Kielder Water & Forest Park, Northumberland
Kielder Water is the largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom
and it is surrounded by Kielder Forest, the largest man-made woodland
in Europe. The sheer scale of it (250 square miles) is enough to take your breath
away!
The vast, wide open spaces are not solely a backdrop in which to relax and renew
in the crystal clear air (masses of oxygen comes from the pines), you can explore
the wilderness and go walking, hiking, swimming, sailing, and
mountain biking just 20 miles up the road from Bellingham.
Get
information from Leaplish waterside park - Telephone 0870 2403549
for facilities opening times.
Kielder ferry service - Summer
In summer the 80-seater cruiser 'Osprey' will take you round the lake via the
Kielder Ferry Service, with highlights commentary, from Tower Knowe
to Leaplish to Kielder Castle.
Telephone the Tower Knowe visitor centre 0870 240 549
Winter Wonderland at Kielder
Even Santa comes to connect with his senses in the weeks leading up to his busiest day of the year, turning Kielder into a magical Winter Wonderland. Tickets for this fabulous event go VERY quickly from October. We can help you source tickets for this event. Telephone 07815 903167. Bellingham is the perfect spot to stay as it is right next to Kielder and offers all the amenities of village life.
Kielder projects
Kielder Water & Forest Park is well on its way to becoming one of the premier all-year-round outdoor recreation centres in Europe.
The Kielder Partnership with the support of OneNorthEast, has embarked on its "Big Picture" initiative to expand the appeal of the park with a huge and exciting range of development projects.
The biggest projects are already in progress, or proposed, include:
- The Observatory - scheduled to be opened early this year, the £425,000 solar and wind powered building will develop the area's reputation as the best place in England to view the stars. See www.kielder-observatory.org
- Lakeside Way - a multi-user track that will eventually extend for 27 miles around the whole of Kielder water. It will also be linked to a number of new jetties, allowing the lake to become part of an improved access infrastructure.
- The Green Dragon Project - a wood burning, narrow gauge steam railway, which will cross the Kielder viaduct, following part of the old border counties line.
- Treetop Walkway - a 100ft high treetop trail through he forest canopy to the east of Kielder Castle, giving visitors a close up view of the forest environment.
- Leaplish Waterside Park - new facilities will replace existing buildings offering better catering, swimming, a treetop adventure area and all weather leisure facilities.
