The shortlist for the North East England Tourism Awards has been announced today (21 October 2016), following another record breaking year for entries. (Full shortlist detailed below)Playing a major role in showcasing the range of high quality tourism businesses and experiences on offer to visitors across the North East, the awards have continued to grow year on year. Of the 143 entries this year, over 60 businesses entered the awards for the first time – 20 of which have made this year’s shortlist.Sarah Stewart, Chief Executive at destination management and marketing organisation NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said “It’s fantastic to have another record breaking year for entries and I’m delighted to see so many new businesses enter the awards.“The tourism sector continues to thrive as the quality and variety of tourism businesses in the North East of England maintain such a high standard. I’m always impressed to see the outstanding work the finalists have delivered and I look forward to celebrating their achievements with them at the awards ceremony in November.”This year sees the addition of three new categories; ‘Guided Tour of the Year’, ‘Self Catering Property of the Year’ and ‘Dog Friendly Business’.55 applications made this year’s shortlist from a wide range of tourism businesses across Country Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.The 2016 ShortlistBoutique Accommodation / Small Hotel of the Year Carraw Bed and BreakfastThe CliftonThe Lindisfarne InnThe Commissioners Quay InnBed and Breakfast Guest Accommodation Greycroft B&BThe Grange B&BSt Cuthbert’s HouseThe Old Manse @ ChattonBusiness Tourism Award Seaham HallCrown Plaza Newcastle - Stephenson QuarterEvent Durham, Durham UniversityRockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & SpaDog Friendly – New category Northumberland Self Catering Cottages Ltd (Mains Cottages)Bracken Hill Farm CottageBattlesteads Hotel & RestaurantSouth Causey InnGuided Tour Victoria TunnelSerenity Farne Island Boat ToursIles ToursCullercoats Bike & KayakHoliday Park of the Year Northumbrian Water - Kielder WatersideHeathergate Country ParkSpringhouse Country ParkHotel of the year Ramside Hall HotelLangley Castle HotelRockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf & SpaBattlesteads Hotel & RestaurantInclusive Tourism The Hog’s Head InnGo North EastNational Glass CentreTyneside CinemaLarge Visitor Attraction Life Science CentreSage Gateshead / North Music TrustBeamish, The Living Museum of the NorthSelf-Catering Holiday Provider The Old Stables KnitsleyEllingham HallNorthumberland Self Catering Cottages Ltd (Mains Cottages)Mill Granary CottagesSelf-Catering Property Woodside LodgeBracken Hill Farm CottageSmall Visitor Attraction South Tynedale RailwayBowlees Visitor CentreCullercoats Bike & KayakRSPB SaltholmeSustainable Tourism Durham UniversitySt Cuthbert’s HouseBattlesteads Hotel & RestaurantTaste Award Durham University CateringColmans of South ShieldsMartineau Guest HouseBattlesteads Hotel & RestaurantTourism Pub The Angel of CorbridgeThe Tankerville ArmsThe Lindisfarne InnBattlesteads Hotel & RestaurantKatie Meyrick-Scott, General Manager of Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant (pictured), said: “On behalf of all the team at Battlesteads, we are delighted to have been shortlisted in five categories for this year’s North East England Tourism Awards. The North East is home to so many fantastic tourism and hospitality businesses and so it is an honour to be recognised by the leading tourism awards in the region. We are looking forward to celebrating with all of the other shortlisted businesses at the awards ceremony.”Northumbrian Water are supporting the awards for the fifth consecutive year, joined by Gateshead College as the headlines sponsors for 2016.David Hall, Head of Leisure, Strategy & Transformation at NWG said: “We are delighted to support these awards for the fifth year in a row, they showcase the very best the North East has to offer those visiting, living and working in the region. From spectacular coastlines, vibrant cities and fantastic heritage sites to our own breath taking Kielder Waterside there truly is something for everyone to enjoy. Tourism is a vital part of our economy and it’s great to celebrate success.“All nominees should be rightly proud of the valuable contribution they play in strengthening the economy of the region and regenerating the area for local communities.”Ivan Jepson, director of business development at Gateshead College, said: “The North East Tourism Awards is a fantastic celebration of all the amazing experiences that our region has to offer. We are thrilled to have been part of the judging once again and can’t wait to recognise those organisations that really go the extra mile for their guests. We’re also very proud to have some of our talented students working with NewcastleGateshead Initiative this year to help make the event a huge success.” The results will be announced at the glittering celebration on 22 November at Newcastle Civic Centre’s Banqueting Hall, hosted by BBC Radio Newcastle breakfast show presenter, Alfie Joey.

