Birds, bugs, trees, flowers and food in the Apple Bee Community Orchard
On a bright autumn morning in late September 2025, some 30 children from Brighton Avenue Primary visited the Orchard to check on the flowers they had planted in the spring. They also helped us plant up two of the raised beds, one with flowering plants and one with food plants.
After a ‘mindfulness moment’ to appreciate the clear blue skies and the beautiful birdsong, the class split into two groups. Team Apple inspected the different kinds of fruit trees, learned about pruning and general care, located trees on the Orchard map and spotted caterpillars, ladybirds and aphids. Completing a quiz sheet proved a popular task, with the children helping each other with answers and asking questions of their teachers and the helpers from the Friends of Saltwell Park.
Team Bee meanwhile prepared and planted violas parsley, chard and strawberries. Learning how to tuck new plants into the soil was an important job ahead of the winter, followed by watering. The team also learned about the different plants in the raised beds and will return to check their progress next year.
Orchard bookmarks and team stickers were handed out to each group. The children enjoyed their time with us and their unanimous response to the question ‘What do we want people in the Park to do?’ was a resounding ‘Look after it and enjoy it!’
Celebrating community food in Gateshead – a harvest banquet in Saltwell Park
Teepees and canopies filled with stalls covered part of Saltwell Park on Sunday 22nd September 2025 for From Gardens to Gatherings, an event to showcase the power of food to connect people across cultures and backgrounds and promote health and wellbeing. Long tables were set out to share food as local growers shared knowledge with residents and grass roots organisations interested in sustainable living. Practical workshops taught participants about foraging, reducing food waste and making tea with locally grown herbs.
The Friends’ stand attracted a large number of visitors who were interested in our activities in Saltwell Park. We led two groups around our Apple Bee Community Orchard to show them the progress we have made and made contacts with other local organisations that we hope will benefit all of us. The event was well attended and there was a very friendly atmosphere.
Exploring trees on a rainy day - 20th Sept 2025
The forecast was for wet weather on Saturday 20th September but 10 hardy souls joined the Friends for a guided tree walk as part of Heritage Open Days celebrations. Autumn leaves glistened in the rain and conkers and acorns were in plentiful supply underfoot. Some of the acorns on several native peduncular oaks had been affected by Knopper galls; woody brown growths caused by the Knopper wasp laying an egg in them. These can affect the tree’s reproductive ability but do not harm its overall health.
Umbrellas went up as we reached the black pine, the last tree on our walk, but we kept our spirits up and headed to the Towers to warm ourselves up with coffee!
Watch out for our new guided tree walk round the lake next spring. We'll give more details in the events section of this website once arrangements are confirmed.
I-Spy living things - 15th Sept 2025
Following last year’s successful i-Spy, 26 Year 2 pupils from Brighton Avenue School in Gateshead, returned in mid-September to seek out living things in the park, with the help of some of their teachers and several volunteers from the Friends of Saltwell Park. As well as i-Spy Parrot at Pet’s Corner, the children identified different trees, ducks, a swan, and blackbirds. They also looked for butterflies, but the weather was too cool and damp to spot any.
There were also discussions about what to feed the ducks. The children learned that giving them bread encourages blue-green algae, which is not healthy for the lake or its wildfowl. There is a sign saying dogs should not drink from the lake or swim in it because the algae can be poisonous. It is better to feed ducks sweetcorn, shredded lettuce, frozen peas, oats, seeds, or cooked rice.
The Friends of Saltwell Park are involved in a range of fun outdoor educational projects with Brighton Avenue School and other groups throughout the year, made possible by the membership of our amazing volunteers.
Heritage walk - 13th Sept 2025
As part of the 2025 Heritage Open Days throughout the UK, Friends of Saltwell Park organized a free Heritage Walk in Saltwell Park led by Ian Daley, who is our chairman and also an official Newcastle City guide.
There are 12 Grade II listed structures in Saltwell Park, which all have an interesting history. Ian shared some of the history with the people who joined him.
The photo shows Ian talking about the Alderman Lucas statue on the Broadwalk in Saltwell Park, Gateshead.
Annual general meeting - 2025
Unfortunately we were unable to hold an AGM this year due to unforeseen circumstances. Next year’s AGM will be held in May.
We will advise the date, time and venue on our events page as soon as arrangements have been finalised.
In the meantime, we would like to welcome our new treasurer, Lois Lovely. Lois has kindly agreed to take on this position with immediate effect. She will be formally co-opted onto the committee at the 2026 AGM.
Learning beyond the classroom - August 2025
Young bird watchers connect with nature.
In June and July we enjoyed visits from both Brighton Avenue and South Street Community primary schools who were keen to find out about the activities of the Park’s birds during the summer. Led by ornithologist Michael Turner, the Reception and Year One pupils spotted ducks, geese, swans, coots, grebes, moorhens and gulls on the lake. They saw for themselves how some birds moult after the breeding season, leading to a dowdier appearance until the full plumage returns in the autumn. The children also learned about the long migration journeys undertaken each year by a number of the birds we saw around the lake. Moving round to the Dene, we listened to different bird songs and found out how to identify the different types of pigeon by the sound they make. Blackbirds, robins, chiffchaffs, wrens, great tits and magpies were just a few of the birds we spotted. The children had lots of questions for Michael and we all came away a lot wiser!
