Zip Coaster

You're strapped into a bobsled-style cart, racing down a 1.2-kilometre track through Kielder Forest at speeds that make your stomach lurch properly. The Zip Coaster is exactly what it sounds - a wheeled coaster that plummets through the trees on rails, giving you that fairground rush without needing a theme park ticket.

It's brilliant for anyone after genuine adrenaline rather than a quiet nature walk. Kids from about eight upwards tend to love it, though the thrill-seekers will want multiple runs. The ride itself takes about four minutes of pure speed, with gravity doing the heavy lifting - you're steering as much as riding. First-timers often misjudge the corners and brake hard out of caution; repeat visitors lean into the bends and absolutely fly.

The site operates from Calvert Kielder, so it's worth checking their website for current opening times and prices before you head out from Hexham. Allow a couple of hours if you want to queue, ride multiple times, and grab a coffee. The nearby lodges - Kielder Waterside is barely a mile away, and Landal just beyond that - make it a solid half-day addition to a wider forest break rather than a standalone trip. If your holiday base is one of those parks, it's practically on your doorstep. Not everyone's cup of tea if you're after tranquility, but kids tired of walking will give you peace for an afternoon.