CANCELLED ON JUNE 5TH DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST
If your idea of heaven is acres of water with hardly
another boat in sight and no tides to worry about, with wild forests and
moors on which to feast your eyes, then why not join us on Kielder Water
in June? Everyone who came on our
2003 cruise seemed to enjoy themselves.
The location:
Kielder Water lies in unspoilt country about 40 miles
north-west of Newcastle, just a few miles south of the Scottish border.
It is approximately 5 miles long and averages about two-thirds of a mile
wide. It is the largest man-made reservoir in Europe, providing space
for worthwhile cruising with lots of landing places for a picnic and
inlets to explore. As with any inland water, the winds are variable,
providing plenty of interest in the sailing. Given Kielder's length and
the unpredictability of the winds, an outboard motor, or at the very
least a good pair of oars, is recommended.
The sailing club, though small, is friendly and has easy access to the
water on a wide concrete slip. It provides changing facilities, hot
showers, and facilities to make a hot drink any day of the week. On
Sundays there is a full galley service. The club isn't licensed, but
there are pubs in the hamlets and villages around.
You will automatically become temporary members of the club for the
weekend, avoiding the need to register your boat on Kielder Water. The
cost of the weekend will be £15 per boat.
Accommodation:
B&B accommodation is plentiful in the area. The local
Tourist Board have
details. All the establishments with addresses in Falstone or
Stannersburn are within about 5 minutes' drive of the sailing club,
those at Kielder, Greenhaugh, Tarset or Bellingham within about 15
minutes' drive, and those at West Woodburn or Otterburn within 30
minutes' drive.
Camping is possible but not recommended (Kielder is home to literally
millions of tiny but ferocious midges). If you really do want to camp,
there are a number of commercial campsites in the area. In addition,
there is normally space for two or three small tents alongside the
clubhouse, which people attending open meetings often use. The club is
quite happy for anyone attending our weekend to use these spaces free of
charge on a first-come-first-served basis.
Provisional timetable:
Saturday June 11th
9 am Clubhouse open
10.30 am Coffee and briefing in clubhouse. Please get
your boat rigged before the briefing
11 am Set off from clubhouse
1-2 pm Picnic lunch (please bring your own) as near
the head of the lake as we can manage
4-5 pm Back at clubhouse
7.30 pm Communal meal, probably in local pub.
Sunday June 12th
9 am Clubhouse open
10 am Coffee and briefing in clubhouse. Choice of:
• Cruise and picnic - returning around 3 pm
(or earlier if necessary)
• Joining in the KWSC handicap racing
Other attractions:
For non-sailors, the reservoir is surrounded by Kielder forest, and
heather-covered moorland, with a number of marked walking trails and
cycle tracks. Bikes can be hired. There is a ferry providing an
informative circular trip around the lake. The surrounding area is rich
in historical associations, the most prominent of which is
Hadrian's
Wall. The National Trust has several properties of which
Wallington Hall
and
Cragside are particularly noteworthy. The surrounding villages and
hamlets provide pubs, tea-rooms and various other diversions. The
nearest large village/town is Bellingham, where there is a very helpful
Tourist Information Centre. (Address: Main Street, Bellingham. Phone:
01434 220616.)
Booking:
Interested? Then email us on
eakins@fish.co.uk for further details and
booking form. Please include a return postal address as well as your
email address. We look forward to seeing you in June!
[Note: You can also use the
applicable 'Event Enquiry Slip' distributed with the Spring Issue of the
Wanderer Magazine to be issued early April - Editor]
John and Ann Eakins
Home ~
Back