Skyspace

Art In Kielder, Northumberland

Artwork by James Turrell on a rocky outcrop on the edge of Kielder Forest.

Whilst on our Kielder break recently, we visited a number of the artworks on the art trail and we had been looking forward to visiting Skyspace. It is a great piece by American artist James Turrell who is known for his work which plays with light and space. He is also interested in how we perceive the world and how everyone's experience of Skyspace will differ from each other's.

Skyspace was created in 2000 and the artist has similar sculptures all over the world. Kielder Skyspace is situated on the edge of Kielder Forest on a rocky outcrop and there is a bit of a steep walk to it from the designated car park just off the main road. It took us around 1 and a half hours to walk there and back, it was worth the climb however, as it's an interesting place and you are treated to some fab views over to the forest and reservoir at the top.

To get inside you go through a short tunnel and then you're into a large, round seating area and the roof is an open hole which looks up to the sky. We had glorious sunshine when we visited, so we could sit and watch the clouds passing by. The large hole means your eyes are solely focused on the sky above and there are no other distractions. It's such a peaceful place as it's well off the beaten track and all you can hear are birds singing and nothing else. A good place for a bit of meditation....ommmm.

The artist intended for the sculpture to be lit up at night for a 1 hour light display, however, there were signs up when we visited saying that the display was not currently working. Shame!

Another 15 minute walk away is Kielder Observatory which you can walk around and admire the views during the daytime. However, an evening visit to the observatory is a must too, and we had a great time at their talk about life on other planets. Look out for a post about the observatory coming soon.

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How To Find Skyspace

Where Is Skyspace?

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Lat / Long

55.227482, -2.610079

What three words

variation.crew.inferior

Where To Park For Skyspace?

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Lat / Long

55.228911, -2.588276

What three words

overhaul.reef.songbirds

There is a dedicated car park for Skyspace. Charges apply.

Contributed by Sandra Clemens

I love the great outdoors and have been a National Trust & English Heritage member for years. I also love going off the beaten track and finding places like Sharp's Folly or Rothley Castle which are hidden gems in Northumberland. My favourite recent hike was climbing Red Screes in the Lake District on a whim, not fully grasping how high 776m was. It was still an achievement to conquer a Wainwright walk and I hope to do more one day.

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