Visitors of all ages looking to ‘get stuck in’ this winter and explore the landscapes, culture and heritage of Northumberland can now plan ahead with ease thanks to a new visitor and events guide from Northumberland National Park.
Designed to inspire people to get out and enjoy the great outdoors whatever the weather, the new 28-page guide contains a wealth of information about the National Park’s top visitor attractions, as well as an exciting programme of events from November 2017 through to March 2018.
The guide contains something for everyone, from guided walks to stargazing, to fitness boot camps and arts and crafts, the whole family can join in the fun at the Park.
Visitors to the region will also benefit from a range of content about how to find your way around the National Park and source local accommodation. There’s also lots of information about what makes each part of the Park so unique and where to go.
Duncan Wise, visitor development and marketing manager at Northumberland National Park Authority, said:
“Our new winter events guide builds upon the success of previous event programmes.
“Due to popular demand, we have repeated some of our most successful events for 2017, such as ‘stargazing for beginners’, but have also taken note from the feedback received from previous events to put together and a whole range of new activities, in a bid to cater to our new, wider audience who are discovering the National Park for the first time through The Sill.”
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, which opened its doors earlier this year at Once Brewed on Hadrian’s Wall, is the National Park’s most ambitious project to date.
Designed to enable more people to explore the landscapes of the National Park and surrounding areas, the £14.8 million state-of-the-art visitor centre and YHA Youth Hostel is the result of an innovative partnership between Northumberland National Park and YHA (England & Wales), and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through a £7.8m grant made possible by National Lottery players.
The launch of The Sill has provided the Park with a fantastic new all-weather venue from which to host events throughout the colder months.
Rosie Thomas, interim manager at The Sill, said:
“The purpose of The Sill is to open up the National Park to new audiences and encourage those who are perhaps less confident at exploring natural places to come and experience the fantastic landscapes and heritage of Northumberland in a unique learning environment.
“Our new events programme has been devised with this new target audience firmly in mind and offers a wide range of activities suitable for people of all ages and abilities.
“Our Sill boot camps, which are being held every other Sunday morning by Wilde Fitness until 10th December are proving very popular, as are our ‘Meet the Maker’ sessions, where visitors can discover and learn to cook with some of the fantastic local produce that’s on sale in our cafe and gift shop, such as Muckle Beer and Hepple Gin.”
Richard Dykes, manager of YHA The Sill at Hadrian’s Wall, said:
“YHA The Sill makes staying in Northumberland Park accessible to everyone 365 days a year. For visitors to The Sill who also choose to stay in the Youth Hostel, we offer all-important drying rooms for kit, warm bedrooms and cooked breakfasts every morning in our restaurant. YHA has been around for 87 years in England and Wales, so we understand what walkers and explorers need, whatever the season.”
The visitor and events guide is available to collect for free from various visitor information points across the National Park.
A full list of National Park events and activities can also be found online at www.nnpa.org.uk/whats-on.