A reason to stay out after sunset
Northumberland’s internationally designated Dark Sky Park makes it a leading destination for noctourism — a growing travel trend centred on after-dark experiences. Stargazing here is more than seeing a smattering of stars from your front lawn; it’s the spine-tingling moment of witnessing an officially designated Dark Sky, recognised by the International Dark-Sky Association. Gaze at distant galaxies from Northumberland’s Dark Sky Park or spot constellations above the stunning Northumberland coastline.
Northumberland is fortunate enough to have extremely low levels of light pollution, which means we have the most ‘pristine dark skies’ in England (CPRE Night Blight Report 2016). This makes the Northumberland destination one of the best in the country to discover the night sky and go stargazing.
The whole of Northumberland National Park and most of Kielder Water & Forest Park make up our International Dark Sky Park, a status that is awarded by the International Dark Sky Association. This means that on a clear night, once the sun has set and you're in a remote spot away from street lights, stargazing in Northumberland allows you to look up into the night sky and see thousands of stars, the Milky Way, and even the Andromeda Galaxy (2.5 million light years away) with the naked eye.
Elsewhere in Northumberland, you’ll still be blown away by our dark skies. The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with its brooding moorland scenery and picturesque dales, offers outstanding starlit skies. Not to mention the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with its views to the eastern horizon where the Northern Lights have been known to grace the night sky.
