A new stargazing experience is launching at a national park in northern England

Did you know that Northumberland is one of the best places in the world for stargazing? Yep, the northern English county’s national park has been designated a ‘Dark Sky Park’ since 2013 for its pristine dark skies which let you get a good glimpse of the cosmos. Gaze up to the heavens here and you’ll see as many as 2,000 stars twinkling back at you.

If spotting the difference between Orion’s Belt and Aquarius is on your bucket list for 2026, we have good news because Northumberland National Park is launching a brand new stargazing experience.

The conservation area, which covers a quarter of the whole county, is already home to the Kielder Observatory, an astronomical facility designed to bring the public one step closer to the planets, comets and constellations up above. Last year, it expanded to the Twice Brewed Inn, a pub and B&B close to Hadrian’s Wall which also offers stargazing when the sun goes down.

Now, its third experience adds an upgraded planetarium and new telescopes which the park’s bosses say will give visitors an ‘even richer experience’ of the county’s dark skies. 

The reflective telescope has been christened the ‘Robson’s Reflector’ after Northumberland native Robson Green, an actor and telly presenter who’s best known for doing nature docs, including some exploring his home county. 

The small screen star is going to be launching the new observatory experience himself on Sunday May 31 ahead of his new series The Northumbria Mysteries being filmed in the north east.

So if you’re looking for a location for an upcoming cosmic getaway, we’d recommend following the north star up to Northumberland.

Check out Time Out's list of the 13 best places to go stargazing in the UK.

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