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‘The vast wooded wilderness doesn’t look like England’: exploring Northumberland’s Kielder Forest
England’s largest forest has an aura reminiscent of parts of Canada or Finland. This year it celebrates its centenary with new trails and dark sky events
TL;DR
- Kielder Forest is England's largest forest, covering 250 sq miles with 158 million trees, offering a wilderness feel reminiscent of Finland or Canada.
- The forest features 20 sculptures, including the striking two-storey timber head Silvas Capitalis.
- Kielder hosts England's first dark sky park, the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, ideal for stargazing.
- The forest is celebrating its centenary in 2026 with new initiatives like mountain bike trails, a Room on the Broom trail for kids, and the reopening of Kielder Castle.
- Low-impact tourism is a focus, with accommodation options like Kielder Waterside lodges and Calvert Kielder, alongside camping facilities.
- The Lakeside Way is a 26-mile route encircling Kielder Water, linking sculptures and immersing visitors in the forest.
- Kielder is part of the Northumberland National Park, known for its stark, untouched landscapes and historical sites like Vindolanda and Hadrian's Wall.