Stella Road, Blaydon, Gateshead, North East England

Summerhill and Stella Meadows

route · Countryside walk

Place photograph

5.9

Wildland

1–2 hours

Time

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Cost

Peaceful

Feel

ValleyFarmlandWalkersHistory loversWildlife loversDogsFamilies

Why it's Wildland

5.9

A walk across rare old wildflower meadows with broad views up and down the Tyne, where Bronze Age burials and the remains of a former summerhouse connect the landscape to a much longer history.

This is more than a pleasant meadow walk: old flower-rich grassland, orchids on the wetter slopes and a Bronze Age burial story give this modest Tyne-side landscape unusual ecological and historical depth.

Peaceful · Atmospheric

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Stella Road, Blaydon, Gateshead, North East England

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The experience

Walk the circular route across the meadows, taking in the Tyne views and the remains of the Summerhouse. The route also takes in Path Head Watermill.

Things to do

Walk the circular route

Take the circular walk across the site, which also takes in Path Head Watermill.

Look for meadow orchids

Check the wetter, lower slopes for northern marsh and common spotted orchids. Other plants named by the council include ragged robin, meadowsweet, marsh thistle and valerian.

Find the Summerhouse remains

Look for the remains of the protected summerhouse that gave Summerhill its name, when the hill was known as Summerhouse Hill.

Take in the Tyne views

Pause on the hill for the views up and down the Tyne, a feature the council notes attracted people to the site in the past.

Make a day of it

Quick escape · Check before visiting

The meadow and Tyne-view walk

01
Start from the lay-by on the B6317 Stella Road, just west of Caroline Terrace.
02
Follow the circular walk across the site.
03
Take in the views up and down the Tyne and look for the remains of the Summerhouse.

Half day · Check before visiting

Extend the walk to Path Head Watermill

01
Begin at the Stella Road lay-by.
02
Walk the circular route across Summerhill and Stella Meadows.
03
Include Path Head Watermill, which Gateshead Council identifies as part of the circular walk.

Verified history

In the 1930s, the remains of a man and a woman buried more than 4,000 years ago were found in a cist at Summerhill, with a beaker and flint knife. The cist reconstruction was later moved inside the Great North Museum. Summerhill was once called Summerhouse Hill after a summerhouse whose remains can still be seen. Nearby Stella Hall had medieval origins, later served as a nunnery, housed the English army’s headquarters during the Battle of Newburn Ford in 1640, and hosted Oliver Cromwell in 1651. It was demolished in 1955. Joseph Cowen, radical and industrialist, lived at the hall and erected a statue of Garibaldi in 1867; the statue was destroyed in 1900, and its head is displayed at Blaydon Library.

Folklore & legend

Local stories differ over the fate of the Garibaldi statue erected by Joseph Cowen: some said a cow knocked it over, while others believed Cowen’s employees toppled it after being made to contribute a penny towards its construction. These are reported as competing stories, not established fact.

Hidden details

A landscape of rare old pasture — Gateshead Council describes the site’s old grasslands as a rare survival and says only 1% of old pasture land remains in Tyne and Wear. The pastures are designated a Site of Nature Conservation Importance.

The lost Garibaldi statue — The statue erected by Joseph Cowen in 1867 was destroyed in 1900. Its head can be seen at Blaydon Library, according to the council’s history of the site.

When to go

April · May · June · July · August · No specific time of day is identified by the source. Check conditions before setting out.

Spring and summer are reasonable seasons to look for the wildflowers and orchids listed by Gateshead Council, but the source does not provide precise flowering windows.

Check the forecast and ground conditions before visiting; the source provides no site-specific weather or surface guidance.

The route

route shape: Circular
start point: Lay-by on the B6317 Stella Road, just west of Caroline Terrace, Blaydon.
parking start: Access from the lay-by on the B6317 Stella Road, just west of Caroline Terrace; confirm availability before travelling.

Old wildflower meadows
Views up and down the Tyne
Remains of the Summerhouse
Path Head Watermill
Wet-slope orchids

Worth pairing with

Path Head Watermill

The council says the circular walk across the site takes in Path Head Watermill.

Blaydon Library

The head of Joseph Cowen’s former Garibaldi statue is displayed here, according to the council’s account. Check opening and access details before visiting.

What to look for

01
On the wetter, lower slopes, look for northern marsh and common spotted orchids, alongside ragged robin, meadowsweet and marsh thistle. On Summerhill, look for the remains of the protected summerhouse. The Bronze Age cist and its grave goods were moved to the Great North Museum
02
they are not presented as features to find on the walk.

The story

Archaeology, Industry

Best time to go

Spring and summer for wildflowers and orchids; the council’s information does not specify peak flowering dates.

Spring and summer are the most promising seasons for seeing the meadow flowers and orchids mentioned by Gateshead Council. Exact flowering periods are not specified, so check locally before planning around a particular species.

How long to spend

1–2 hours

Perfect for

Walkers · History lovers · Wildlife lovers · Dogs · Families