Kielder Forest and
Kielder Castle
Forest Park Centre
nr Bellingham, Northumberland
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Featured Location Guide |
Kielder at 250 square miles, is England's
largest and most productive forest. It also has 600km of waterways, Kielder
Water reservoir at its centre. There are 9 Sites of Special Scientific Interest
covering some 7,500 hectares. These sites include ancient woodland, fossil
trees, geological sites, moorlands and Border Mire peat bogs.
Bakethin Raptor Viewpoint
Kielder Castle - Built in 1775 as a
hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland, it is now the focal point for
visitors to the forest. The Castle itself houses a series of exhibitions about
the forest and its wildlife, together with an information centre, gift shop and
licensed restaurant. It can be accessed from the northern end of Kielder Water
off the C200, situated in Kielder village.
Access to part of the mires has been improved
by the completion of the Bellcrag boardwalk. This timber walkway surrounds one
of the best ponds for dragonflies in Northumberland and links into the Pennine
Way.
Activities which take place in the park
include:
- A number of walking routes
- A 12 mile forest drive from Kielder Castle
to the A68
- Fishing (by permit available from Castle)
- Many forms of watersports on Kielder Water
- Orienteering courses
- Cycle route and a treasure hunt
- The Duchess Gallery within the Castle houses
monthly exhibitions of local artists.
- Bird and squirrel feeding stations within
the castle grounds
- The Arboretum contains a number of wooden
sculptures
Further information Grid
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Planning Grid
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Location: |
Kielder Forest, Nr Bellingham, Northumberland |
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Grid Reference: |
NY632934 |
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Getting there: |
From Bellingham follow signs to Kielder Water
and Forest Park which will take you onto the C200 - the road which runs
adjacent to the southern shore of Kielder Water. |
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Access: |
Access to the forest can be gained from a
number of points along the C200, alternatively continue to Kielder Castle
Forest Park Centre at the northern end of Kielder Water. |
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Parking: |
Yes |
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Facilities: |
Visitor Centre, information points, toilets,
picnic areas, forest shop, cafe |
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Things To Do,
See and Photograph: |
walks, reservoir, peat bogs, wildlife
activities |
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What to take: |
long lens, panoramic kit, water to drink,
picnic |
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Nature highlights: |
Red squirrels, woodland and other woodland
birds and creatures |
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Address: |
Kielder
Castle
Kielder
Hexham
Northumberland
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Postcode: |
NE48 1ER |
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Telephone: |
01434 250209 |
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Opening times: |
For Kielder Castle - Jan-Easter Closed.
Easter-October 10am - 5pm
Nov-Dec weekends only 11am-5pm. Closed Xmas
and Near Year |
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Charges: |
£3 parking fee |
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Photo Restrictions: |
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Other Restrictions: |
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Special Needs Access: |
Easy access to all areas, |
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Special Needs Facilities: |
special parking areas, ramp/level access to
castle, toilets |
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Children Facilities: |
play area |
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Dogs Allowed: |
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Please let us know any other information that we
can add to the Further information and Planning Grids or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always
wise to double check the current information, websites like magazines may be
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