Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Alnwick

Hauxley Wildlife Discovery centre is one of the best wildlife watching spots in the North East. It's a great place for birds and butterflies and probably the easiest place in Northumberland to see red squirrels and tree sparrows. 

Wildlife changes with the seasons so there’s something to see all year round. Right next to the beach, it offers fantastic views across the length of Druridge Bay and is internationally renowned for its birds. The eco-friendly Visitor Centre, constructed by an army of dedicated volunteers has been a labour of love. It’s a straw-bale building and has a number of other highly innovative ‘green’ features that make it an appropriate home for a Wildlife Trust team. 

Visitors can enjoy the walks and nature trails around the reserve, the tranquillity of the hides, and of course a tasty something from The Lookout Café. The café offers a range of hot and cold refreshments including freshly brewed coffee, a selection of scones baked freshly each day, locally sourced cakes and biscuits as well as sandwiches, toasties and soup. Look out for the daily menu specials! There is also a range of shop items on offer, from Trust branded merchandise, wildlife books, binoculars, local produced goodies, pocket money momentos and turned wooden bowls and ornaments created from wood sourced from the NWT reserves. There is an interactive wildlife-rubbing disc trail available for children through the woodland adjacent to the Centre. Trail materials are available from the Café for a small charge. We also have a natural play area, great for under 10s. You can also hire binoculars for a credit card deposit from the Café.

Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre runs a packed programme of activities and events throughout the year including bird walks, bat evenings, optical equipment sale weekends and much more. Click here for specific information on events running at Hauxley.

Please visit our reserves page here for more information on Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, the reserve and the wildlife on site.

© Photos courtesy of John Faulkner and Simon Greener