Travelling Tales explore Forest Drive

Welcome to ’s longest Use this guide to help you Please return this guide to and highest Forest Drive, which discover the secrets of our one of the toll points winds through the working forest wild border country. What at either end of the Forest will you see here today? Drive when you leave. West North East between Kielder Castle and To & To To Forest Park and the Blakehopeburnhaugh on the A68.

Blakehope Nick and The Nick shelter 457m above sea level Mid-point of the Forest Drive. Top of the watershed between the North Tyne and Rede river valleys. The burns Spot rocky ridges and old Watch for the white rumps flowing west feed into Kielder Water. quarries. The sandstone Height of roe deer, or glimpse was used for building. our secretive feral goats. 500m

Look out for red squirrels Stroll to the wildlife and listen for the cat-like hide above Kielder call of buzzards overhead. 400m Burn, or enjoy upland meadows and a picnic near East Kielder. Blakehopeburnhaugh Waterfall trail Spot a circular stone ‘stell’ 300m for holding sheep. This area was farmed before The weather can be wild up was planted. here, so the Forest Drive closes over the winter. 200m

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Kielder Forest Drive 12 miles (20km) Forest Drive only open seasonally. Please check forestryengland.uk for details. Connecting communities Kielder Forest Drive opened in 1973. It was built by Forestry Kielder Castle England for planting and harvesting trees high on these hills. The Drive gave local people a valuable shortcut between and Kielder, and some foresters drove along here every day to get to work. Today it also offers visitors an exciting high level perspective on Kielder Forest. Celebrating 100 years of Forestry 1919-2019

TT_Forest Drive side.indd 1 01/05/2019 19:14 Travelling Tales enjoy the views from Blakehope Nick

Welcome to The Nick, which Whatever the weather, there’s stands on the highest point of the something extraordinary to see. Use this guide to orientate you when Forest Drive. Take a moment to you’re standing inside The Nick. stop, look, and enjoy the drama of this wild and remote spot.

Observatory on the far hillside. Look closely to spot

this oneKielder’s of the bestdark placesskies make in A spectacular view into the North Tyne valley. On a clear day can you see the circular radar station on the world for stargazing. Deadwater Fell, 5 miles (8km) away

Kielder

Kielderhead’s high-level heath and boggy mires are too special to plant with trees. This rare and undisturbed habitat is home to moorland plants like cloudberry, and upland West birds like curlews and lapwings. To North and Kielder Water & Forest Park The Nick is made from

North Larch is the only European To Scotland that loses its needles in the autumn. Look out for along the Forest Drive turning golden- East To Redesdale and yellow in September, then Cheviot Hills standing bare until spring. quarry Larches grow quickly and , the road crossing into Scotland, is just beyond produce very useful wood, these hills. It’s only 6 miles so they are popular trees for (10km) away, as the crow flies. working forests like Kielder. The red squirrels who , the live here are also very Across– thetake road care! is The an old bright yellow partial to the seeds! sandstone quarried here was cottongrass used to build the Forest Drive. heather.

In early summer, look out for the white fluffy seed heads of emblem of boggy ground and wide open spaces. In late summer,. Out the hillsides flush purple with

Ellis Crag Entrance to The Nick

Follow the line of cairns on the ridge to spot rocky of sight beyond it is the Otterburn Ranges military training area. Don’t forget to sign the Visitors’ Book! You’ll find it in the box on the back of the stone sign.

Celebrating 100 years of Forestry 1919-2019

TT_The Nick side.indd 1 01/05/2019 19:15