Castle Eden Dene Visitor App

Discover the magical world of Castle Eden Dene National Nature Reserve (NNR) with this interactive location-aware visitor app.

The mysterious tangled landscape of trees, rocky outcrops and steep cliffs is an amazing survivor of ‘the wildwood’ that once covered much of Britain after the last ice age!

Explore a series of places and trails within this stunning 220 hectare gorge woodland.

Castle Eden Dene National Nature Reserve is a magical place, full of legend and folklore, the ‘wildwood’ has been left to spread and sprawl through this deep gorge for over 10,000 years and is now the largest area of semi-natural woodland in north-east England. It’s famous for its majestic yew trees, and fantastic stands of ancient oak and ash.

Both living and dying trees are home to an array of fungi and insects which feed many of our woodland birds.

Key Features:

An overview map displays places of interest, as well as all the available entrances/exits. The offline map shows all access paths and enables users to navigate the site even with no mobile phone coverage. Additionally, a series of Interactive trails will enhance your visit through a series of numbered waypoint pins.

Keeping safe whilst in the Dene:

- The Dene is a wild world of constant change, where severe weather can cause landslips, falling trees and branches; it is therefore not advisable to visit during severe weather.
- Being a wooded limestone gorge there are some very steep drops, so all visitors are asked to keep to the footpaths.
- The Dene is a working woodland so please respect signage and keep well away from work sites and machinery.
- If you are thinking of visiting then good, suitable footwear is essential as paths can sometimes be slippery.
- Although the Dene itself it is not suitable for wheelchairs, Natural England has opened a short, easy access path that leaves from the lodge car park and takes in some of the fringed areas of the woodland as well as some nice viewpoints.
- Please be aware that ticks are present in this area.

Rules:

A series of byelaws are in force to protect the wildlife of the Dene and ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy its natural beauty. For this reason, cycling and horse riding, camping and lighting of fires are all prohibited. No firearms of any sort, including air rifles, are to be carried or used in the Dene.

Dogs must be under close control so as not to worry or disturb the wildlife we protect and for which people come to enjoy. It is an offence to let your dog foul anywhere within this ancient woodland without clearing up afterwards. Many school and education groups visit the Dene each year.

This app makes use of GPS to show you places of interest close to your current location. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.