Walking

The North Tyne valley gives easy access to walking in some of the quietest and least spoilt places in Britain. Wooded valleys give way to heather and grass moorland in the hills rising from them. Gently rounded hills give the landscape a tranquil quality in good weather and in bad weather give you a feeling of being entirely on your own! Nearby, Kielder Forest has an extensive path network and Kielder Water has lovely walks close to the shore.

Cycling

Bellingham is on the route of the Reiver's Way from Tynemouth in Northumberland to Whitehaven in Cumbria. Quiet roads and breathtaking scenery in hill country offer cyclists of all abilities the chance to enjoy the Northumberland countryside. Nearby, Kielder Water and Forest Park has an extensive cycling path network.

Horse riding

• The cottages are on a site with stabling and grazing facilities and ample parking for horse boxes.
• Easy access to Border County Ride and many other forest and fell bridleways including those in Wark and Kielder Forest.

Sailing

Sail on Kielder Water which is only ten miles from Bellingham. Here is an opportunity to sail on a huge expanse of open water with lots of intricate inlets and a shoreline which is at least 27 miles long. For further information look at the Kielder Water Sailing Club website.

Golf

Bellingham golf course is an 18 hole course in a rolling parkland setting amidst a rural hilly landscape.

Visiting places of interest

• The world heritage site of Hadrian's Wall is a short drive down the Tyne Valley. Look for signs when you arrive in Chollerford. Vindolanda, Housesteads and Chesters are the most popular sites to visit.
• If you go east towards the coast, substantial castles at Lindisfarne, Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh, Warkworth and Alnwick are an indication of a troubled past and the significance of Northumbria in the power struggles of mediaeval times. Look at Castles & Fortifications of North Northumberland to find about these and other castles.
• Cragside House is a magnificent mansion in grounds planted with vast numbers of trees. It is a monument to the enormous wealth acquired by one of the great Victorian entrepreneurs when the North East of England was at the forefront of industrial progress.
• Wallington Hall is a smaller stately home with beautiful gardens.
• Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens are worth visiting, in particular for the informal gardens.
• Alnwick Garden, intended to be a world class garden, is in the early stages of development.

• Rede Valley
• Visit Rothbury & Coquetdale
• Northumberland National Park
• Visit Northumbria