Trees in the wooded valley of Jesmond Dene, Newcastle upon Tyne

Where to go · Tyne and Wear

Forest bathing at Jesmond Dene

Wooded Ouseburn valley in the east end of Newcastle, laid out by Lord Armstrong with waterfalls, crags and an old mill.

Jesmond Dene follows the steep-sided valley of the Ouseburn through the east end of Newcastle. Lord Armstrong and his wife laid it out in the 1860s with woodland, crags, pools and waterfalls, and he gave it to the people of the city in 1883. Some of the trees in the valley are around 200 years old. For anyone in Newcastle, it is the obvious woodland to reach without a car, and the valley is deep enough to feel apart from the streets above.

The visitor centre, café and Pets Corner sit together in the dene, and the waterfall, the Old Mill and the picnic field are a short walk away. Pets Corner and the play area are popular with young children, so if you want quiet, follow the burn away from them. Paths run along the water and up the valley sides.

Practical

Managed by
Newcastle City Council
Parking
Parking along Red Walk, with disabled spaces near the visitor centre; also on Benton Bank
Terrain
Riverside and valley-side paths
Nearest station
Newcastle Central, about 2.5 miles; Metro stations closer
Facilities
Visitor centre with café and toilets; toilets at the picnic field by the waterfall
Opening and entry
Public park, free
Official page
new.newcastle.gov.uk

Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.

Guides nearby

A guide within 15 miles of Jesmond Dene

More woodlands in Tyne and Wear

All venues in Tyne and Wear
Beech trees in Chopwell Wood, GatesheadChopwell WoodMixed conifer and broadleaf wood above the Derwent Valley, with an easy trail through the pinesPath through Thornley Wood in Derwent Walk Country Park, GatesheadDerwent Walk Country ParkAncient Derwent Valley woods and an old railway path, starting from Thornley Woodlands CentreWoodland on the Gibside estate in the Derwent Valley, GatesheadGibside600 acres of woodland around a Georgian landscape garden in the Derwent Valley

Photos: Chopwell Wood, Anthony Foster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Derwent Walk Country Park, Anthony Foster (CC BY-SA 2.0); Gibside, Trevor Littlewood (CC BY-SA 2.0).