Article originally appeared in MBR May 2016 | Words & photos: Andy McCandlish. We’re home to the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe and, at over 250 square miles, the largest working forest in England. Enjoying the Gruffalo in the forest? It is essential you download The Gruffalo Spotter app at home, then visit Kielder Water and Forest Park (there is NO mobile phone coverage). The Gruffalo Trail brings the deep dark wood, & Julia Donaldson’s 1999 classic bedtime story to life. Try the FREE Zog Trail at Kielder Forest A new Zog Trail is launching at Kielder Forest this weekend (11 January). Kielder Forest, Northumberland trail centre guide. We came to Kielder on a summer break last year and loved it so much we came back for our Easter hols. Parking & Public Transport We usually park in the Kielder Visitor Centre Car Park to begin with (postcode NE48 1ER). Dukes trail at Kielder. Kielder Deadwater Red Trail is a 9.1 mile loop trail located near Hexham, Northumberland, England that features a great forest setting and is rated as moderate. With over 100 miles of trail, much of it single-track and all of it traffic-free, Kielder has a trail for you. what there is to do in the immediate vicinity of Kielder Village here. Whether you've just bought your first bike or are searching out single-track, Kielder Forest offers a fantastic opportunity for natural cycling. Location: Kielder Castle, Kielder, NE48 1ER (NORTHUMBERLAND) Opening times: From 9am daily Parking: Up to 1 hour – £1.50, All day – £5.00 Facilities: Play areas, Café and Toilets All reviews lovely cafe hunting lodge worth a visit gruffalo trail starting point kielder castle car park anglers arms bike shop forest drive maze information duke walks dog campsite characters Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Search for your nearest activities below, or read on to find out more about the Gruffalo in the forest. Lynn passes the baton to new team at Kielder, Kielder Art & Architecture Digital Residency, Britain's most beautiful marathon goes virtual to support local NHS charity, Take a trip through time with new Kielder installation, A ringing success! The new Highway Rat Trail opened at Kielder last December. Lots of information and looks like you had a great time judging by the pics. Kielder forest is managed by The Forestry Commission - last year we took part in the Gruffalo trail at Hamsterley forest in Durham which we loved. We've visited both sites now and think both have positives and negatives. The trail offers a number of activity options. Kielder Water & Forest Park brings you nature on a grander scale. Come to the deep dark wood to discover orienteering trails and giant Gruffalo sculptures, the Gruffalo Spotters 2 augmented reality app, or download our fantastic resources for fun at home. Kielder Forest is a great place to see a variety of … Kielder Forest in Northumberland and Hamsterley Forest in Durham are both pretty the same distance for us to travel and they both offer the new Highway Rat Trail. Explore your passion for Mountain Biking adventures in the heart of Northumberland and right on the border with Scotland, close to Hadrian’s Wall, Kielder Water & Forest Park is an ideal base for Mountain Biking across Northumberland and into Scotland, where our trails join up with Newcastleton 7Stanes trails or also onwards to the Reivers Route to either East or West Coast. A great day out for all. The trail is already a hit with families as you will find our fantastic Gruffalo, Gruffalo Child and Stickman sculptures along the way- it really is a great trail for all the family and we also have a fantastic bird hide shelter on the route- so even on a rainy day you can picnic in the forest and conjure up some lunchtime fun with the little ones. My lights chase Russell’s tyre as I struggle to stay on his wheel, climbing hard up stony singletrack, zig-zagging back and forth. Post your Gruffalo photos on our Facebook page - we'd love to see them. Kielder Water & Forest Park: We went to find the Gruffalo - See 707 traveller reviews, 708 candid photos, and great deals for Kielder, UK, at Tripadvisor. Along the trail look out for clues which lead to footprint marker posts - point the app at these and watch Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and the Gruffalo … Members: Northumbrian Water, Forestry England, Calvert Kielder, Northumberland County Council, Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society, Northumberland National Park Authority and Northumberlad Wildlife Trust. Along the trail look out for clues which lead to footprint marker posts - point the app at these and watch Mouse, Fox, Owl, Snake and the Gruffalo appear before your eyes! The Gruffalo has become a publishing sensation with over 14 million books being sold worldwide, but Kielder Water and Forest Park is surely its spiritual home. The Gruffalo has now been replaced with a superworm trail. Including some local forests. The trail and the app are free of charge, but we ask that visitors pay to park in the forest. Kielder Marathon heads into the forest with new partnership. Turned up for the Gruffalo trail didn’t realise the castle would be closed but the toilets are open and there’s a snack van parked in front of it serving food and drinks. Today we finally got to go and it certainly did not disappoint. You can park in the Kielder Castle car park for just £5 all day! Gruffalo Trail Kielder Castle – There are several large wooden carved sculptures and the trail is about 2km long. Kielder Lakeside Way Loop is a 29.3 mile loop trail located near Falstone, Northumberland, England that features a lake and is rated as moderate. All reviews lovely cafe hunting lodge worth a visit gruffalo trail starting point kielder castle car park anglers arms bike shop forest drive maze information duke walks dog campsite characters Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. Follow the Gruffalo Spotters trail at Kielder Castle, spot the signs and see what creatures you can find! From the nearby villages of Bellingham and Newcastleton follow signs to Kielder Water and Forest Park which will take you onto the C200 - the