If you are looking for somewhere in the UK to switch off, Kielder Forest & Water should top your list. Tucked away in the far west of Northumberland, Kielder feels a world away from busier parts of the country. Moreover, it offers stretches of forest, quiet country roads, endless walking trails, hidden waterfalls, and dark skies.
We spent four days exploring Kielder and the surrounding area, where we stayed at the beautiful Springfield Cottage in Yarrow by Cottages in Northumberland and we quickly realised you could spend longer here, as you would never run out of epic things to do. So, whether you are planning a weekend in Kielder, looking for the best things to do in the area or simply want a peaceful UK escape, this guide has you covered.
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Furthermore, this post is written in collaboration with Cottages in Northumberland who hosted us during our stay, therefore, a huge thank you goes out to them.
Why Kielder Forest & Water?
Kielder Forest & Water isn’t somewhere you visit for just a single attraction; in fact, it covers a huge area. The forest and reservoir form the backdrop for activities such as walking, cycling, wildlife watching, water activities and stargazing. Kielder Forest is the largest planted forest in England and Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Northern Europe.
The scale of the place is noticeable as soon as you arrive. You can drive for quite a while through the forest without seeing much more than trees, hills and the occasional glimpse of water. But despite its remote location, there is plenty to do. The 26-mile Lakeside Way loops around the reservoir and can be tackled in sections, or as a whole (if you are into that). There are also many shorter woodland trails, mountain bike routes, viewpoints and wildlife watching spots throughout the park. Kielder Forest & Water is he kind of place that you can plan your trip as relaxed or fast paces as you prefer.
Where to stay in Kielder Forest & Water
For our stay we based ourselves at Springfield Cottage by Cottages in Northumberland. It’s a characterful two-bedroom cottage in the hamlet of Yarrow, less than a mile from Kielder Forest & Water. Honestly, the accommodation became part of the experience, rather than just somewhere to sleep.
The cottage sits overlooking the River North Tyne, with several different outdoor spaces to make the most of the stunning surroundings. There’s a terrace overlooking the countryside, an indoor fire pit and BBQ hut and a secluded riverside seating area reached via a private illuminated path. But the feature that immediately stood out to us, was the two copper outdoor baths that sit on the upper terrace of the garden with sweeping views. The baths can be filled with hot or cold water, so after a day of hiking around Kielder, you can soak in a hot bath with the surrounding landscape completely to yourself.
Inside, Springfield Cottage sleeps four people across two bedrooms. With a super-king size and king size bedroom, a large walk-in shower, fully equipped kitchen and two seating areas that are filled with countryside charm. The location is particularly convenient if you are visiting Kielder for the outdoors. As you are close enough to spend your days exploring the forest before coming back to the cottage to enjoy a peaceful evening.
What makes Springfield Cottage unique is that it also sits within the Northumberland Dark Sky Park, so you don’t necessarily have to stop exploring once the sun has gone down. Just look up to the sky and you’ll experience some of the best stargazing England has to offer.
How long do you need in Kielder Forest & Water?
You could technically visit Kielder on a day trip in a wider Northumberland itinerary. However, we definitely recommend staying for at least three nights, if you want to explore the area properly. There is simply too much ground to cover in just a few hours. Plus, if you want to experience the Dark Skies, staying overnight makes the most sense rather than trying to squeeze it all into one day.
What to do in Kielder Forest & Water
1. Walk across Kielder Viaduct
One of the first places wed recommend visiting is Kielder Viaduct. The old stone railway viaduct is part of the former Border Counties Railway route and now it forms part of the walking and cycling network around Kielder. From the viaduct you can get views across the surrounding forest and the water around Bakethin Reservoir. It is a particularly good introduction to Kielder as you get a bit of history alongside the scenery.
You can also continue walking from here towards Bakethin Nature Reserve and the wider Lakeside Way, so it doesn’t have to be a standalone stop, in fact you can park at the nature reserve and combine the two. If you are not looking for a long hike, it’s an easy way to get a taste of Kielder Water without committing to a full day on the trails.
2. Walk around the Bull Crag Peninsula
If you want to experience the beauty of Kielder Water, the Bull Crag Peninsula is definitely an area to put on your list. The peninsula forms part of the Lakeside Way, with views across the reservoir and surrounding forest. The official Bull Crag circular route is around 6 miles and starts and finishes at Kielder Waterside, which is where you should also park. The walk takes in sections of the Lakeside Way as well as Freya’s Cabin and Timelapse art installations.
You don’t necessarily have to do the full route, one of the best things about Kielder is that you can pick and choose how much walking you want to do. If 6 miles sounds like too much for you, there is the option to explore smaller sections around the peninsula and still get some of the best waterside scenery. This is also where you will start to appreciate just how enormous Kielder Water is. Rather than feeling like a typical lake surrounded by development, much of the shoreline is backed by forest, which gives the whole area a truly wilder feeling.
3. Elf Kirk Viewpoint
For one of the best viewpoints in Kielder head to Elf Kirk. The viewpoint is close to Tower Knowe and looks across Kielder Water towards the Bull Crag Peninsula and Wickhope Inlet. It is accessible from the main road that circles the lake and can also be reached by a short detour from the Lakeside Way trail. This is one of those places where the photos don’t really show the scale of the landscape. From above, you can see the forest stretching around the reservoir and get a much better idea of just how remote this corner of Northumberland feels.
It is also a really great stop if you are exploring Kielder by car because you don’t need to dedicate an entire day to the viewpoint, it just makes for a short scenic stop. If you are staying overnight, remember that the view changes completely after dark and Elf Kirk is an ideal stargazing point.