The leaves are changing colour, and the nights are drawing in but we’re determined, before winter arrives, to have one last week of autumnal fun here at South Tynedale Railway. After that we close until we start our Santa’s Toyland Railway events in December, so we don’t have much time left!Our ‘All About Autumn’ week during half term (24th – 29th October) will be full of seasonal fun and activities for kids of all ages, with trains running every day until 30th October, culminating in our Halloween Spooktacular.Join us in our Activity Hub during the week for traditional games such as conker-duelling, corn dolly making, and leaf rubbings; or why not indulge in a henna tattoo, or a spot of face painting? We’ll have a treasure hunt around the station to keep you on your toes, and as we love quizzes, we’ve planned a special Autumn Quiz to ensure that every brain cell is kept busy while you’re visiting us.Our Halloween Spooktacular on 30th October will make a fabulously scary finale to our main operational season. Visit our witch’s cave and see if you can identify the mysterious body parts! Pick your wound or disease and have the Carlisle College students make you up with their theatrical make-up. And show off your best fancy dress costume (we’ll be wearing ours).

Northumberland has triumphed in the 2016 Family Traveller Awards, winning ‘Best UK Region for Families’ at the awards ceremony at The White Company’s flagship store in London last night. From over 1600 nominations across the 25 award categories, a shortlist of just over 300 was drawn up by the Family Traveller team before going to a public vote and expert judging from a panel including the Family Traveller editor Jane Anderson, broadcaster and writer Mariella Frostrup, BBC's Simon Reeve, travel editor of The Times Jane Knight, and Elle magazine’s travel & lifestyle director Sue Ward Davies.There was also joy for accommodation providers Coastal Retreats, who came runner-up in the ‘Best UK Accommodation - Group’.It is a good omen for the 2016 British Travel Awards next month, in which Northumberland is the only North East county in England to be nominated for ‘Best UK Holiday County/Destination’. Jude Leitch, director of Northumberland Tourism, said: “We are thrilled with this award. We were up against strong competition in the category so to be recognised as the best by both the judges and the public shows Northumberland has something really great to offer visitors of all ages, including families.From the wilds of Northumberland National Park, Kielder Water & Forest Park and the North Pennines, to the beautiful sandy beaches and seaside towns on our coast, there is something for everyone. We hope this will inspire travellers young and old to discover Northumberland for themselves.”

Opportunities for visitors to live the wild life at Kielder Water & Forest Park will be created with the support of new funding of more than £330,000 made possible by National Lottery players.At the end of 2015, an initial Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £17,700 was handed to the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust to develop its ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ project. This has now been followed with an additional £336,300 from HLF.The project will help create “nature hubs” to allow people to experience and learn about the area’s special animals and plants. This will be complemented by a year-round events and activity programme.The Trust will create wildlife trails from Stonehaugh, Falstone and Greenhaugh villages with support from the local community. It will also work with businesses to increase take-up of the events and activities, while wildlife ambassadors and volunteers will inspire and engage with visitors.Lynn Turner, Director of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, said: “The wildlife that lives within Kielder Water & Forest Park is incredibly diverse and impressive, so the creation of an increasing array of opportunities for people to experience and learn about the species and habitats is fantastic.“The awarding of this new support from the Heritage Lottery Fund is wonderful news for the ‘Living Wild At Kielder’ project. With this enhanced offering for nature lovers, alongside the largest man made lake in northern Europe and England’s largest working forest, the attraction of Kielder as a destination for visitors goes from strength to strength.“The park is already well known for walking and cycling, as well as its Dark Skies status. This funding adds even more, with different experiences to be had throughout the year.”As part of ‘Living Wild at Kielder’, there are plans to improve visitor interpretation boards and support the long-term protection of the Park’s wildlife, particularly at Bakethin Nature Reserve which provides an important sanctuary for local plants, birds and other wildlife. The Trust will be working alongside Newcastle University School of Architecture students to create a new wildlife hide and visitor welcome point at Bakethin.New nature trails are planned around Kielder Castle, linking to Kielder Salmon Centre and there will be a new wildlife themed exhibiton at Tower Knowe Visitor Centre.The award-winning Park is home to England’s largest red squirrel population and in 2009, ospreys returned to the area following an absence of more than 200 years in Northumberland.Nick Mason, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Development Manager said “We are delighted that money raised by National Lottery players is going to help us bring nature and people closer together at Kielder, adding to the significant attractions of the Forest Park.”Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East, said: “Kielder Water and Forest Park is already a popular attraction in Northumberland and this project provides a fantastic opportunity for thousands of visitors to venture further into the park and experience the incredible natural heritage it has to offer.“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ will have a transformational and lasting legacy for Kielder’s visitors and wildlife.”Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency will help deliver the project with the Trust, with the support of Northumberland National Park Authority and Newcastle University.

