A Lodge Stay At Landal Kielder Waterside, Northumberland
Kielder is a part of Northumberland that I’d somehow never visited, so when I was invited to stay up there for a weekend I jumped at the chance to go. I was asked to stay at Landal Kielder Waterside in one of the lodges on the Landal GreenParks UK resort up there, so on one of the hottest weekends in June I made my way up there to make the most of it.
Disclaimer: I received a 3 night complimentary stay and dinner at the onsite restaurant one evening for the purpose of this review.
Landal Greenparks are the UK’s fastest growing holiday resort company and are very popular UK wide for visitors enjoying family staycations. Their locations are in beautiful natural surroundings – although Kielder is of course the UK’s biggest man made reservoir, with plenty of wildlife and outdoor activities to enjoy, as well as on site facilities for some of life’s luxuries.
Kielder has all of these things and more to offer, which we enjoyed from our dog friendly, 4 person lodge, Otterstone Spa. The drive up was a good hour and a half from Newcastle, through the stunning Northumberland countryside and tree lined roads. It was a lovely drive and you arrive at the water edge car park ready to start your holiday.
Checking in at Landal Kielder Waterside
The reception check in desk is in the on site shop, so when you get there you can park in the big car park by the reservoir, and head inside to collect your lodge key. The staff will take you through some information including how to access wifi in your lodge, and let you know about the onsite facilities such as the gym, pool and spa.
Reception is staffed 24 hours, and the shop is great with everything you might need or have forgotten for your trip. I stocked up on suncream as it was so much hotter than I expected, and some midgie spray. Unlike some holiday shops, I found it to be really reasonably priced and not a total rip off.
From here, it was time to head up to our lodge!
Otterstone Spa Lodge
We were staying in lodge 10, Otterstone Spa lodge which sleeps 4 people across two bedrooms – a double and a twin. It’s dog friendly which was ideal for me to bring Arthur, and also has a fabulous feature outside deck with a hot tub.
There was room for two cars to be parked right next to the lodge, which I always prefer as it’s so much easier for carrying bags in and out. We unloaded the car and unpacked our shopping in the kitchen.
As a self-catered lodge it was fully equipped with everything you’d need if you were to eat in all the time, and it also had salt, pepper and coffee/tea which I always check to save taking my own. Cleaning wise they provide a kit with washing up liquid, bin liners and basic cleaning equipment too. As a dog friendly lodge they provided dog bowls too which was a nice touch.
The kitchen was really spacious, with a good big fridge and plenty of storage space. A highlight for some on holiday is that it also has a dishwasher. The big six person dining table next to it was ideal too, and this led onto the main seating and living area.
The living area consisted of two big comfy sofas, a coffee table and games station, with a feature electric fireplace that I definitely didn’t need on, and a TV with all the streaming apps you might need. It had everything, including some board games and books on the shelves too, and of course wifi.
The living area had big french doors that opened up onto the deck, which was my favourite feature of the lodge. It’s not fully enclosed, so I kept Arthur on a long lead so he could roam about as he pleased, but it’s so private. It overlooked down the hill and across into the distance – perfect for the sunset.
The decking area leads down some steps where the hot tub is, a fire pit/heater, and lounge chairs to sit and enjoy the sun. It was a brilliant space and I’m so glad the weather was perfect for me – I spent nearly all my time out sunbathing.
A few people asked me if the midgie’s were bad, and they were there early in the morning and later in the evening, but the spray in the on site shop dealt with them really well and I didn’t notice them or get bit at all.
Back inside the lodge, and the living room leads off to the bedrooms and the bathrooms. The master double had plenty of storage with a wardrobe, dressing table, a flat screen TV, and an en suite bathroom with shower.
The second bedroom was the same but no en suite and was a twin. The main bathroom was spacious and had a bath built into it. A fan was provided and used for the entire duration of our stay, as it was really hot but the fan helped in the evenings to get a good night sleep. A hairdryer is also provided, as well as a high chair and other things for kids in the cupboard in case you need them.
So our lodge was dog friendly and slept 4, but there are a range of other accommodation options at Kielder Waterside. They offer lodges that sleep either 1-4 people, or 5-8 people, some that are dog friendly and some that aren’t, and some that come with hot tubs as well as those that don’t. Some of the lodges come with BBQ huts, which seat everyone around the centre for a sociable gathering while you cook your tea.
There’s a total mix to cater to every need, and the Kielder waterside website is great for showing you all of the different options, available dates and the cost depending on your requirements.
Facilities at Kielder Waterside
I’ll be honest and say that the weather was so nice during my stay, and the hot tub and deck in the sunshine all day meant that we rarely left the lodge. We fully made the most of it! However if you did want to venture out there’s so much to do on site and nearby.
There’s a gym onsite and an indoor pool which you can reserve time slots for, as well as a spa where you can book treatments in advance. I was offered a treatment by the lovely staff, but it was just too hot so I passed on this occasion, however it is definitely something I’d do usually and there’s a big selection of treatments to choose from.
I mentioned the shop before, it has all sorts of souvenirs and gifts to browse, as well as practical things you might have forgotten or not realise you need. We ventured in for an ice cream on more than one occasion!
If cooking in your lodge isn’t for you, or you’ve exhausted the BBQ menu then there are a number of dining options available to choose from. Every day The Hide serves breakfasts, and the Forest Bar & Kitchen is the on site pub with a big menu. The Den Sports Bar is also available with a relaxed setting, and The Oasis is a more fine dining experience for specific evenings.
Having Arthur with me meant we ate in the pub, in a fab window seat overlooking the reservoir. I had fried crispy calamari to start, followed by traditional fish and chips. I don’t think you can beat it when you’re by the water – even if it is man made! The staff were great, and there was a good menu that would suit all families and guests.
When it comes to outdoor adventures, again there are simply loads of options for everyone. There were multiple playgrounds on site for kids, mini golf, boat trips, bike hire for all ages, and a full programme of events that you could sign up for. Find full details including fishing, canoeing, kayaking and more on the website here.
Having Arthur with me in the heat meant we preferred to enjoy the luxuries of our lodge rather than get too adventurous, but we did enjoy early morning and evening walks through the forest up and up the hill to enjoy spectacular views of the reservoir each day. There’s some great photo opportunities up there too.
On our final day as we checked out, we made a detour to do the short waterfall walk to Hindhope Linn Waterfall. It’s an easy walk but does have some steps, it’s clearly signposted and for the most part was in the shade which was the only reason I was ok to keep Arthur out in it.
Using Kielder as a base there is so much of Northumberland that you could explore, including days out to Kielder town, Otterburn, Haltwhistle, Hexham and Corbridge. It’s a beautiful part of Northumberland.
Overall our stay at Otterstone Lodge was great, it had everything you could need and plenty of space. The feature deck and hot tub was my favourite bit, and I think you could really make the most of it even if you weren’t as lucky with the weather as I was. It was really comfortable, private and offered everything you could need for a fun but relaxing escape. Families or friends could enjoy it in any weather, at any time of year, I bet it’s fabulous in winter too with the hot tub and fire on.
Find full details of all available accommodation, facilities and pricing for available dates on the Landal Kielder Waterside website here.
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