Welcome to Brown Rigg

Self-catering lodges and individual guest rooms set in the Northumberland National Park and International Dark Sky Park.

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Set in the outstanding Northumberland National park and in the Gold Tier Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, our comfortable Holiday Lodges and Guest Rooms have been thoughtfully created from the historic and unique Brown Rigg School buildings on our 24-acre site. You can book accommodation on an individual basis or book the whole site for exclusive use.

LODGES

Our four beautifully refurbished holiday lodges have uninterrupted views over the Northumberland National Park. The lodges are suitable for families, couples and groups and each one sleeps up to six people. Up to two well behaved dogs are welcome in each lodge.

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GUEST ROOMS

New for 2018 are our six stylish Guest Rooms. Perfect for overnight or short stays, the guest rooms are ideal for tourists, walkers, cyclists and the business traveller.

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FACILITIES

In addition to a BBQ area and private games field, Brown Rigg has a large Games & Function Hall that can be booked by Guests. Free sitewide WiFi is available.

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ACTIVITIES

There are a whole host of activities available all year round in beautiful Northumberland, and Brown Rigg is perfectly situated to offer easy access to them all.

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THE LOCAL AREA

We are ideally placed for exploring Hadrian’s Wall, Kielder Water and Forest Park and for visiting Kielder Observatory.

Brown Rigg is directly on the Pennine Way and close to the Reivers Cycle Route (10), the Pennine Cycleway (68) and the Sandstone Way. Fishing and golf are nearby.

Further afield a trip to the spectacular Northumberland Coast is another great day out.

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Brown Rigg Welcomes…

Walkers

Cyclists

Stargazers

Families & Friends

Groups

“Alastair is the most helpful and gracious of hosts. The lodges and guest rooms are wonderful, clean, comfortable and set perfectly for a great realaxing break.”

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This area is a walking paradise!

The local area is rich with walking trails to suit every type of walker.

The Pennine Way passes the entrance to Brown Rigg.

The full length of the Pennine Way is 268 miles but you can spend as little or as long as you like walking on the Pennine Way National Trail. Some people like to walk the full length between Edale and Kirk Yetholm. Others like to spend a week, a few days or even a day at a time taking in spectacular lengths of the route. Most full length walkers allow between 16 to 19 days to walk the entire Way. Steeped in history, this National Trail chases along the mountain tops along the rugged backbone of England and offers 268 miles of the finest upland walking in England. A once in a lifetime experience for walkers of all ages and abilities. The Pennine Way National Trail is a walking route from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders. It crosses some of the finest upland landscapes in England, from the Peak District, through the Yorkshire Dales, across the North Pennines and over Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland to the Cheviots.

Hareshaw Linn Walk

Is a stunning 2.5 mile walk starting from Bellingham, going through countryside, passing the remains of an old ironworks, (the area was once home to a number of iron and coal mines), and ending at a magnificent 30 feet waterfall. Today, Hareshaw Linn is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), designated for its rare ferns and lichens. Strictly speaking, 'Linn' is a waterfall. It is at the farthest point of Hareshaw Dene, a densely wooded glade full of wildlife, that the waterfall of Hareshaw Linn is to be found. Over 300 different types of Mosses, Liverworts and Lichens can be found. The ‘Linn’ is also home to the Red Squirrel, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wood Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Badger, Roe Deer and Daubenton’s Bat.

This area is a cyclists heaven!

There are dozens of outstanding cyle trails nearby, whatever your ability or passion. There is a total of 350 miles of cycle paths in Northumberland. Four of the most famous cycle routes in the country run through Northumberland: Hadrian's Cycleway, The Coast & Castles, Pennine Cycleway, and the UK's most popular route, the Sea to Sea (C2C). The Pennine Cycleway (Route 68), the Sandstone Way, and the Reivers Route, all pass within 400 yards of Brown Rigg. Northumberland's quiet rural roads are perfect for more leisurely cyclists looking to see the countryside, and of course, Brown Rigg has the facilities needed to ensure that all cyclists have a pleasant stay!

The New Sandstone Way Trail

We are ideally located for cyclists eager to experience the new Sandstone Way trail. It is a new 120 miles / 192km (approx) mountain biking route between Berwick upon Tweed and Hexham along the Sandstone Ridge in North Northumberland linking numerous sandstone features, crags and outcrops. The route traverses through an amazing ever-changing landscape which is rich in history, geological features and iconic scenery.

The Reivers Route (National Cycle Route 10)

The Reivers Route opened in 1998 and is 173 miles long. It is also known as the ‘Return C2C’ as it takes you from the end of the west-to-east route all the way back to the start of the C2C. It is now part of the National Cycle Network and the route between Tyneside and Kielder.

