The sky's the limit for holiday guests

The combined areas of Northumberland National Park and Kielder Water & Forest Park are an International Dark Sky Park.

The award-winning Beacon Hill Farm, near Longhorsley, has built a state-of-the-art observatory for guests at its holiday cottages to use free of charge.

The observatory, located very close to the cottages down a well-lit path, has a sliding roof, sky maps and information boards.

Attached to a central plinth stands the resident computerised telescope – the Celestron CPC 1100.

There are two additional telescopes available for guests, as well as binoculars and head torches.

Northumberland International Dark Sky Park is Europe’s largest area of protected night sky. It was designated by the International Dark Sky Association.

Beacon Hill is set in a 360-acre private country estate complete with lake. It boasts a spa and swimming pool, beauty treatments, gymnasium, tennis courts, games room, playing fields and trampolines, all available for guests at no extra cost.

The Harry Potter trail, where children can find 20 different trees named after characters in the books, is popular with youngsters.

There are 15 self-catering cottages and the owners are due to launch shepherds’ huts in the grounds.