Malton

A reclaimed colliery site with a wide variety of habitats

Location

Malton Nature Reserve

Lanchester

DH7 0TP

Know before you go

Size

6 hectares

Grazing animals

Yes

Walking trails

Access

Terrain: Moderate
Mixed with some pathways but not suitable for limited mobility.

Acess and Parking
The reserve is 750m east of Lanchester just off the A691. Follow the signpost for Malton Picnic area where parking is available. Leave the car park and head south over river bridge past Officials Terrace and follow the track east to the reserve entrance.

Public Transport
There are regular buses from Durham to Consett. Get off at Lanchester, Durham Road (A691). From there turn right and follow the path to Malton.

Dogs

On a lead

When to visit

Opening times

Open at all times

Best time to visit

June to August

About the reserve

Although relatively small in size, Malton has a wide variety of habitats, including oak woodland, mature hedgerows, ponds, meadows and scrub.

You would never know it, but Malton is a former colliery site where even the remaining colliery shale provides habitat for lichens and insects.

The reserve’s ponds attract an array of wildlife from the unusual bulrush wainscot moth that lives in the stems of reed mace to great crested newts and dragonflies.