Dark Skies
Dark Sky Discovery Site: Allen Banks
Dark Sky Discovery Site – Allen Banks National Trust Car Park
Designated as a Dark Sky Discovery Site, Allen Banks Car Park offers good quality stargazing.
Good Stargazing
Allen Banks is a lovely steep-sided wooded valley along the River Allen managed by the National Trust. The car park offers good stargazing opportunities away from light pollution.
One of the largest areas of ancient woodland in Northumberland, Allen Banks is rich in flora, fauna and fungi, including over 70 species of bird and red squirrels, which can be seen from the miles of waymarked paths.
This sheltered car park is free and open after dusk. It is easily accessible to members of the public and the mobility car park has level tarmac (but beware of poles embedded in the surface to mark the parking bays).
- Allen Banks National Trust car park, near Ridley Hall, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 7BP. Signposted from the A69 between Haydon Bridge and Bardon Mill.
- 01434321888
- allenbanks@nationaltrust.org.uk
