Stellar programme for dark skies festival
All aboard for North Pennines Stargazing Festival. Tony Henderson reports
A train ride to the stars features in a newly released programme of almost 30 events in the 10th North Pennines Stargazing Festival.
The festival runs between Friday October 16 and November 1 and is being organised by the North Pennines National Landscape and a variety of other organisations and businesses – all with expert astronomer guides to help visitors enjoy the dark night skies of the area. All events must be booked in advance.
Events include a star camp at Doe Park caravan site in Cotherstone, Teesdale, from October 23-25.
A Lord of the Rings evening will take advantage of the fact that on October 23, Saturn is at its closest to the Earth. The event is at Grassholme Observatory at Baldersdale, County Durham, from 8pm-11pm.
Weardale’s dark skies can be enjoyed by train on October 28, 5.30pm to 8.30pm. The experience starts at Stanhope Station with space-themed activities followed by a train ride on the Weardale Railway, leaving at 6pm.
At a special location passengers will disembark and enjoy stargazing using telescopes with experts from the Bishop Auckland Astronomical Society.
Other events on the programme include astronomy and stargazing nights at Grassholme Observatory and Alston Moor Observatory; stargazing suppers at High Force and the Lord Crewe Hotel; and trail running at night on October 21, 7pm to 9.30pm, following the route of the High Force and Bowlees Geotrail, led by experienced runners.
Although the festival is about the skies, there will be an underground element at The Hive, at the Nenthead mines complex, on November 1, 4.30pm to 7.30pm.
It includes an underground tour led by volunteers from Nenthead Mines Conservation Society and a workshop for visitors to make their own paper lantern to light their way.
Shane Harris, responsible tourism lead with the North Pennines National Landscape team, said: “The North Pennines is the darkest mainland National Landscape and is one of the best places in the UK to enjoy stargazing. Our festival is designed to make it easier for people to celebrate the area’s fabulous starry skies.”
The full programme is available at www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org