iBikeRide have announced today the start of the campaign to find the top UK trails and bike parks of 2016. Now in it's 4th year the Trail of the Year campaign will decide the top trails through rider ratings and reviews on the iBikeRide site.Kielder Mountain Bike Trail at Kielder Water & Forest Park is representing Northumberland. You can vote for them by leaving your review here.Daniel Mintz, Director of iBikeRide.com said "The Trail of the Year campaign exists to give credit and publicity back to the most deserving trails and bike parks in the UK and more importantly give recognition to the local trail communities, organisations and businesses that make them the successes they are. We invite all riders to come share your experiences."This year the Trail of the Year campaign is sponsored by some great brands like BikePark Wales (last years winner), East Coast Adventure, Dirt Factory, One Planet Adventure and many more. Thanks to these sponsors, iBikeRide are offering riders the opportunity to win some amazing prizes. Every rating and review written enters a prize raffle that will will drawn on New Years day and the more trails you rate and review the more chance you have of winning.Dan Makin, Dirt Factory Director, said: "We are delighted to support the iBikeRide Trail of the Year 2016. The UK has some fantastic trails in all regions and the quality of riding on offer seems to get better year on year. With the iBikeRide Trail of the Year award, the mountain bike community can vote on and celebrate their favorite riding destinations. Get riding and then get voting!"Martin Astley, Director, BikePark Wales is quoted as saying "The iBikeride.com trail of the year awards mean a lot to us at BikePark Wales as the winner is chosen by the riding public. We've been thrilled to win categories the last couple of years."Jennifer Cumming, Director East Coast Adventure in Northern Ireland said "East Coast Adventure is delighted to be involved with iBikeRide. Our Mountain Bike Centre in Rostrevor offers xc and downhill trails to all levels of riders. With the addition of our Glamping Pods it gives our customers a seamless mountain bike/Glamping holiday experience. Rostrevor MTB trails are the home training grounds for Irish DH champs in both Juvenile, Youth, junior women & womens' categories. We're keen to see more visitors to the area and do everything we can to assist our visitors and ensure they want to come back again and again."

There’s a fabulous treat in store for fans of classic cars at Woodhorn, as the Northumberland museum hosts its first event celebrating the iconic mini motorcar.Tynemouth Mini Club will be presenting The Geordie Job at Woodhorn on Sunday 7th August and minis of all kinds will be coming from far and wide to take part. Organisers are expecting everything from the original 1960 Mark 1 mini to mini vans, pick-ups and estates, 1980s and 1990s Mini Coopers and limited editions, even the Mini Moke.It may almost 60 years since the first car rolled off the production line, but the car has a very special place in the hearts of most people and is in fact recognised as the world’s favourite small car. Visitors will be able to find out more about the history of this enduring British icon from the early days right up to today’s BMW versions.One of the special things about the mini is the endless variety of vehicles with many cars customised or personalised. The cars heading to Woodhorn will of course include vehicles lovingly restored to pristine show room condition, but visitors will also be able to see those still needing a little tlc to bring them back to their former glory.Visitors can see the vast array of minis at the museum from 11am – 5pm, but anyone wanting to take part in the event with their own mini should get in contact in advance with the event organisers, Tynemouth Mini Club. For more information visit http://www.tynemouthminiclub.co.uk/

