Oakhaven Visitor Centre Reopens After Roof Work

Oakhaven Visitor Centre Reopens After Roof Work

The visitor centre at Oakhaven Country Park opens again on Saturday after five months closed for roof repairs, and the cafe opens with it.

The building had been leaking into the exhibition room since the storms in February. What everybody expected to be a patch turned into a full replacement once the contractors got the tiles off and found the timbers underneath in worse condition than the survey suggested.

What is open

Everything except the upstairs room, which is being used for storage until the new display cases arrive in October.

The cafe, the toilets, the shop and the ranger's desk are all back, and so are the guided walks, which restart on the first Sunday of the month. The car park has been open throughout and the charges have not changed.

The bit that took the money

The roof came in at rather more than the trust had budgeted. The shortfall was covered by a grant and by the fundraising a lot of you contributed to over the spring.

The trust asked us to say thank you, so we are saying it.

What is on

There is a reopening morning on Saturday from ten, with the rangers doing short walks on the hour, and a bat evening on the last Friday of the month which is free but needs booking, because the numbers are capped and they mean it.

The wildflower meadow at the top end has had a good year. If you have not walked up there since the spring it is worth the climb, and the bench at the top is still the best view in the North.

Getting there

The 22 runs from Northgate bus station hourly and stops at the park gates.

If you are driving, the top car park is much quieter than the one by the centre and it is four minutes further on foot.

Priya is broadcasting from the reopening on Saturday morning. Come and say hello, or do not, and she will understand.