Blackcleugh Burn loop
From the farm gate up the burn, over the stile and back along the stone track. Skylarks in spring, curlews on the in-bye. Boggy after rain, so bring boots.
The stars
What can you see tonight?
The farm sits inside the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park. On a clear, moonless night the Milky Way is plain to the naked eye.
The finder
Pick a month. See the sky.
This chart shows the sky straight above Blackcleugh Farm. The edge is the horizon, the middle is straight up, north is at the top. Tap a star figure for a note on how to find it.
Looking up. N at the top, E on the left. Bright stars only; the Milky Way is the glowing band.
High in the sky
Tap a star figure
Choose a constellation on the chart, or from the list, for a short note on how to find it.
Month by month at 10pm, as a table
| January | Auriga, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Gemini, The Pleiades, Taurus, Andromeda, The Plough |
|---|---|
| February | Auriga, Gemini, The Plough, Perseus, Taurus, Cassiopeia, Procyon, Leo |
| March | The Plough, Leo, Gemini, Auriga, Procyon, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Boötes |
| April | The Plough, Leo, Gemini, Boötes, Auriga, Procyon, Cassiopeia, Perseus |
| May | The Plough, Boötes, Leo, Hercules, Cassiopeia, Lyra, Gemini |
| June | The Plough, Boötes, Hercules, Lyra, Leo, Cygnus, The Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia |
| July | Hercules, Boötes, Lyra, The Plough, Cygnus, The Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia, Aquila |
| August | Lyra, Cygnus, Hercules, The Summer Triangle, Boötes, The Plough, Cassiopeia, Aquila |
| September | Cygnus, Lyra, The Summer Triangle, Cassiopeia, Hercules, Aquila, Pegasus, Andromeda |
| October | Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Andromeda, Pegasus, The Summer Triangle, Lyra, Perseus, Aquila |
| November | Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Pegasus, The Pleiades, Auriga, Taurus, Cygnus |
| December | Perseus, Cassiopeia, Auriga, Andromeda, The Pleiades, Taurus, Gemini, Pegasus |
When to come
Every season has its sky.
Dark skies need two things: a clear night and no moon. Check the moon, not just the weather. New moon weeks are the best.
- September to October
The Milky Way overhead
Dark by 8pm and the Milky Way runs from the north-east to the south. The most reliable weeks for a first visit.
- November to February
Long, deep nights
Orion, the Pleiades and Taurus. Dark from 4pm. Geminid meteors on 13 and 14 December, Quadrantids on 3 and 4 January.
- March to April
The Plough overhead
Galaxies in Leo and Boötes, and the last of winter’s clear, cold nights. Lambing on the farm, so dogs stay close.
- May to August
Short nights, big sunsets
Honestly, June and July never get fully dark this far north. We still love them, but August brings the Perseids on 12 and 13 August.
Dark sky manners
Six rules that keep the sky dark.
- Red light only. Use the red torches. White light costs everyone 15 minutes of night vision.
- Lights off outside. No outdoor lamps after dusk, and curtains drawn when the lights are on inside.
- Phones dimmed. Night mode, brightness low, or red filter on.
- No drones or lanterns. They disturb wildlife and spoil the sky for everyone.
- Let your eyes adapt. Fifteen minutes, then look slightly to one side of faint things.
- Share the dark. Talk quietly. Other huts are listening to the night.
Walks and local guide
Three walks, and where to eat.
Ask us for a paper map at check-in. These are the three we do ourselves.
Kielder Water shore
Twenty minutes by car. Pick up the lakeside path and walk as far as you like, then turn back. Good for a gentle afternoon before a night under the sky.
The cairn at dusk
The short climb behind the farm to the cairn. Go an hour before sunset, watch the light go, then walk down with a red torch and stay for the first stars.
Eat and drink
- The pub in Falstone, ten minutes by car, for pies and a fire. Book ahead in winter.
- The shop and café at Kielder village for supplies.
- Bigger supermarkets are in Hexham, about an hour away.
Stargazing out
- The public observatory in the forest runs evening events. Book weeks ahead.
- The Lakeside path is dark and safe after dusk with a torch.
Further afield
- Hadrian’s Wall, about an hour’s drive south.
- Border castles and the Cheviot hills to the north and east.