The Kielder ospreys have had their most successful ever breeding season this year since they first began nesting at Kielder Water & Forest Park in 2009.Nine chicks have already fledged, beating 2014’s record of eight, with a further two more birds expected to take their first flights within the next week.First to fledge was the chick ringed Y1 on 13 July from the nest known as 1A. Over the course of the following five days, his brother and two sisters also flew for the first time. Since then, three birds have fledged from Nest 2 and two from Nest 3, bringing the total to nine. Two further juveniles are expected to fledge from Nest 4 shortly. Philip Spottiswood, Forestry Commission Wildlife Manager, said: “We are all delighted that 2016 has been a record breaking year for Kielder’s ospreys, the young birds will help to ensure that this once rare species continues to recover in England. Thanks goes to the Forestry Commission’s Wildlife Rangers who have done so much to ensure prime nesting sites are available in Kielder Water and Forest Park.”Despite this great success, in the face of some challenging weather conditions earlier on in the season, this year has not been incident free. Sadly, the third juvenile to fledge from Nest 1A - the eldest Y0 - has not been seen since she first left the nest on 15 July. The area around the nest was searched without success and it is unclear what has happened to her. The first year of an osprey’s life is always challenging, not least because it includes a solo migration to (mainly) Africa from late August onwards.Visitors can still watch the birds on Nest 1A through a nest camera broadcasting at Kielder Castle Café at the Forestry Commission’s Kielder Castle Visitor Centre and Northumbrian Water’s Leaplish Waterside Park. Fans of the famous birds can also keep up to date with them by checking the blog at https://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/The Osprey Watch is organised by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with support from the RSPB. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site. To find out more, go to www.visitkielder.com

There’s plenty to occupy all ages during the summer holidays at South Tynedale Railway. Trains will be running every day from 16 July until 1 September and we’ve added some extra activities for the kids!Each Monday we’re inviting families to ‘pramble’ (amble with your pram) along the South Tyne Trail adjoining the railway track. As you enjoy the view your little ones can try to spot our Treasure Hunt clues. Having reached Kirkhaugh, or even Lintley Halt station, climb aboard the train to make the return journey in comfort - don’t forget to buy single tickets from the shop at Alston station before leaving - and enjoy a refreshing drink on production of that ticket.On Superhero Tuesdays there will be a competition inviting children young and old to create their own Railway Superhero. What should they be called? What should they wear? What railway superpowers should they have? We’re looking forward to your creative endeavours and there will be a prize!‘Storytime’ for younger visitors is each holiday Tuesday at 11.45 and 3.30 in the Discovery Centre – superhero fancy dress not obligatory but would add to the fun!The Discovery Centre screens will also be the place to learn about superhero pioneers of early railways, such as George Stephenson, as well as our own volunteer superheroes at South Tynedale Railway. Added to this will be shown a fascinating visual recreation of early steam engines.Oh, and quizzes … everyone loves a quiz so we’ve created easy (for kids?) and hard (for parents?) versions to test your railway knowledge … can you become our “Quiz Superhero”?There’s plenty to fill a summer day at the South Tynedale Railway with train rides to take in our beautiful North Pennine scenery, an ice-cream from the gift shop, a spot of lunch at the Buffer Stop Café (or a picnic take-away) and the Discovery Centre display telling the tale of “Life on the Line – the rise and fall and rise again of a rural railway”.

