Thornley Woodlands Centre

+44 1207 545212

Lockhaugh Rd, Rowlands Gill NE39 1AU United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Open Today: -

Quick Facts About Thornley Woodlands Centre

Strengths:

1. Fabulous walks with great views: Thornley Woodlands Centre offers beautiful walking trails with stunning views, providing visitors with a picturesque and enjoyable experience.

2. Abundance of birdlife: The Centre is a haven for birdwatchers, with a wide variety of birds to be spotted and ticked off the checklist. This makes it an attractive destination for twitchers and enthusiasts.

3. Excellent tea room: The visitor centre houses a great little tea room that offers a good selection of treats. This provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and delicious snacks, enhancing their overall experience.

4. Friendly and organized staff: Visitors have praised the staff for their friendliness and organization. Even during busy periods, the staff inform customers about potential waiting times and ensure a smooth and pleasant visit.

5. Dog-friendly environment: The Centre caters to dog owners, offering complimentary dog treats and water. This dog-friendly approach enhances the visitor experience for those who want to bring their furry companions along.

6. Family-friendly activities: Thornley Woodlands Centre provides free activity sheets and sculpture trail booklets for children. This encourages family visits and provides educational and interactive opportunities for kids.

7. Homemade, delicious food: Visitors have commended the quality of the food served in the on-site cafe. The homemade dishes, such as corned beef pie and cheese and chorizo toasties, are described as delicious and excellent value for money.

8. Clean and safe environment: Visitors appreciate the cleanliness and safety of the park. It is suitable for people of all ages, making it an ideal place for families, older individuals, and children.

Weaknesses:

1. Need for more tourists: One comment suggests that the Centre would benefit from increased tourist numbers. This implies that the park may not be as popular as it could be, potentially affecting its overall atmosphere and appeal.

2. Littering issues: A visitor points out the presence of litter left by irresponsible tourists, such as plastic and cans. While this may not necessarily reflect a weakness of the Centre itself, it indicates a need for improved management and education regarding responsible tourism.

3. Hilly parts of the walk: While the sculpture walk is considered family-friendly, other parts of the walk are described as extremely hilly. This could pose a challenge for some visitors, particularly those with limited mobility or families with young children.

In conclusion, Thornley Woodlands Centre offers fabulous walks with great views and an abundance of birdlife, making it a desirable destination for nature enthusiasts. The Centre's tea room provides a pleasant space to rest and enjoy refreshments. Visitors praise the friendly and organized staff, as well as the dog-friendly environment. The Centre offers family-friendly activities and serves delicious homemade food. However, improvements such as increasing tourist numbers and addressing littering issues, as well as considering accessibility on certain parts of the walking trails, could further enhance the overall experience.

Best TL Reviews

Fabulous walks with great views. A lot of birds to tick off your list if you're a twitcher. A great little tea room within the visitor centre offering a good selection of treats to accompany a cuppa to finish off your day perfectly

Visited today with our dog and have to say, the staff were so lovely. It was busy but well organised and they let us know there would be a little wait for our food before we ordered as there had been a rush on which I appreciated.

They provide complimentary dog treats and water and there are free activity sheets and sculpture trail booklets for kids as well as lots of wildlife info.

Our food was fab - all homemade. A slice of corned beef pie with beens, cheese and chorizo toastie with crisps, 2 choc orange brownies and 2 drinks for £15 was excellent value. We will try and pop in more regularly.

This park is best in this country, very clean and safe for kids ,older people, families, you can ride on pushbikes,walking, hijacking, etc you can do what you want to chill out,getting rest ,a lots forest and home animals,birds,best coffee what even had from long time,friendly staff????????????thank you for free cake,was delicious ???????????? just what I think on my opinion needs some more good tourists,tracks are cleaned and clean from bad tourists what leave plastic, cans and rest of rubbish...definitely recommend to take day out ????????????????????????????????????

Nice walk, if you go early you have a good chance if spotting the local deer, have also seen a fox and loads of Grey Squirrel. Bluebell's beautiful around May, currently loads of Foxgloves, wild Roses and Honeysuckle.

Had a great walk around the woods today, I really loved the carvings and amount of fungi we seen, at the end we popped into the cafe for a bacon sandwich and a coffee, not kidding one bit here or exaggerating in any way when i say I just had the nicest bacon sandwich I've ever had (that I did not make myself), the bacon was high quality and there was loads in too, the buns were delicious and everything was just right, add on that a warm welcome and great service from the person running the cafe, such a refreshing experiences ???? please check my most recent review before this one to understand what I am talking about there ????

Beautiful walk with amazing wood sculptures, sculpture walk OK for families but other parts of the walk are extremely hilly, views from the viaduct are outstanding

Beautiful place. Excellent walking trail esp along a stream.highly recommended for a lovely picnic.

If you’ve not visited this amazing place your definitely missing on on a treat, the walks are fantastic but for me the wildlife is something different with loads to see