Kielder Water Sailing Club

The sailing club sits right on Kielder Water, a proper inland sea in Northumberland that catches most visitors off guard. You'd expect this far north to be landlocked and grey, but instead you get this vast reservoir surrounded by forest with genuine sailing culture happening year-round.

If you're already staying at Kielder Waterside or Landal just down the road, popping over to watch or join in makes sense. The club runs everything from beginner courses to serious racing, so it's not just for experienced sailors. Families with older kids who fancy learning will find it welcoming enough, though younger children might struggle without proper instruction.

The real appeal is the setting rather than the facilities themselves. You're out on the water with Northumberland's wildest landscape behind you - moorland and conifers stretching back for miles. Even if you're not sailing, it's worth timing a walk here for late afternoon light bouncing off the water.

Check their website for course dates and costs before you book - opening hours vary by season and whether races are on. Hexham's the nearest proper town if you need supplies, but it's about forty minutes away. Better to stock up when you arrive at Kielder. The Wild Northumbrian Tipis site is a bit farther out but still close enough for a day trip if you're after something more unusual than the waterside lodges.