A celebration of art and architecture in Northumberland has seen the unveiling of 11 new installations at Kielder.The launch of London-based Fiona Curran’s “The grass seemed darker than ever” – an artistic response to the history of Kielder Castle – also saw the introduction of ten temporary installations created by Fine Art students at Newcastle University.Located only 600m from Kielder Castle, “The grass seemed darker than ever” features more than 350 individually painted fence palings encircling a section of the forest floor, now painted black.The piece is inspired by the history of enclosure of the English landscape, reflecting, in particular, the Black Act of the 18th Century. This Act enabled the death sentence to be passed on people suspected of poaching on the newly-enclosed land, or those found in the forest with blackened faces.Fiona Curran said: "It has been a wonderful experience working at Kielder over the past year with such a committed and supportive team of people. The landscape has been a constant source of inspiration throughout the changing seasons. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work in such a magical place, to participate in the Art and Architecture programme, and to contribute to the area’s rich histories."One of the student artworks is based on the story of Hansel and Gretel. A vending machine sited in the forest dispenses miniature gingerbread sculptures and visitors are led there by a trail of crumbs.All 11 pieces of work form part of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust’s Art and Architecture programme. These particular pieces have been made possible thanks to support from the Forestry Commission, Northumbrian Water, and Arts Council England.The ten pieces by Fine Art students build upon the growing relationship between Kielder Water & Forest Park and Newcastle University. Previously architecture students have designed a stargazing pavilion in Stonehaugh, a warm room for stargazers at Kielder campsite and currently redeveloping a dilapidated roundhouse in Rochester.Peter Sharpe, curator of Kielder Art and Architecture, said: “The Art and Architecture programme is constantly evolving and it is great to work with established artists, such as Fiona, as well as students who represent the future of art. Having worked with Newcastle University’s architecture department, it is great to expand that relationship.”Professor Andrew Burton, Acting Head of Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, said: “It is fantastic for our students to be able to contribute to Kielder’s wonderful Art and Architecture programme. The art has been created by students ranging from those in their first year to those studying for Masters degrees and for them to be able to deliver installations that sit in this stunning environment is incredibly rewarding as we look forward to building upon our relationship with the Kielder team.”Guests, including members of the Kielder community and local dignitaries, were taken from Kielder Castle to the Fiona Curran artwork, and given an opportunity to walk along the Duchess Trail, taking in the student work.

Northumberland has been nominated for the Best UK Holiday County/Destination in the prestigious 2016 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the public, who have until 30 September to cast their vote. The ‘Best UK Holiday County/Destination’ category is particularly strong this year, with Northumberland up against five other nominees: Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire, Somerset and Yorkshire. Once again, Northumberland is the only county in the North East to be nominated, so it is hoped the whole North East region will get behind Northumberland to bring the Gold ‘up north’! The British Travel Awards are considered the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the travel industry. The campaign for Northumberland to become the ‘Best UK County/Destination’ is being led by Northumberland Tourism in partnership with Active Northumberland. They believe this year will be third time lucky for Northumberland. The county scooped Silver awards in both 2014 and 2015, narrowly missing out to the reigning champion and long-standing tourism giant Cornwall. Jude Leitch, director of Northumberland Tourism, said: “We are thrilled to once again be nominated in the British Travel Awards. Thanks to huge public support over the past two years, we were pleased to win Silver at the 2014 and 2015 British Travel Awards, beating much-loved destinations such as Devon, Durham and Yorkshire. We’re keen to go one better this year and be crowned the Best UK Holiday County/Destination 2016. “Tourism is an important asset to Northumberland, both in terms of employment and economic growth. To win Gold would be great recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team, and those of the businesses large and small who tirelessly support the sector year on year.”British Travel Awards’ chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton said: “This year there are nearly seven hundred nominations listed against 83 Award categories and competition to win a British Travel Awards will be fierce. In 2015 more than a million votes were cast by the consumer to decide the winners, making the BTAs easily the largest awards programme in the UK. Voting in the 2016 Awards is now open and nominated companies have until 30th September to lobby their happy customers for votes – good luck to Northumberland.”Follow Visit Northumberland and spread the word on social media with #VoteNlandTwitter @VisitNland | Facebook and Instagram @visitnorthumberlandTO VOTE GO TO www.visitnorthumberland.com/sharenland

