The area has a number of significant attributes that many find irresistible. Be warned, this place really is not for everyone.
Europe's largest Reservoir: fishing from the bank or in a boat, a ferry, the views, a circular shared trail for foot, hoof or cycle can be utilised. Not for the faint hearted, it's 26 miles in total, with no short cut! If you are interested in a little gander try the Kielder Marathon, Kielder Night Run or the Kielder Water Swim.
The UK's largest man madeforest. Supplying, at present, up to 20% of our wood supply.
The forest also boasts 7 bike trails, all starting from Kielder Castle, which is a stone's throw away from our gaff. They range from the easy peasy lemon squeezy for young uns, old uns, family uns and "I last rode a bike ten year ago" uns. [Green] Moderate: [Blue] Difficult: [Red] And finally, the unyielding BLACK routes.....marked as Severe. Or in my humble biking vocab: it's a Jeeeeesus huff n puff on the way up with a YEEHAAAR! On the way down.
For a bit more official explanation go onto:
http://imba.org.uk/where-to-ride/trail-grading/
Did I mention the wildlife? Don't get me wrong, they don't throw themselves at you. It's a big place is Kielder and most animals are pretty wary of us humans. Kielder is one of the few Red Squirrel strongholds for the UK; with figures boasting of up to 50% of the little cuties residing here. Not that I've seen many, not the way my little cherubs bash around the forest on a walk!
Kielder Forest is officially the darkest place in England. During the shoulder months, weather dependent, the night's unpolluted skies can be magnificent!
For a great insight visit:
http://www.visitnorthumberland.com/darkskies
Quite often I get asked on a wet and dismal day, mid morning: 'What can I do with the kids......? It's raining, is there anywhere undercover?'
Regrettably guys, no, we are an outdoor area. The best advice I can give is to have a wet weather contingency plan for Kielder. Or, if you are a family of papier-mâché then Kielder really is not the place for you. The reason we have a reservoir is...........answers on a postcard to.
I digress....wet weather contingency. Waterproofs or plan a drive away from us with an earlier morning start. It takes an hour to just release yourself from the forest. Visit our 'What to do' page for more info.
Which moves me onto my next subject........the weather.
Now the UK has become a nation of Petrol Price Perusers and with the advent of wi-fi and mobile phones we are now a Nation... [Notice the capital letter there?] a Nation of Weather Watchers! Oh boy do we watch. Not once at brekky, a nosey at lunch and a glance at the sky on the way home. No, no, no. We watch hourly, or whenever we get a chance to dip into the mobile phone. It's as if we can will the weather on. Some of us are running [and ruining] their holidays as they dissect graphs and symbols each and every hour. And what about the plethora of differing sites with slight variants to all the reports? So with us being on Holiday, good old Humans being Humans: we vie for the happy report, but are quick to reprimand if all does not go as well as expected. [Well! It is a computer after all.] I've yet to hear anyone congratulate the weather report when it's been 100% perfectly correct....when it's rained.
And just to make you feel better....I too, as a site manager watch the weather like a hawk! Here's my little vice.......
http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Kielder~6957014/
See ya!
KielderSteve.