Located around 7 miles from the Scottish Border, between Otterburn and Byrness, you will find one of our favourtie little spots. Pulling in off the A68 down the forest track you will pass part of the Pennine Way route, which follows the river along to Byrness. With space for around 8 cars you can park next to the toilet block and head over the bridge, up the track to the Waterfall walk.
Once you get to the sign post it's a 1.25 miles trail through old Scots Pine and larch, part of the ancient forest. This can be wet under foot, slippy in some areas, not recommended for pushchairs or wheelchairs due to the stairs down to the waterfall and the uneven surfaces. The route is dog freindly.
Follow the path keeping your eyes open for buzzards, deer or the illusive wild goats, you may smell the goats before you see them. Once you get to the stairs, you will most likely hear the water.
We can't decide which season we like best here, but as it's less than a mile away from the RoamNorth HQ we visit regularly. Due to the ferns and moss it can make some very dramatic scenes after a lot of rain.
Once you have seen the waterfall we would recommend walking back to the little bridge which takes you along a small section of the river, before climbing up the steps to walk through a little more of the forest. Dropping down again to the river is the perfect spot to stop for a picnic. The last section of the walk takes you over another small bridge leading to another set of steps where you get to view the waterfall from above.
This walk will take around 40 minutes at a leisurely pace.
Kielder Forest Drive is a 12 mile trail road with a toll (£5 payable at the castle) from Blakehopeburnhaugh to Kielder Castle. The Forest Drive is one of England;s hughest roads, cresting over 1500 feet (450 meters). The road is open from 1st May until 2nd December (this may change due to the weather so we recommend checking before). The Forest Drive is a trail road with loose stone chippings, so best driven in a 4x4. As it is remote countryside there are some areas without mobile phone coverage.
At the highest point of the trail is Blakehope Nick, a sculpture developed by a group of Architecture students from Newcastle University. Take in the dramatic landscapes and wildness from here with panoramic views.
From here you can continue your journey passing through the forest which will bring you out at Kielder Castle. There's plently to explore at Kielder, look out for more sculptures. It's also a perfect place to see the Dark Skies.
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