Low Ropes

Low Ropes sits just outside Hexham, a proper adventure playground for anyone who fancies testing themselves on a rope course without the full rock-climbing commitment. It's the sort of place where you're strapped into a harness and working your way through suspended obstacles between the trees - balance beams, rope bridges, that sort of thing. The course runs at ground level, which sounds tame until you're wobbling across your first plank with nothing but a rope and your own nerve keeping you upright.

Families with kids aged eight and up tend to get the most from it. Adults enjoy the challenge too, though it's not Tough Mudder territory - this is more about focus and a bit of nerve than pure athletic grunt. A session usually takes a couple of hours, though you can move through faster or slower depending on your confidence.

It works brilliantly as a break from the parks dotted round Kielder Water. If you're based at Kielder Waterside and Lodges or Landal Kielder Waterside, Low Ropes is barely twenty minutes down the road, close enough for a half-day outing without eating into your whole itinerary. Combine it with the water itself for a proper activity day.

Best done when it's dry. Rain makes the wooden elements slippery and takes some of the fun out of proceedings. Book ahead if you can - they fill up in school holidays, and there's nothing worse than driving out expecting a slot and finding nothing available.