Slitt wood follows the Middlehope burn, featuring damp woodland, wildflower-rich grassland, wet flushes and marshy grassland.

Seasonal highlights

This site is stunning year-round, with leopard slugs, cream-spot ladybirds and orange ladybirds found in most months. Carpets of wild garlic are used by ramsons hoverflies during spring, while old trees are home to the locally distributed dimorphic bear hoverfly, which peaks in May. Throughout summer, grasslands are bright with knapweed, wild thyme and betony, supporting dark green fritillaries and moss carder bees, while alderflies and olive upright mayflies emerge from the burn.

• Car parking: lay-by, A689, Westgate, Weardale, County Durham, DL13 1LJ
• Grid reference: NY 90645 38044
• Survey route length: 1 mile
• Terrain: the route follows a rough track with steep, slippery areas, uneven ground and stiles.