4. Hindhope Linn Waterfall
Unlike the viewpoints and lakeside trails, Hindhope Linn takes you deeper into the woodland and away from the main shoreline of Kielder Water. The waterfall is reached from Blakehopeburnhaugh at the northeastern end of Kielder Forest Drive. You can take the tolled Forest Drive to reach the falls if you have a 4×4 vehicle, if not that you can navigate to Hindhope Linn using the main roads out of Kielder that head north.
The walk from the car park to the waterfall is a very easy 1.25-mile route, leading you through magical woodland until you reach the waterfall at the bottom of a tree lined gorge. The walk is rather enchanting, almost as though you have stepped into Middle Earth, it feels like you are actually going somewhere as opposed to pulling up next to a waterfall. There are also picnic areas and toilets located at the car park.
5. Hareshaw Linn Waterfall
Technically, Hareshaw Linn isn’t inside Kielder Forest & Water, but it’s close enough to make an excellent addition to a Kielder trip and we definitely recommend making the journey. The walk starts near the village of Bellingham, only a 15-minute drive from the Kielder area. From the car park, the trail follows Hareshaw Burn through the valley and woodland before reaching the waterfall at the end.
Hareshaw Linn drops around 9 metres into the gorge, but it isn’t just this dramatic fall that makes it worth visiting. The walk itself crosses a series of bridges; the landscape begins to change and becomes increasingly enclosed as you approach the waterfall. The waterfall is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of the unusual variety of ferns, mosses, liverworts and lichens found within the gorge. So don’t just race to the waterfall then turn around, the woodland walk is absolutely part of the experience and beauty of this place.
6. Explore the Lakeside Way
You can’t really talk about things to do in Kielder without mentioning the Lakeside Way. The full route follows the shoreline of Kielder Water for 26 miles and is open to walkers, cyclists and horse riders. The route gives you access to some of the best scenery around Kielder Water, as well as several pieces of the area’s unusual outdoor art and architecture.
That is something we weren’t expecting before visiting, Kielder isn’t just forest and water. There are contemporary structures and artworks hidden throughout the landscape, meaning you can come across something completely unexpected whilst out walking. If you are visiting Kielder without a specific walking goal in mind, we recommend that you simply choose a section of the Lakeside Way and see where you end up.
7. Go Stargazing
Kielder isn’t only impressive by day, once the sun has set this part of Northumberland becomes one of the best places in the UK to stargaze. Kielder sits within the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, with exceptionally low levels of light pollution. The area is home to Kielder Observatory, which runs astronomy experiences and stargazing sessions. If you would like to take part in a proper observatory experience, it is worth booking in advance here, as they can be very popular, especially in busy seasons.
But you don’t necessarily need to book anything. If you have clear skies, stepping outside away from artificial light can give you an incredible view. Moreover, this was another reason we loved staying at Springfield Cottage near Kielder Forest & Water. The garden gave us somewhere quiet to sit outside after dark. Additionally, being surrounded by so little light pollution, it made the evenings feel like part of the trip.
Extend your trip: Hadrian’s Wall & Cheviot Hills
If you have got a few extra days, there are two very different landscapes within Northumberland that are well worth adding to your Kielder trip: Hadrian’s Wall and the Cheviot Hills. They both make a great extension because they give you something totally different from the forests and reservoir around Kielder. You can go from woodland trails one day to Roman ruins and dramatic crags the next.
Walk along Hadrian’s Wall at Steel Rigg
If you only have time for one section of Hadrian’s Wall, we’d make a beeline for Steel Rigg. This is one of the most iconic sections of the wall, where the wall follows the dramatic ridge line above Crag Lough. From the Steel Rigg car park it’s a relatively short walk to the wall and viewpoint over the surrounding landscape. This is also where you will find the wonderful Sycamore Gap, the famous dip in the landscape where the famous Sycamore tree once stood. Although, the original tree was sadly illegally felled in 2023, the distinctive gap in the wall and surrounding landscape is still there.
Top tip: This part of Northumberland is much more exposed than the sheltered woodland around Kielder, so bring proper walking shoes and check the weather before setting off.
Hike in the Cheviot Hills
For another completely different side to Northumberland, head towards the Cheviot Hills. This is where the landscape changes from dense forest and reservoirs to wide open moorland, rolling hills and long-distance views. The highest point in the area is The Cheviot, at 815 metres and there are numerous walking routes throughout the hills. If you want to tackle the summit, be aware that this is a proper full day hike rather than a short viewpoint walk.
However, if you don’t fancy a full summit day, the College Valley is a lovely alternative, with quieter walks through the northernmost park of the national park. The Cheviots are best added if you an extra day and want to spend it properly hiking, rather than trying to squeeze it into an already packed Kielder itinerary.
Is Kielder Forest & Water worth visiting?
We think that the best way to experience Kielder is to not over plan it. Pick a couple of walks, choose a few viewpoints and leave yourself enough time to just enjoy the surroundings. It’s easy to look at the map and think you can tick loads of places off in one day, but Kielder Forest is much bigger than it first appears. It covers around 250 square miles and contains around 150 million trees, so you are not going to see everything in one visit. But for us, that was part of the appeal, an excuse to slow down a little.
There was something really cosy about having a cottage to return to after a day outside, rather than feeling like we had to keep moving onto the next thing. Springfield Cottage was particularly well suited to this as we’d spend the day exploring then come back to the comfort of the cottage. Light up the BBQ, fill he copper baths and just sit out beside the river. It really made the accommodation feel part of the whole Northumberland experience.
So, if you are searching for a UK getaway where the main attraction is simply spending time outdoors, we reckon Kielder Forest & Water is pretty tough to beat.
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