Black Bobbies Field
Black Bobbies Field is a delightful spot on Thornaby's riverside which includes a mixture of meadow, reedbeds and scrub.
The path close to the riverside takes you over a foot bridge spanning the neck of a fish haven. This was excavated and linked to the river in the mid 1990s in order to provide shallow areas for fish to spawn in after the river was deepened by the construction of Tees Barrage. The site is a quiet oasis where you can often listen to skylarks, lapwings and geese.
During the middle ages there was a port here, the access to which was along and between the hedge that divides the site in half beyond the bridge. As you loop back from the far end of the site along the path away from the river, you may notice the ground rises and falls in rows. These mounds are the remains of 'ridge and furrow' farming in which the crops were planted on the drier ground of the ridges and irrigated by the furrows.
The footpaths running through this area form part of the Thornaby Trail, a 9 mile (15km) walk which circles around Thornaby.
News
During 2024 the Council will be carrying out improvements to the Thornaby Trail, making it easier for walkers to follow this lovely route.
Accessibility
The green space does not have toilets and there are no surfaced paths. There is no designated disabled parking.
Opening times
The park is open at all times.
Location
Access is for walkers only. You can walk upstream from Thornaby allotments until you get to the metal field and kissing gates that allow entry onto site, or walk down the green from Thornaby Social Club, go through the kissing gate and turn left on the riverside path and through the next metal kissing gate.