Construction Begins at Kielder Castle

Construction has commenced at Kielder Castle, signalling a major milestone in the transformation of this Grade II listed former hunting lodge into a dynamic, year-round multi-use visitor and community destination. Located deep within the Kielder Forest in Northumberland, the landmark project brings together heritage restoration with new-build intervention in one of the UK’s most remote rural contexts. 

Mailen Design was appointed to lead the refurbishment and extension of Kielder Castle following a national design competition. Working closely with Forestry England, our role spans architecture, heritage coordination, planning engagement and technical design, as well as ongoing input into delivery strategy and stakeholder consultation. The brief demanded a sensitive yet confident approach to intervention—balancing the need for robust, sustainable public spaces with the complexities of a listed building and a remote rural setting. 

DESIGNING A MULTI-USE COMMUNITY VENUE 

Located at the head of Kielder Water within England’s largest working forest, Kielder Castle sits at the intersection of key attractions including the Lakeside Way, Kielder Observatory and the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park, making it an important access point for outdoor recreation, environmental education and rural tourism in the area. 

Our design for Kielder Castle’s regeneration responds directly to this context—redefining the landmark as a multi-functional civic building that supports a broad and evolving user base. To balance the often competing needs of local residents, day visitors, school groups, cyclists, overnight guests and Forestry England staff, we developed a flexible spatial strategy that brings together public, recreational, cultural and operational uses within a single coherent plan. 

This strategy was informed through ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders, including Forestry England, local authority officers and community representatives. These conversations shaped our understanding of how the building is currently used and how it could better serve the wider forest park, ensuring the scheme reflects both current demands and long-term aspirations to ensure the castle remains active, relevant and resilient for years to come. 

IMPROVED ARRIVAL EXPERIENCE 

The existing castle entrance, set within a tight courtyard and lacking clear orientation, offered limited visibility and a fragmented first impression. Visitors often arrived without clear orientation, moving through a sequence that failed to communicate the building’s wider purpose or connection to the forest park. 

Our design introduces a new stone-built entrance wing, positioned to form a clear and welcoming threshold to the site. Referencing the character and proportions of the original lodge, the new wing provides a historically sensitive yet distinctly contemporary intervention to enhance guest experience. Inside, a generous arrival space provides visual impact whilst improving legibility and directing visitors towards the café, gallery and exhibition areas, establishing a logical sequence through the building.  

The new entrance establishes a clear point of arrival and sets the tone for the visitor journey. It improves access and orientation whilst creating a strong spatial link between the castle’s public spaces and the surrounding landscape, positioning Kielder Castle as both a welcoming civic building and a gateway to the wider forest park. 

HOSPITALITY OFFERING 

Expanding the castle’s hospitality offer was a key focus of the regeneration strategy, ensuring the building could function as a social anchor for a variety of visitors as well as the local community. 

Our design improves the café with a redecorated interior for a more functional and inviting atmosphere, improving its ability to serve peak seasonal demand whilst providing a welcoming stop for walkers, families and day-trippers year-round. Previously accessed through a small door hidden in the courtyard, we have reconnected the cafe to the castle’s central atrium as part of the main visitor route, making it more visible, accessible, and fully integrated into the life of the building. 

Looking ahead, there is also an aspiration to introduce guest accommodation within underused areas of the castle. Such a provision would respond to the region’s growing demand for rural, experience-led tourism, offering visitors the opportunity to stay at the heart of the Dark Sky Park and experience the building’s history and setting in an immersive way. 

PRIORITISING ACCESSIBILITY 

Given Kielder Castle’s remote location and broad user demographic, accessibility has been a central consideration in the design. The building must support a wide range of visitors—including those with limited mobility, families with young children, cyclists and outdoor recreationists, and older users—many of whom travel significant distances to reach the site. By embedding accessibility from the outset, the design ensures that the castle can serve a truly inclusive role within the forest park, now and into the future. 

To support step-free access across multiple levels, we rationalised circulation routes, adjusted thresholds, and introduced new external and internal transitions to allow for smooth, intuitive movement through the building. A bespoke slimline pneumatic lift has been incorporated with minimal visual and spatial impact, enabling a diverse user base to access all levels whilst carefully responding to the constraints of the listed structure. 

A fully compliant Changing Places facility has been integrated within the existing ground floor, providing accessible toilet, shower and changing amenities for users with additional mobility requirements. This represents a major upgrade to the castle’s public provision, particularly in a rural context where such facilities are rare. Public WCs have been upgraded and relocated to improve accessibility and legibility throughout the building as well. 

These interventions—though modest in appearance—have a significant impact on making Kielder Castle more equitable, functional and welcoming for all visitors regardless of age or mobility. Inclusive design is not only a matter of social responsibility but also a practical investment that ensures the building can serve a wider audience, adapt to future needs and draw a variety of visitors for generations to come. 

HERITAGE-LED APPROACH 

Modernising Kielder Castle has required a thorough understanding of the building’s history and an architectural response that works with, rather than against, its character. Our design approach builds on the castle’s rich architectural history—retaining, repairing and adapting its fabric to support a new, long-term civic use and introducing new infrastructure that strengthens its capacity to welcome and sustain visitors. 

Constructed in 1775 and altered extensively across the 19th and 20th centuries, Kielder Castle presents a layered structure, combining original gothic elements with later Tudor and interwar additions. We worked closely with heritage consultants and planning officers to understand these phases of development and shape a sensitive, confident response. 

Throughout the process, we identified opportunities to clarify the internal layout, restore key features and reduce later interventions that compromised flow or legibility. New additions are designed to sit in dialogue with the original lodge—using natural materials, robust forms and a quiet architectural language to ensure that contemporary elements support rather than compete with the historic structure. 

Rather than returning the building to a fixed point in time, we’ve sought to continue its evolution, introducing new functions and infrastructure that allow it to serve a public role whilst retaining the character and depth that make it a compelling destination for visitors. 

MAILEN DESIGN AND KIELDER CASTLE’S LEGACY 

Our design for Kielder Castle’s renewal aims to elevate the structure from a functional visitor facility to a lasting civic landmark within the forest. By embedding flexibility, accessibility and social value throughout, we will ensure the building can adapt to changing needs whilst remaining a focal point for community life. 

The regenerated castle will serve as a place of gathering, learning and recreation, strengthening local identity and supporting the wider ambitions of the forest park. In doing so, it secures a sustainable future for the building and reinforces its role as a hub of pride, participation and connection for generations to come. 

We look forward to sharing more news as the site evolves, and Kielder Castle emerges as a new kind of rural destination—one that honours its past whilst embracing the future of sustainable tourism, outdoor recreation and place-based regeneration.