hire is now closed for the season, reopening spring 2024.

If you don't have a bike or can't bring your own to Wallington, we have a large fleet of bikes, including electric bikes, available to hire. There's no pre-booking system – just pop along to the cycle hire cabin and the team will kit you out with everything you need for your bike ride.

A red squirrel eating on the woodland floor at Wallington, Northumberland — A red squirrel from the wildlife hide at Wallington | © National Trust Images / Norman Scott

Wildlife at Wallington

The Wallington estate covers over 13,500 acres. Much of the land is used for grazing by sheep and cattle, but the estate encompasses open moorland and wooded streams as well as lakes and mires.

Each habitat is brimming with wildlife and you're bound to meet some as you explore.

Wallington is home to roe deer, badgers, buzzards and kingfishers. And you may even spot some of the rare species that live here such as red squirrels, white-clawed crayfish and otters.

Woodland flora

There’s nearly 800 acres of woodland on the estate, including conifer plantations and pockets of mixed broad-leaved woodland. See which species you can spot as you wander past the hedgerows and wildflowers flourishing in the peat bogs, old quarries, disused railway lines and stream edges.

Red squirrels

There's a healthy population of red squirrels on the Wallington estate and the team of rangers and volunteers work all year round on the Red Squirrel Conservation Programme here.

A visit wouldn't be complete without stopping in at the wildlife hide in the West Wood. With a little bit of luck, you might spot one from here. There are lots of bird feeders here too, so it's also a perfect place to spot a variety of birds.

Otters

Although otters are elusive animals, they are territorial and there are often signs that they have been in the area along the River Wansbeck. Look out for the otters’ distinctive droppings or 'spraints' at strategic places in their territory.

Bats

The trees, meadows and buildings at Wallington provide excellent homes for at least eight species of bat. Although they’re nocturnal, you might be lucky to spot them in the air as it gets a bit darker.

White-clawed crayfish

The white-clawed crayfish is Britain's only native freshwater crayfish and there's a thriving population in the watercourses on the Wallington Estate. This is because of the excellent quality of the water, which has few pollutants. This species is in decline across the rest of the country, however, due to the introduction of the invasive non-native American signal crayfish and the threat of disease.

Share your photos

We’re sure you’ll take lots of photos while you’re out and about on your visit to Wallington. Share them with us on social media – tag us @WallingtonNT on Facebook, @WallingtonNt on Twitter and @wallington_nt on Instagram.