Enter a world where magical yew, oak, ash and dying elm create a home for other plants and creatures. 10,000 years of wild growth in a deep gorge has created a place you can explore again and again.
Castle Eden Dene is the largest area of semi-natural woodland in north-east England, renowned for yew trees. The tangled landscape is a survivor of the wildwood that once covered most of Britain. Natural England helps it stay as near natural as possible.
Location and access
By car: Castle Eden Dene is signposted from the A19 and from Peterlee town centre. There is a car park at Oakerside Dene Lodge.
By bus: walk from the Peterlee bus station and cross at the pelican crossing. Follow the tarmac footpath through the pine trees to the right of the Peterlee Lodge Hotel. Follow the footpath for approximately 1½ miles keeping the Dene on your left. Take care crossing the road into Stanhope Chase to the Lodge.
For bus service details, phone Peterlee Tourist Information, 0191 5864450.
By bike: there are bike racks at Oakerside Dene Lodge for you to leave your bike. No bikes are allowed in the Dene, where the steep paths are dangerous for cycling.
The reserve is near Route 1 (Peterlee Link) of the Sustrans National Cycle Network.
Paths and People
You are welcome to walk in the Dene, but this is not recommended in bad weather as most surfaces are natural soil and can become slippery. Please keep to the paths, as straying from them can cause inadvertent damage, and is therefore not permitted. Please note that gradients may be very steep, and long. There are very few steps on the paths and many of these are quite shallow. You should also be aware that important and rare trees are not cleared, and therefore a few paths may be partially blocked.
Nature walks
There are two marked walks around the reserve. Walk 1 is 3.5 km, and takes between 2 - 2½ hours. Walk 2 is 3 km, and takes between 1 - 2 hours to complete.
The Dene
The Dene, with its strange rocks and mysterious atmosphere, has fascinated people for thousands of years. The reserve covers 221 hectares of woodland and lowland grassland, where post-glacial melt waters have carved out some spectacular limestone cliffs and gorges. Often, there is no water at the bottom of the gorge, as Castle Eden Burn, which reaches the sea at Denemouth, is now seasonal and disappears into the limestone rock during the summer months.
Yew Dene, Eden
Once upon a time, the Saxons called this area Yoden, meaning Yew Dene. Yoden became Eden. The Burdon family, owners from 1757 into the mid 20th century, loved its wild beauty, creating many of today's paths, and rebuilding the castle.
Wild weather, wild life
The Dene is a wild world of constant change. Severe weather can cause landslips and falling trees. It is therefore not advisable to visit during bad weather.
For the birds and other animals of the Dene, this wildness is essential. If you are quiet you may see roe deer, but foxes and badgers stay hidden in the undergrowth.
Living and dying trees are home to fungi and insects that feed many woodland birds. In autumn, berries provide a feast for thousands of exhausted birds arriving from northern Europe.
Land Marks
This site is one of the reserves featured in 'Land Marks', a colour 140-page softback book detailing the fascinating and often complex history of 21 English NNRs. Contemporary photographs, historic paintings and illustrations complement detailed descriptions of these reserves, the historic personalities associated with them, and their wildlife interest. To order a copy, click here.