West Newlandside Meadows is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Wear Valley district of County Durham, England. It lies 3 km south-west of the village of Stanhope.

The area is drained by two small burns, tributaries of the River Wear and consists of several fields that are managed as traditional northern hay meadows, a habitat that is threatened by intensive agricultural practices.

West Newlandside Meadows

The meadows are rich in grassland species: the nationally rare northern hawk's beard, Crepis mollis, is plentiful, and the locally rare adder's tongue, Ophioglossum vulgatum, and frog orchid, Coeloglossum viride, are also present.

West Newlandside Meadows

A different vegetation is found where there are banks that are too steep to be cut; here the calcareous soils support such species as fairy flax, Linum catharticum, harebell, Campanula rotundifolia, and mountain pansy, Viola lutea.

West Newlandside Meadows

References

Sites of Special Scientific Interest in County Durham

Meadows in County Durham

Stanhope, County Durham