The Comb · Kielder, Northumberland
An estate in the hills and forests of Northumberland. A lodge, a farmhouse, a barn and the night sky.
The Comb Lodge sleeps 20 and the Farmhouse 10, each let to one party at a time. Take both and there is nobody here but you. Sixty acres in the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park.
What it is
A stone farm, well used and well loved, with the dark sky over it.
The Lodge round its courtyard, the Farmhouse up the road with its own front door, and the Dark Skies Barn for the nights that need a room for 120. The forest at the end of the drive, the nearest neighbour half a mile away.
Two houses, one party each
Book the Lodge and it is yours: ten en-suite bedrooms, a bar, a dining room for 26 and 30 when needed, the games room and the balcony. Book the Farmhouse for ten. Book both and the houses and the lawns are yours alone; the Barn is hired on top, with our staff.
The sky
The largest area of protected night sky in Europe, and the Comb at the heart of it. From mid-September to April the Milky Way is overhead on a clear night, and Kielder Observatory is nearby.
The Barn
A stage, a dance floor and a licensed bar, with tables and chairs for 120. For weddings, parties and the retreats we host, run by our staff on the day.
What the Comb is for
Four ways to come.
A weekend in the houses
Self-catering for families, birthdays, reunions, hens and stags. Three nights at weekends April to October, two in winter. The games room, the lawns, dinner on the balcony under the stars and the fire pit all come with the Lodge. Plenty to do nearby: we list the ideas and give you the numbers.
A wedding
The estate to yourselves from Friday afternoon to Sunday lunch. Married on the grounds, in the courtyard or in the Barn; your caterers, our bar; 30 sleeping in the two houses. A small number of weddings a year, and never two at once.
A team, away from the office
Offsites and away days on a private estate: the Barn for the sessions, the houses for the night, the Reivers Raid in Kielder Forest if the team could do with a turbo charge.
A retreat
Three of our own: a team challenge, the dark sky, and Border history. Or bring your own: yoga, wellness, photography, writing, with the estate to yourselves and the country around it.
The place
The place, as it is.
Northumberland International Dark Sky Park
This is the sky over Kielder Water on an ordinary clear night.
Good to know
Questions, answered.
Is the whole estate ours?
Each house is only ever let to one party. Book the Lodge and the Farmhouse may be let to another family; book both and the houses and the lawns are yours alone. The Barn is not part of a self-catering stay; it is hired on top, with our staff, for a party.
How many people can you host?
Thirty sleep on the estate: 20 in the Comb Lodge and 10 in the Farmhouse. Ten to twelve can take the Lodge in the quieter months. For a party or a wedding, the Barn takes 120 at tables.
What about the weather and the dark skies?
The sky needs a clear night. On a cloudy one there is the fire pit, the log burner in the snug, the bar and the games room, and a run of cloud has never yet spoiled a weekend.
Can you help with catering and activities?
We do not arrange things for you, but everything is close and we know the people: cooks and caterers, the Observatory, the clays, the bikes. We send you the numbers and you book direct. Hosted retreats are different: those we run.
How do we hold a date?
Send an enquiry with your rough dates and group size. We confirm what is free and, outside high season, can hold a date for a few days while you decide.
Enquire
Tell us about your gathering.
Share a few details and we’ll come back to you personally, usually within a day.