Jesmond Dene

About Jesmond Dene

Jesmond Dene is a wooded valley park along the Ouseburn, shared between Heaton and Jesmond, that owes its landscaped form to Sir William (later Lord) Armstrong. From the 1850s Armstrong and his wife bought up and enclosed much of the semi-industrial valley, transforming it into parkland with a large waterfall, weirs, rock islands, bridges, a grotto and a network of footpaths, and planting many exotic trees and shrubs. In 1883 he presented the main area of the dene to the Corporation of Newcastle, and it was formally opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1884.

Today the dene offers woodland walks, the waterfall and the ruins of Armstrong's former banqueting hall, now a controlled ruin. Near the Coast Road entrance, Millfield House provides a café, toilets and the Ouseburn Parks visitor centre and ranger base, with exhibition and education space. Next door, the free-to-enter Pets' Corner, which opened in the 1960s, is home to goats, sheep, peacocks, rabbits and more, making the dene a long-standing favourite for families and walkers alike.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Jesmond Dene.

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