Observatories · North East England
Kielder Observatory
Kielder Observatory in England North East, United Kingdom.
Roger Gittins — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–2.5 h
- Best time of year
- Moonless winter nights (Oct–Mar)
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
About
Kielder Observatory is a place of interest in England North East, United Kingdom — drawn from open-data sources for visitor reference. See the linked Wikipedia article for the full description.
Photo gallery
Official information
Kielder Observatory is a public astronomical observatory located in one of the darkest skies in England, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the wonders of the universe. It serves as an educational charity, providing experiences for both novice stargazers and seasoned astronomers under the vast night sky.
From the Wikipedia article
Kielder Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Kielder Forest, Northumberland, England. The site is on Black Fell, overlooking Kielder Water near the Scottish border. It is accessible from James Turrell's Kielder Skyspace via a half-mile long forest track. The observatory's design is the result of a competition managed by RIBA Competitions which was won by London-based Charles Barclay Architects. The building is powered by solar panels and a wind turbine. It won the RIBA Award for its architecture in 2009 and also that same year a Civic Trust Award. The observatory is administered by the Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society, which is a registered charity consisting of a board of Trustees and ten permanent members of staff responsible for educational delivery.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
Kielder Forest was a popular place for stargazing before the construction of the observatory, with the Kielder Forest Star Camp being an annual event. Amateur astronomer Gary Fildes—who had been involved with the Star Camp—began advocating for an observatory to be built within the forest and led a campaign that raised several hundred thousand pounds to pay for construction. Kielder Observatory was officially opened on 25 April, 2008 by Sir Arnold Wolfendale, the 14th Astronomer Royal, and in its first year entertained approximately 1200 guests. In 2014, the observatory had nearly 20,000 visitors, thus making it one of the top tourist destinations in Northumberland. In 2018, Kielder…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 55.2319, -2.6162
- District
- Northumberland
- Parish
- Kielder
- Postcode
- NE48 1EG
- Parliamentary constituency
- Hexham
- Established
- 2008
- Official site
- kielderobservatory.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q6405250 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Kielder Observatory (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Featured in these 2 guides
Other places nearby
Kielder Skyspace
Public art & sculpture · 0.6 km
Purdom Pikes
Mountains & hills · 1.4 km
Kielder Water & Forest Park
Battlefields & battle sites · 1.6 km
Buckside Knowe
Mountains & hills · 1.6 km
Bells Linn
Natural landmarks · 1.7 km
Kielder Forest Star Camp
Castles · 1.7 km
Kielder railway station
Heritage railway stations · 1.8 km
Kerseycleugh Bridge
Historic bridges · 1.9 km
Ravenshill Forest Park
Caravan parks · 2.0 km
Kielder Campsite
Campsites · 2.0 km
Kielder
Forests & woodlands · 2.1 km
Minotaur Maze
Other places · 2.2 km
Nearby
📷 3Public art & sculpture · North West England
Kielder Skyspace
Kielder Skyspace — a public art in scotland-lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountains & hills · North West England
Purdom Pikes
Purdom Pikes — a hill or mountain in scotland lowlands.
📷 3Battlefields & battle sites · North West England
Kielder Water & Forest Park
Kielder Water & Forest Park in Scotland Lowlands, United Kingdom.
📷 5Mountains & hills · North West England
Buckside Knowe
Buckside Knowe — mountain in scotland lowlands. Elevation: 412 m.
📷 3Natural landmarks · North East England
Bells Linn
Bells Linn in England North East, United Kingdom.
📷 3Castles · North East England
Kielder Forest Star Camp
Kielder Forest Star Camp in England North East, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Kielder Observatory
Places to stay
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Ravenshill Forest Park
Ravenshill Forest Park — a caravan park in scotland lowlands.
📷 5Campsites · North East England
Kielder Campsite
Kielder Campsite — a campsite in scotland lowlands.
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Scout Adventures Hawkhirst
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📷 5Caravan parks · North West England
Riverview Holiday Park
Riverview Holiday Park — a caravan park in scotland lowlands.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · North East England
The Redesdale Arms
The Redesdale Arms in Scotland Lowlands, United Kingdom.
More places in this region
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📷 3Observatories · North East England
Durham University Observatory
Durham University Observatory — building in Durham, England, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Kielder Observatory?
- Kielder Observatory is in North-East England, United Kingdom (postcode NE48 1EG), in the parish of Kielder.
- What is Kielder Observatory?
- Kielder Observatory in England North East, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Kielder Observatory?
- Drivers can use postcode NE48 1EG.
- When was Kielder Observatory built?
- Built or established in 2008.
- How do I get to Kielder Observatory?
- Drivers can navigate to postcode NE48 1EG. It sits within the Hexham parliamentary constituency.