How much does it cost?
A car park fee of £3 is charged at the Castle Car Park. This ticket allows you to park in any car park in Kielder Water and Forest park (including Northumbrian Water Car parks). Vehicles using the scenic 12 mile Forest Drive are requested to pay a £3 toll at the Kielder Castle end of the drive.
Access to Kielder Castle and associated facilities is free.
When is it open?
Kielder Water and Forest Park never closes! Access to the forest can be made 24 hours a day. Kielder Castle opening hours vary according to season, while the Forest Drive is open from Easter to Christmas (weather permitting).
What facilities are there?
Kielder Castle Visitor Centre includes an exhibition, gallery, gift shop, licensed restaurant, adventure playground and maze. Cycle hire is available near the visitor centre. The forest contains a large range of waymarked walking and cycling routes (suitable for all abilities), orienteering courses, horse riding trails, picnic sites and many art pieces.
How to get there?
Kielder Water and Forest Park is England’s largest forest, centred at Kielder Castle (adjacent to Kielder village) in the breathtaking wild Border Country around the North Tyne Valley. Kielder is about as remote as it gets in England, with the nearest major population centres over fifty miles away.
By Public Transport: Kielder Castle is served by public transport on Sundays during the summer season, when the ‘Kielder Bus’ (service number 714, Arriva) runs a morning service between the Metro Centre and Kielder village, returning late afternoon.
On Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a bus run by Snaiths departs from Hexham Bus Station to Kielder (via Hexham Railway Station and Bellingham) at 0930 and 1545. The service returns from Kielder Castle to Hexham at 1051 and 1726.
In addition, ADAPT (North-East) run a service from Kielder to Bellingham on Monday and Thursday every week. Bus departs Kielder Post Office at 1010, arriving Bellingham 1100. Return from Bellingham leaves at 1345, arriving Kielder 1435.
View the 2010 Kielder Bus timetable here (pdf 35kB)
For full timetable information on all public transport journeys in the Northeast, call the ‘Traveline’ on 0871 2002233 or visit www.travelinenortheast.info for the online journey planner.
By Car: The fastest route to Kielder Forest is via the A69 Carlisle-Newcastle road. From the east, leave at the junction for Corbridge and follow the Brown tourist signs on to the A68. From the west, exit the A69 at the turn for Bellingham (B6320) and follow the brown tourist signs for the Forest. If you are travelling from the Scottish borders, there are two routes that take you Kielder Castle. The first is via the A68 from Jedburgh, turning on to the Kielder Forest Drive toll road 2 miles (4 kilometres) north of Rochester. Alternatively, follow the B6357 from Bonchester Bridge or Newcastleton to Kielder for a spectacular ‘alternative’ Border crossing.
Where to Stay?
Accommodation in the Kielder area is in limited supply, so it is worth booking ahead, especially in the summer season. There are options to suit all visitors, from mountain bothies and campsites, to bed and breakfasts and spacious cabins.
For information on the location of bothies and backpacking sites in the Kielder area, contact Margaret Hardon on 01434 220242 or visit the Mountain Bothies Association website.
The ‘Visit Northumbria’ website has a list of accommodation in the area and runs an online booking service at www.visitnorthumbria.com or call their visitor helpline on 08701 601781.
Nearest Tourist Information Centres:
Bellingham 01434 220616
Hexham 01434 652220
Otterburn 01830 520093
Where to eat?
Kielder Castle is the home of the ‘Duke’s Pantry’ licensed restaurant (telephone 01434 250100), where you can enjoy afternoon tea or a hot meal in the glorious setting of the Castle’s historic grounds.
For details of other eating establishments in the Kielder area, click on www.visitkielder.com
