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Wildlife at Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre Kielder
Kielder
Northumberland
England
Kielder Village near Bellingham is the nearest town or village.
OS Grid Reference: NY632934
Built in 1775 as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland, the Castle 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.
The grounds include picnic sites, children's playground, the Dukes and Duchess walking trails and the start of cycling, orienteering and longer distance walking routes.
Mammals: A key species in Kielder Forest is the Red Squirrel, as Kielder is truly one of its largest remaining strongholds in the country.
With over 600km of waterways in the forest, not to mention Kielder Water reservoir at its centre, Otters are becoming more common. With a helping hand to ensure suitable habitats on the river and reservoir banks, there are now signs that Otters are using all the major waterways in the area.
Roe Deer also abound in Kielder Forest. To catch a glimpse of these shy creatures, why not come along on one of our Deer Watch events, led by our own expert staff. We have information about Red squirrel, Roe deer and Otter
Birds: The Goshawk is becoming a familiar sight in Kielder Forest these days as the amount of mature forest increases so the Goshawk feels more at home here!
Kielder is getting a reputation amongst bird watchers as an excellent raptor-spotting venue. Set your scope up at Bakethin Raptor Viewpoint and see what passes overhead.
Insects and reptiles: Adders are Kielder's only true snake as slow worms are technically legless lizards!
You may see adders curled up enjoying the warmth of a sunny day, enjoy the sight of them as they are magnificent reptiles but do not disturb them or get too close. We have information about Adder Habitats: There are 9 Sites of Special Scientific Interest covering some 7,500 hectares. This is 4% of the total SSSI area in England. These sites include ancient woodland, fossil trees, geological sites, moorlands and our extensive Border Mire peat bogs. We have information about Upland bog
How to get there:
Kielder Castle is situated at the northern end of Kielder Water, off the C200.
Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)
Facilities:
        
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We have 17 backpacking sites throughout the forest as well as 8 mountain bothy facilities, further information is available at the visitor centre. |
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Activities
   
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A number of walking routes are available from the Castle. Walks leaflets are available from local tourist information centres.
Duke's Trail
Bakethin North Shore
Bull Crag
Lewisburn
Deadwater Walking Trail |
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Cycle routes from Kielder Castle: |
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A 12 mile forest drive from Kielder Castle to the A68. |
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A year - round education service is on offer at the Castle, with our recreation rangers providing a wide range of environmental education activities. A classroom is also available for use in the Castle on those rare wet days! |
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Burn fishing permits available from Kielder Castle, during the season, at £3 per adult/£1.50 concessions per day. Kielder Water fishing permits and information from Leaplish Waterside Park, tel 01434 250312 |
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A picturesque 70 pitch camping and carvaning site in Kielder village, surrounded by Kielder Forest. Info and bookings on 01434 250291 |
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Many forms of watersport are available on Kielder Water, for general information contact Leaplish Waterside Park 01434 250312 For details of watercraft hire contact Hawkhirst Scout Camp 01434 250217 |
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The forest is especially noted as a good site to see birds of prey, such as the elusive Goshawk. Information about bird watching and conservation is provided in the exhibition at Kielder Castle. Within the grounds of the Castle there are a variety of bird and suirrel feeding stations. |
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Three permanent full sized courses, two junior courses, a cyclo-orienteering course and a cycle treasure hunt all start from Kielder Castle. |
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Within the arboretum a number of wooden sculptures can be found. |
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The Duchess gallery within Kielder Castle houses monthly exhibitions from local artists. |
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Recently Kielder is becoming well known for its award - winning Art and Architecture programme which features the Kielder Skyspace by American artist James Turrell. More details from the Kielder Partnership website www.kielder.org or tel 01434 220643 |
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Other places to go in Kielder
Cuddys Hall picnic place
Contact:
Kielder Castle
01434 250209
e-mail: kieldercastle@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
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What's of interest
For details of Kielder Castle and Forest Drive opening times, please use links below.
What's on
What else is here In Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre there is also recreationRelated pages
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