Top 10 Nature & Wildlife Areas in North East England, England

Officially licensed Birds of Prey Centre set in the heart of beautiful Kielder Water and Forest Park, the only place in Britain with dark sky status.

The North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is a stunning landscape of open heather moors, dramatic dales, tumbling upland rivers, wonderful woods, close-knit communities, glorious waterfalls, fantastic birds, colourful hay meadows, stone-built villages, intriguing imprints of a mining and industrial past, distinctive plants and much, much more. As well as being an AONB the North Pennines is also a European and Global Geopark - a status endorsed by UNESCO. The AONB is a distinctive landscape of high moorland and broad upland dales in the North of England. It shares a boundary with the Yorkshire Dales National Park in the south and extends as far as the Tyne Valley, just south of Hadrain's Wall, in the north. Parts of the North Pennines AONB are in the three counties of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is exactly what it says it is: an outstanding landscape whose distinctive character and natural beauty are so precious that it is in the nation's interest to safeguard them.There are 46 AONBs in Britain (33 wholly in England, four wholly in Wales, one which straddles the English/Welsh border and eight in Northern Ireland) and they cover 18% of our countryside. AONBs are designated in recognition of their national importance and to ensure that their character and qualities are protected for all to enjoy.

Please note we are open until the 27th October as a visitor attarcetion, we will be open as usual during weekends in december for Santas Grotto and will move in the new year. Owned by David & Tori, formerly Walworth Castle Birds of Prey based at Walworth Castle, Darlington. We are relocating in the new year to Bishop Auckland, Co Durham. We now offer private offsite falconry experiences, hunting experience days, educational school visits, offsite displays, wedding ring deliveries and entertainment, a falconry display team for country shows, game fairs etc. and pest control services across the North East of England. Please note once we relocate we will no longer open as a visitor centre, all experiences must be booked in advance.

Bird Of Prey Centre with over 75 birds of prey from around the world located in the middle of Northumberlands National Park.Visitor centre open every day from 11am, picnic area, hot/cold drinks and light snacks.

The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is among the finest landscape of the country. It was designated in 1958 and covers 39 miles of coast from Berwick to the Coquet Estuary. Within this stretch of coastline is some of the most dramatic coastal scenery - sweeping sandy beaches, rolling dunes, high rocky cliffs and isolated islands.

Advance Booking Required : We are a working Alpaca Farm and run Alpaca Treks and Farm Visits throughout the year (subject to the Great British Weather!) We can tailor a trek or visit to suit most requirements and can arrange special Treks and Visits - Just ask and we'll see what we can do! Book as far in advance as you can as we do get very busy at weekends and during holiday periods and are often booked several months in advance! Try to have some alternate dates in mind. Please remember that both weather and animals can be unpredictable and as such we may need to cancel and rearrange at short notice. Alpaca Walks are currently £20 per person (supplement for extra people and children) and we require a minimum of two people as the alpacas prefer to go in a group. We cannot allow waiting on farm for insurance reasons but Cross Lanes Organics Farm Shop is 2 min away. Farm visits are also available at a cost of £10 per person (min 2 people) : Check out our website for more information.

Here at North East Falconry with close to 14 years experience we can offer a number of falconry experiences, which are suitable for all. Our most popular is Hawkwalks where we go for about 60 minute walk and the bird flys and follows landing on the guests gloved hand. We offer a number of owl experiences for the owl lovers. Remember bring a camera!