road which runs adjacent to the southern shore of Kielder Water. Buy your activity pack from Kielder Castle café between 11am and 4.00pm (until 31st March) open 10am from 1st April until 5pm  (5.30pm during school holidays). Kielder Castle Visitor Centre: Lovely cafe and gruffalo trail - See 107 traveller reviews, 27 candid photos, and great deals for Kielder, UK, at Tripadvisor. Share it on Facebook and Instagram with #GruffaloSpotters! The New Highway Rat Trail & Gruffalo Spotting at Kielder Forest in Northumberland The new Highway Rat Trail opened at Kielder last December. Registered Charity Number: 1139328. The Kielder night trail run is open to all abilities of runners. Kielder osprey chicks are ringed and named, Major Radio Astronomy Facility to Transform Space Tourism in the North. • … If you'd like to make a weekend of it, check out these places to stay nearby: read about Sprog on the Tyne's experience of completing the same route with a pushchair last year here. Kielder Forest is a large forest in Northumberland, surrounding the reservoir Kielder Water. Look out for wildlife (and gruffalo) in Kielder Forest. Sarah Bruce, of the Forestry Commission said: “ The Gruffalo is a fantastic forest-themed family story which has been thoroughly enjoyed by our visitors. With over 600 square kilometres of forest and 27 miles of shoreline to choose from, Kielder Water & Forest Park is perfect for walking and hiking holidays or family days out. The kit contains an evidence collection bag, 5 fact and activity cards, stickers of the Gruffalo characters, a special magnifying glass, ruler and a pencil! We decided to go for this option. Gruffalo Sculptures at Kielder Castle . The Gruffalo adventure has returned to Kielder Water and Forest Park. Visit www.forestry.gov.uk/gruffalo for more information. ... of Kielder’s forest trails and spectators with young families are being encouraged to try out attractions such as the Gruffalo Spotter Taster Trail on the Lakeside Way. Produced by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust. All runners must run with a head torch and suitable trail shoes. Parking£4.50 until 31st March and £5.00 all day (from 1st April) or £1.50 for one hour. We have been wanting to visit the Zog trail at Kielder since it opened back in January. All the animals featured in the charming tale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler occur here like nowhere else, from red squirrels to owls. Kielder's weather climate in January will add to … You can find the start of the trail at Kielder Castle, and it is about 1.5 miles in length. http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/BEEH-9Y7C9B. Gruffalo taking up residence at Kielder Water and Forest Park. We did our favourite Gruffalo trail and again we were lucky with the weather. Harry (age 11) wasn't bothered about his so I think perhaps they're perhaps more suited to children aged 4-9. Are you brave enough to take a photo with the Gruffalo? From challenging long distance trails to more leisurely family strolls - there's a multitude of walks to choose from. The trail is FREE to take part but you can buy a Highway Rat Trail Activity Bag from Kielder Cafe or the Bike Centre near the car park for £3. “Zog, the biggest dragon, was the keenest by far…” Kielder water and forest park is part of the forestry commission and is located in Northumberland. Activity packs to accompany the trail can be bought from the cafe for just £3.50 and include a special edition of the superworm book. With the amazing new Gruffalo Spotter 2 app, fun activity pack and trail, you’ll get to interact with all your favourite characters as you go in search of the Gruffalo in the deep dark wood. We love a good trail and also love Kielder so decided to spend the afternoon there on the last day of half term. The trail has improved this year with better signage and harder wearing paths in parts. Update on the current situation regarding Kielder Water & Forest Park opening. The Gruffalo trail starting at Kielder Castle was a big hit again and is a surefire win at keeping your younger walkers enthusiastic. A great base from which to explore. There’s a Large car park with reasonable charges, campervans and motorhomes can park over night for £10. It is aimed at younger children, but the whole family can enjoy following clues and collecting evidence. Kielder Castle Gruffalo Trail. We then headed to Kielder Castle car park - a full-day parking ticket costs £5 and can be used at all Kielder Water car parks. The whole trail at Kielder is not pushchair friendly where as it is at Hamsterley. The play areas aren't anywhere near as big as the ones in Hamsterley and the trail is a little more challenging due to the hills (Hamsterley is pretty much flat). Length 29.3 mi Elevation gain 3,517 ft Route type Loop “The Gruffalo has become a publishing sensation with over 14 million books being sold worldwide, but Kielder Water and Forest Park is surely its spiritual home. ��, I'd love you to Tweet your thoughts about this post (@nefamilyfun) or leave a comment over on my Facebook page (fb.com/NeFamilyFun) - Sam x. Each wooden sculpture has been carved in a different position - can you find them all? Personally, I think the activity bags are definitely worth the £3 and they added extra elements to our adventure. Oh help! All the animals featured in the charming tale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler occur here like nowhere else, from red squirrels to owls. There are usually additional associated trails which add a little extra and change each year too (previous years include Shaun the Sheep / Zog) . There is a lot to do in Kielder for older children from bike trails to water sports. Buy your activity pack from the Kielder Castle café for just £3. This walk is amcircular walk (there and back along the same path) which takes you up to the Skyscape, part of the Kielder Forest art and architecture programme. Follow the Duke's trail. The views are bigger, the night sky brighter, the sports wilder and the smiles wider. We love a good trail and also love Kielder so decided to spend the afternoon there on the last day of half term.