Sport in Northumberland

By Bernice Saltzer

Start exploring Northumberland and you’ll soon find countless routes for walkers and riders, as well as ways to take to the waves and activities that will test even the bravest of hearts – it all depends on how energetic you want to be.

Walking trails

For the more adventurous, there really is no shortage of activities on land and on sea – and even a combination of both. Thrill seekers can try their hand at everything from rock climbing to paintballing and quad biking to the latest craze, coasteering, which is a daring combination of cliff jumping, sea level traversing and sea cave exploration – certainly not for the fainthearted.

Those seeking something a little more sedate can enjoy a leisurely stroll along Hadrian’s Wall, utilising a clearly marked long distance footpath – The Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail. It runs through the World Heritage Site and offers 84 miles of glorious walking, including rugged moorland, rolling fields and dynamic urban landscapes.

If the full distance sounds a little daunting, then why not do what most people do and take advantage of the many circular walks and shorter trails, which have been devised to cater for all abilities and take in many of the great sites and sights along the way?

A word of warning though, the wall has a climate all of its own and it is perfectly possible, even in Spring, to walk through both snow and sunshine in a matter of minutes. There is also the Hadrian’s Cycleway (NCR72), for those for who like to take to two wheels, which offers a coast-to-coast route along the length of the wall via picturesque villages and beautiful countryside.

For those who prefer the sea air, the Northumberland Coast Path is the perfect route. It takes in sand dunes and castles aplenty and even passes Craster so you can drop in for one of the famous kippers as you pass.
Staying with country pursuits, shooting is part of Northumberland’s heritage and clay pigeon shooting offers a wonderful – and harmless – way to enjoy the sport for all ages and abilities. Bywell Shooting Ground in Morpeth is just one of a number of venues offering safe, target clay pigeon shooting.

From clay birds, you don’t have to travel far in Northumberland to find the genuine, feathered variety. Northern Experience Wildlife Tours, at Choppington, offers a wide range of wildlife, bird watching, photography and dark skies experiences, with the chance for beginners to find out a little more about the species of birds they might see.

Those seeking something a little more sedate can enjoy a leisurely stroll along Hadrian’s Wall, utilising a clearly marked long distance footpath

Family fun

So that’s the adults catered for, so what about the kids? Youngsters wanting to let off steam can Go Ape in the grounds of Matfen Hall Hotel, Golf and Spa in Matfen. This ingenious rope course takes them high into the trees under the supervision of experts and offers challenges – and fun – for all ages and abilities. Alternatively, why not head for Tyne Riverside Country Park, Prudhoe, where you’ll find pretty riverside walks of varying distances and terrains, picnic facilities and an activity centre offering a variety of adventure sports?

While many youngsters are happy to spend time in the great outdoors, the Northumbrian climate doesn’t always make that possible and, thankfully, there are lots of indoor activities geared to giving holidaymakers a great time.

The Tyne Valley is home to two super leisure centres, which both provide indoor fun for the whole family. Prudhoe Waterworld is notable particularly for its wave machine and spectacular 40m aqua slide, but it also has a fitness studio, soft play and crèche.

Kids and adults alike will love Go Ape

Meanwhile, Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre offers the best of both worlds with three outdoor heated pools with fun sessions, giant inflatables and a giant water flume open from April to September.

No visit to Northumberland would be complete without a trip to the multi award-winning Kielder Water and Forest Park. The area has achieved national recognition for its dark sky status, with minimal light pollution allowing for the largest expanse of dark night sky in the whole of Europe.

Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre offers the best of both worlds with three outdoor heated pools with fun sessions, giant inflatables and a giant water flume open from April to September

Kielder Water and Forest Park

At its heart lies Kielder Observatory from which, on long winter nights, you can view deep sky objects such as galaxies, while, in summer, you can view the beautiful Milky Way, passing comets, shooting stars and even see the Sun’s surface through a state-of-the-art telescope. But that’s not all Kielder offers. Here, you’ll find northern Europe’s largest man-made lake and England’s biggest forest – the perfect environments for nature trails, mountain biking, water sports and walking – as well as attractions such as the Minotaur Maze.

Kielder, which boasts England’s most important red squirrel reserve and Northumberland’s only breeding osprey population, is also home to Kielder Waterside, which runs a packed – and diverse – schedule of activities, from wildlife tracking and Segways to the chance to try sea scooters and even archery.

Not all activities need to be high octane, though, and, for those who like their holiday pastimes to be slightly more sedate, Kielder also offers top-quality fishing courtesy of the Northumbrian Water trout fisheries.

Northumberland has a huge range of golf courses from links courses on the coast with beautiful views of beaches and castles to courses in the stunning countryside. The links courses at Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Goswick are a delight and enthusiasts cans also try parkland courses like Matfen Hall, Linden Hall and Foxton Hall. Bamburgh Castle Golf Club is often quoted as one of the most scenic golf courses in Britain with views of Lindisfarne, the Farne Islands, the Cheviots and of course Bamburgh Castle.

There is no shortage of activities – both indoor and outdoor – to enjoy here in Northumberland. The trick is to be prepared for everything the weather may throw at you and to do a little advance research to check that outdoor activities, in particular, will be suitable for the ages and abilities for those in your party. After that, all that remains is to have a brilliant time.

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