The Friends of Saltwell Park offer these bird walks in 2025 for both members and non-members. Click the button below for full details and booking.
Gateshead Council update - Green Flag Awards - July 2025
We’re thrilled to announce that FOUR of Gateshead’s parks have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award 2025/26!
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Chase Park, Whickham
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Derwent Walk Country Park
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Felling Park
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Saltwell Park
Even more impressively, Chase Park and Saltwell Park have also received the Green Heritage Site Accreditation, supported by Historic England – the only two sites in the North East to earn this honour!
Friends network with Other environmental groups - June 2025
As part of National Volunteers’ Week in early June, Gateshead Council held a coffee morning for environmental volunteers to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible people who give their time to help care for our parks and open spaces. Over coffee and delicious cakes from the popular Urban Bakery in Low Fell, volunteers shared stories, swapped ideas and chatted about the highs and challenges of their work.
“The event sparked some useful conversations about how the council can better support community efforts,” said Janette Lea, Volunteer and Technical officer, Gateshead Council. “It was great to see volunteer groups communicating with one another and we’re looking forward to hosting more opportunities like this in future. The council greatly appreciates the contribution volunteers make and this was the perfect way to recognise their hard work.
Gateshead company champions volunteering with the Friends, May 2025
One morning in May staff from specialist facilities management company Churchill Group, based in Team Valley, volunteered with the Friends in the Orchard. The team spent the morning preparing the soil, planting wildflower seeds, learning about the origins and development of the Orchard and meeting new people.
“We all had a fantastic time getting stuck in, working with other volunteers and helping develop the Orchard further,” said Luke Smith, Group Procurement Manager and Co-owner. “We would highly recommend volunteering with the Friends to anyone with spare time or to local businesses wanting to support a local community group.”
We hope the Churchill team will visit the park again over the next few months to see how the wildflower seeds have grown.
The Great British Spring Clean. April 2025
We all have a role to play in making Gateshead cleaner, greener and more welcoming.
Find out what Friends of Saltwell Park have been up to over the Great British Spring Clean to highlight the amazing work environmental services and all local community groups do here in Gateshead.
CLICK HERE to discover more about The Great British Spring Clean with Gateshead Council 2025.
A-Wassailing we go! March 2025
A merry crowd joined us in the Apple Bee Community Orchard one morning in early March to waken the trees from their winter dormancy and encourage a good harvest this year.
Derived from the old English ‘Waes hael’, a greeting meaning ‘good health’, wassailing is a long-standing tradition that typically involves dancing, singing and drinking. For more than 1,000 years it has been an English folk custom, particularly in cider-producing regions, to ward off evil spirits, bless the trees and encourage them to bear fruit.
Dressed in colourful vintage jackets and hats we walked round the trees, banging pots, drums and tambourines and singing wassailing songs. We were accompanied by musicians playing a whistle and strumming the guitar. The aim was to scare off any evil spirits that might harm the crop. A ceremonial king and queen were chosen to lead the toast. Little cups of birdseed were scattered among the trees to attract robins. These birds help to naturally control pests and are traditionally the guardians of orchards. Apple juice was handed out to pour on the roots to feed the trees. We all then gave a big wassail chant to wake them from their winter state, followed by three cheers of 'hip, hip, hooray!' and more raucous banging of instruments.
We also had a 'mindfulness moment' of stopping, enjoying the sun and listening to the many birds which were singing on what was a beautiful sunny spring morning.
As the morning ended everyone was encouraged to visit the park in the coming weeks to see the trees coming into blossom.
Update from Gateshead Council. February 2025
New Bowling Green Pavilion
Following the consultation held in Saltwell Towers last November, the proposed design for the new pavilion was passed and has now progressed to the planning stage. The design was warmly received by the Friends of Saltwell Park and other park users, whose ideas and requests were considered and incorporated into the exterior and interior layout. The pavilion will act as a hub for volunteers, giving them a location to operate from and a place where they can store equipment and enjoy refreshments after tasks. We will update you on progress in future issues of this newsletter.
Repainting Park Railings
Last year we began repainting the outer perimeter railings. This is a long process, as the old paint needs to be stripped off first, but the new paint has made a big difference on the now completed East Park Road section and looks smarter and more welcoming. We will continue with repainting other parts of the perimeter railings in spring when the weather gets warmer.
Please Clean up After your Dog!
The council is taking action against the increase in dog fouling in the Park. Dog Warden patrols are now more frequent and additional signs have been erected to warn visitors that it is their responsibility to pick up after their dog. We have also placed a dog waste bag dispenser next to Saltwell Towers in case visitors have forgotten to bring their own bags.
Please help us keep the park clean, safe and pleasant for all visitors!
Kevin Hills
Gateshead Council
Time for some refreshments. January 2025
After their January break, Prism Coffee has now reopened in the Almond Pavilion, Saltwell Park, Gateshead.
Stop off here for some welcome refreshments during your walk around the park, or meet up with friends for a catch up!
Christmas carols and cheer. December 2024
Well over 100 people gathered at a very festive looking bandstand in Saltwell Park on the Sunday before Christmas to enjoy a carols concert organised by local churches.
Hot spiced apple juice greeted visitors on arrival and warmed us up against the cold wind. The music was provided mostly by children, accompanied on the keyboard, clarinet, trumpet and cello.
Everyone joined in and a spectacular sunset made a beautiful end to the proceedings as we made our way back home.
