Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Bassleton Woods and the Holmes Local Nature Reserve

Location: Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees


Bassleton Woods is a six-hectare pocket of ancient deciduous woodland sandwiched between the Bassleton Court housing estate of Thornaby and the River Tees. It was declared a local Nature Reserve in October 1992. Its interesting array of woodland flowers give a hint of its ancient past, although there are no huge trees here as the woods were felled at the end of World War Two.

It is a haven to a sizeable amount of Wych Elm and some English Elm, trees that were decimated in other areas countrywide by Dutch elm disease. There are some rarely seen creatures here such as the 'white letter hairstreak butterfly' and despite the proximity of housing there is the possibility of seeing a 'roe deer' if you are out for an early morning walk.

The Holmes area of the nature reserve comprises 6.8-hectares of low-lying ex-agricultural land in a meander known to Thornaby residents as horseshoe bend. It is a mix of developing woodland, wildflower meadow and wetlands.

Bassleton Woods and the Holmes form part of a much larger area of special countryside that is open to the public. The Council's Countryside service has planted adjacent fields with approximately 14,000 trees in order to link Bassleton Wood to the nearby Thornaby Woods, which is also open to the public.

Facilities: There is no visitor centre or parking available.

Location: Take a bus into Bassleton Court Estate, Thornaby and disembark at the stop after the Griffin Pub. A short walk back to the end of Bassleton Lane will bring you to a cul-de-sac. Here a path to the right leads along the hedgerow into Bassleton Wood. A cycleway/path takes an alternative route and leaving it at the first bend to take the grass path down the hill will take you to Thornaby Wood.

Grid Reference:

Bassleton Wood NZ 445155

Holmes NZ 445162

Further Information: These areas are managed by the River Tees Countryside Rangers. For more information contact Bob Campbell or Chris Ridley on (01642) 527562