Lakeside Way around Kielder Water

Experience Kielder Forest and the North Tyne Valley on a bike. From the Lakeside Way around Kielder Water, to the more adventurous Osprey Trail (blue grade), all the way to the more technical red grade trails like Lonesome Pine, there's a trail to suit everyone.

Northumberland International Dark Sky Park.

Brown Rigg is in the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, which is the fourth largest Dark Sky Park in the world. Measuring 572 square miles, it was awarded Gold Tier status in 2013 by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), which is the highest award that the IDA can give.

A Sky Quality Meter reading of 20 or 21 indicates a dark sky where stargazing is at its best and the stars of the Milky Way are clearly visible. A series of meter readings taken around Brown Rigg on a clear night in March 2020 (with all lights off) has consistently produced readings between 21 and 22. The Milky way is best observed during Autumn evenings when it`s high in the sky. Winter and Spring is a good time to see bright galaxies. September to mid-April is the ideal time for spotting the Auora Borellias. Between May and July, you can spot Noctilucent clouds, which are extremely rare collections of ice crystals, appearing in clear summer evenings about 30 minutes after sunset. The clouds are usually bluish or silvery. To help you enjoy the starry skies, we can provide a stargazing pack which includes a pair of 10 x 50 binoculars, red light torches, star maps and details of Apps. There are 2 packs available for you to borrow upon request but don`t forget it can take your eyes up to 40 minutes to completely adjust to the darkness. If you would like to experience a guided astronomy weekend, then why not treat yourselves to one of our StarFest packages. In conjunction with professional Astronomers, we operate residential breaks that are suitable for all including families. During the weekend you can take part in workshops, listen to presentations, use telescopes and take part in dark sky viewing sessions. Kielder Observatory is just a 25-minute drive away and Battlesteads Observatory is a 5-minute drive. Both offer year-round astronomical events but due to their popularity booking in advance is essential.

Families and Friends

At Brown Rigg, there’s something for everyone whether you're aged from 0 to 100, both on-site and in the surrounding area. Within our grounds you can play Football, Cricket, and Swing Ball. Children can ride their bikes or scooters around the tarmac courtyard or everyone could enjoy a day out on one of the many cycle routes or doorstep walks here in the Northumberland National Park. For those interested in history we highly recommend a visit to Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum. Hadrian's Wall is within easy reach and there are also several National Trust properties nearby. You can also take a stroll around Northern Europe’s biggest man-made lake in the Kielder Forest Park. Look out for ospreys, red squirrels, pipistrelle bats, roe deer, salmon and otters. In the evenings, why not enjoy a barbeque with your friends and family, have a game of pool and table tennis in our Games and Function Hall, then round the night off under the stars right here in Europe’s largest International Dark Sky Park.

We have party space!

Our Function Hall is made for the job. Brown Rigg is perfect for your celebration, whether it’s for a Birthday, Anniversary, a Christmas get together or a murder mystery weekend. Our Function hall is spacious and comfortable. Your guests will not only enjoy the party room and its beautiful surroundings, but we can give them hassle-free parking too! We have plenty of chairs and tables and can either arrange them to your specifications, or we are happy to leave the table arrangements and seating to you. You can decorate the hall with banners and balloons, etc. to your own design. There is a separate area where you can serve your celebratory drinks and a fridge to keep everything chilled. There are no cooking facilities in the hall but we can recommend local caterers and some of the main supermarkets will deliver your groceries and party food to Brown Rigg, or you can just bring your own!

We welcome Schools and youth Groups

We can provide accommodation for school residential and youth trips for up to 36 people. Whether you're undertaking a field study trip or need a place to stay and work at, then our Function Hall is the ideal place to set up a screen, projector, tables and seating to enable you to carry out the day’s activities. Our Hall has its own kitchen, which is great for preparing teas and coffees or small meals. For larger events we can advise on outside catering. In the evenings you can chill out playing pool; have the biggest rounders’ game on the field or use the courtyard to play wide games. We can also arrange extracurricular activities, such as archery for you. Please contact us to discuss your needs.

We welcome Clubs and special interest groups

We can provide suitable accommodation for up to 36 people. Our Function Hall is a perfect place for groups to come and sing, dance and play in. Coupled with our beautiful grounds in the Northumberland National Park and Northumberland International Dark Skies Park, Brown Rigg is ideal for activity groups and clubs such as yoga, drama, walking, running, cycling and star gazing. In the evenings you can chill out playing pool or table tennis before sitting down to a meal together. You can either prepare your own food in our kitchen or we can advise on outside caterers. Please contact us to discuss your needs.