Name: WWT Washington Wetland Centre
Rating: 5.0

WWT Washington Wetland Centre

Pattinson, Washington, County Durham, NE38 8LE, England

1-90 Years

Paid

Website

Contact

Message

Description

WWT Washington Wetland Centre in Tyne and Wear is a beautiful nature reserve where every season brings new wildlife spectacles. It’s a place for families, nature lovers, and adventurers to explore the wonders of wetlands. Visitors can enjoy hands-on fun, close-up encounters with wildlife, and peaceful walks in stunning landscapes.

The centre features a nature-based adventure play area with timber trails, water zones, and rope bridges for kids to enjoy. Explore the wild reserve with reedbeds, lakes, and one of the UK’s rarest habitats – a saline lagoon. Walk through Ganderland to see geese from around the world, visit Hawthorn Wood for birdwatching, and wander through ancient Spring Gill Wood filled with seasonal beauty.

Online ticket prices start from £11.07 for adults, £7.20 for children, and £31.05 for a family of four, with under-3s entering free. Gate prices are slightly higher.

A visit to WWT Washington offers both adventure and tranquillity, making it ideal for a fun family day or a peaceful retreat into nature. Its variety of habitats and wildlife encounters create an enriching experience for all ages. With year-round events and changing seasonal sights, it’s a place worth visiting again and again.

Features

Paid
Host birthday parties: No

Features

Adventure play: Dart, zip and zoom around our nature-based play area as you unleash your inner dragonfly. Let your imagination run (or fly) wild in our adventure play spaces, where nature and fun go hand in hand. From clambering over timber trails and splashing in water zones to crossing jungle-like rope bridges and climbing frames.
Wild reserve: Wetlands can be found where land meets water and our wild reserve is home to a diverse mix of them – from reedbeds and lakes, to marshes and ponds. Our spectacular saline lagoon is an example of one of the rarest and most unique habitats in the UK.
Walk-through: Head on over to Ganderland which is home to a variety of geese from around the world. Listen for the soft grumbling call of the inquisitive nene – or Hawaiian goose – the rarest goose on the planet. See the handsome, red-breasted goose grazing with its delicate beak as white-fronted geese roam.
Hawthorn Wood: Away from the lakes you'll find our feeding stations, buzzing with woodland birds. The feeding station at Hawthorn Wood is a magical place, with unrivalled close-up views of colourful woodland birds, including bullfinch, long-tailed tit, great-spotted woodpecker and treecreeper.
Woodlands: Discover our incredible woodlands, bursting with life all year round! With its statuesque old trees, bubbling stream and nooks and crannies filled with birds, bats and insect life, ancient Spring Gill Wood is a unique spot on site. Wander alongside carpets of bluebells in spring and atmospheric mature woodland all year round.

Facilities

Food & Drinks: Waterside Cafe available.
Parking: Free parking for visitors,
Picnic areas: There are picnic benches around our reserve including a covered area at our reedbed shelter.
Toilets: They have several toilet facilities including an accessible toilet with low-height baby changing table and a baby change area with separate toilet.

Website

Contact

Price

Price: Paid

Price Details

Online Prices without Gift Aid

Adult: £11.07
Child: £7.20
Under 3: FREE
Concession: £9.90
Family (2A+2C): £31.05

Gate Prices without Gift Aid

Adult: £12.30
Child: £8.00
Under 3: FREE
Concession: £11.00
Family (2A+2C): £34.50

Pricing URL: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/washington/plan-your-visit/tickets

Birthday Parties

Offer Birthday Parties: No

Open 7 days a week, closing only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Summer

April – October: 10am to 5.30pm (last admission 4:30pm)

Winter

November – March: 10am to 4.30pm (last admission 3:30pm)

Address: Pattinson, Washington, County Durham, NE38 8LE, England

Post Code: NE38 8LE

Council: Washington

County: Tyne and Wear

By Bus: The centre is served daily by buses to the Waterview Park government building and is just a short walk down the lane. Please visit this website and search ‘Waterview Park’ for the latest timetable information.
By Car: The centre is located 10 minutes from the A1M (south bound - take junction 65 and follow signs for the A1231 to Sunderland, then follow the brown duck signs; north bound - take junction 64 and do the same) and two minutes from the A19 (take the A1231 exit and follow signs towards Gateshead, then follow the brown duck signs). You can follow the brown duck signs to the centre from the A195, A19, A182 and A1231. There is extensive free parking for visitors arriving by car.
By Train: Sunderland rail station is a 15-minute car/bus ride away, while Newcastle and Durham stations are about 10 minutes further afield.