Kielder Castle Visitor Centre Car Park — Local services in Kielder

Gave up on waiting for any Forestry staff to open the information centre after waiting for an hour beyond the published opening time. Meanwhile the Duke's Diner was blasting out totally inappropriate boombastic "music", while its pre-pubescent staff rolled around on the tarmac in front of it in a drug induced haze or slept on the bench under the archway to the castle. Allegedly the castle is undergoing a revamp, but the banner announcing this was lashed to some security fencing that nobody had bothered to re-erect after it had blown over probably months ago. The diversionary route to the Lakeside Way took you through a Stalinist housing estate, while the one to the Observatory takes you along the uncut verge of a 60mph section of road, as the proper routes remain blocked by fallen trees. If you are struggling to find the castle, look for the bus stop blocked by a collection of breeding...

The visitor centre was not open when we arrived on the Friday when we arrived but noted the castle was open on the Saturday.

We stopped over night in our campervan and the park up was great. Level parking and the car park is open n three levels. Toilets at the bottom of the car park open 24 hours. £15 for overnight but the place is very peaceful. Great trails for all abilities across Keilder and the views are wonderful.

There is a pub the Anglers Arms but it is at the bottom of the hill which is steep.

There is a bike hire shop on site which also does repairs.

Payment from 9pm - 9am at the machine for overnight. It’s £5 for all day parking.

This also part of the Dark Skies Park and recommend coming on a clear night, the sky is so...

Lovely location... food van run by the Forestry Commission a rip off £7.50 for a fairground cheese burger and if you have the audacity to want fries with it it's an extra £5 for a tiny paper tray of them maybe 20 in total. Stupidly thinking the salt and chilli chips £5.50 might be like a Chinese chippy version... I went for them... the extra 50p did not get me fresh onions garlic and chilli's just a grind or two of a salt and chilli grinder that gave it a coating of flavourless dust. £15 for a poor burger and chips on a paper tray and a diet cola.. Will not be using again. I am a big supporter of the Forestry Commission. So its sad to see them...