Dark Skies and Star Gazing

Have you ever taken the time to look up at the night sky? We hadn’t either until we moved to The Coach House.  They are absolutely mesmerising, especially on a clear night.

The Coach House is based in the Northumberland National Park which has International Dark Sky Park status.  This means that it has been identified as officially the best place for people to enjoy the night sky.  We have very little light pollution which means you can see up to 2,000 stars at any time (info from Northumberland National Park).  You can also see the Milky Way and meteor showers!

DARK SKY PARK LOGO

So what do you need to star gaze? You might like to bring binoculars with you to see the stars, however for a novice, like ourselves,  just taking the time to look up at the sky with the naked eye is just as good.  The professionals advise that to see the stars at their best you should move away from all light pollution, so for us that means stepping away from the Hotel and Lodges. The caravan park is a good place to go, brilliant views of the hills and away from all light.

Kielder Observatory

We would also recommend going to Kielder Observatory, this is England’s largest public observatory and is  about 30-35 minutes away from the Hotel. Have a look on their website for more information as they regularly hold stargazing events. If you are planning to go star gazing or to a late night session, please get in touch and we can arrange a snack to take with you, flask of tea, star charts etc.

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