With the festival season in full swing, the Lindisfarne Festival is holding a warm up event this Friday 8th July from 6pm to 2am at the Ernest bar, Ouseburn. With free entry, the event will showcase a range of live music, DJs, street food & performers. Fun is compulsory & fancy dress is encouraged, with free tickets to the main festival up for grabs for the best dressed.Lindisfarne Festival is a music, arts and camping festival for over 18’s based on Beal Farm, Northumberland, overlooking Holy island in Northumberland. With music and DJs playing till 4am, the festival which takes place from 1st-4th September plays host to acts including Reef, British Sea Power, the Cuban Brothers, James Taylor Quartet amongst others and alongside the best in up and coming NE talent showcased on the BBC Introducing stage, a new feature for this year.Conleth Maenpaa, Founder of Lindisfarne Festival says; “We are delighted to have teamed up with Ernest to put on a proper party. The warm up event is a great showcase for the festival and we ask people to come along to experience the wide range of entertainment on offer. We ask the North East to get behind us and if people are in any doubt of how much fun a festival can be, please come along and experience a night like no other this Friday” Kathryn Hodgkinson, Co-owner of Ernest said, ‘‘We are always keen to support creative, independent endeavour and we are really excited to be hosting the Lindisfarne Festival warm-up. We have a line-up of 6 live acts plus performances, DJ’s and a special festival menu. We are expecting a lively night of music and dancing.”All details regarding the festival can be found at www.lindisfarnefestival.com and details of the warm up event are on the Ernest Facebook page www.facebook.com/weareernest/

The delicate task of ringing at least 10 young ospreys of Kielder Water and Forest Park is underway, carried out by experts from the Forestry Commission. This important task helps the team at the Kielder Osprey Project to monitor the birds’ progress and is helping keep track of the recovery of ospreys in England.This year has been another hugely successful one for the Kielder Osprey Project. Four chicks hatched on Nest 1A, a 1 in 100 chance of occurrence and one of only three “public” osprey sites with four chicks being reared in the UK. The “awesome foursome” were the first to be ringed and all were in very good health for such a large brood. This rare occurrence was in addition to the establishment of a new nest site in Kielder. The team is delighted with the new nest, which uses one of several nest platforms set up by the Forestry Commission’s wildlife team to provide ospreys with a place to breed.Ringing the chicks allows ecologists to examine the health of the five to six week old birds and make various checks and measurements. The chicks are not small - with a wingspan of about one metre - and the ringing is carefully managed under license.One chick will be fitted with a satellite tracker, a tiny backpack which sends information via the mobile phone network. This provides significantly more effective monitoring of the birds than by ringing alone. This year, the project has been closely monitoring the satellite tracker of “UV”, born at Kielder in 2014. The information on his journey back to the UK is providing a fascinatingly detailed insight into the osprey migration journey and travels to identify potentially good fishing areas, the first step in establishing his own territory.The process of ringing and tracking provides ecologists and ornithologists with detailed information on subjects such as migration and feeding behaviour. It is a brief and painless but a key moment in the early lives of the osprey chicks; a species which only returned to Kielder in 2009 after an absence of more than 200 years.Tom Dearnley, Ecologist at the Forestry Commission said:“Ospreys are a fascinating species and I am delighted our work is helping their continued recovery in northern England and southern Scotland. As Kielder Water and Forest Park ages, it is becoming more diverse and ospreys are a great illustration of this natural succession, delighting visitors to the area”.Visitors to Kielder Water and Forest Park can visit Osprey Watch, to keep up to date with the birds’ progress. Kelly Hollings, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Estates Officer for Kielder, who works with the Osprey Watch team said, “Ringing is a momentous moment in the lives of these fabulous young birds. We have had hundreds of visitors coming to the Osprey Watch at Northumbrian Water’s Leaplish Waterside Park to see and hear about the ospreys from the expert volunteers.“The progress of the Chicks has been seen by many others via the live camera feed into Kielder Castle Café, where visitors have enjoyed the local food while watching the screen.“The ospreys have created such a popular following that they even have their own blog, updated regularly by the dedicated osprey volunteers giving expert updates on the progress of the birds.”The blog also features a selection of remarkable close-up images of the birds taken from the webcam feed installed just above their nesting platform. The blog can be found at www.kielderospreys.wordpress.com Kielder Osprey Watch 2016 continues to run every weekend between 10.30am and 4.30pm until the chicks fledge in August, behind the Boat Inn restaurant at Leaplish Waterside Park. It will also be open on Wednesdays from 6 July. The Osprey Watch is organised by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with support from the RSPB. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site.Photograph credit: V J Paine