Lakeside Way

The walk along Lakeside Way is a straightforward circuit around Kielder Water, and it delivers exactly what you'd hope for - big views of the reservoir without requiring fell-walking boots or a map. Starting near Hexham, you're looking at roughly eight miles of flat, well-marked path that loops the shoreline, with Kielder Forest pressing in on both sides.

What you actually get is proper water-gazing. The reservoir sprawls across the landscape like someone's drawn a lake in pencil and then rubbed it out halfway - there's a sense of scale here that photographs struggle to capture. On a clear day you can see right across, and the forest reflection doubles the whole thing. It's the kind of walk that justifies itself halfway through.

This suits families with kids old enough for four miles at a go, and serious walkers after something less demanding than the fells. The path is dry underfoot most of the time, though winter mud happens. Allow three hours if you're moving at a normal pace and actually stopping to look at things. Early morning or late afternoon gets you the best light without the midweek crowds.

For a park holiday, you're minutes from Kielder Campsite or the Waterside lodges - close enough that you can do the walk and be back for lunch. It's the backbone activity really, the thing that justifies staying in this corner of Northumberland. Pair it with Kielder Observatory after dark if you're here in winter.