Langdon Beck Hotel has become the first business in County Durham to be accredited with the Dark Sky Friendly status. This followed the recent launch of Visit County Durham’s Dark Sky Friendly Durham scheme.
Located within the darkest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty site on mainland Britain, with 16 designated Dark Sky Areas that are Milky Way Class only a few miles away, Langdon Beck Hotel is ideally placed to see the night sky.
Landlady Sue Matthews said: “In order to be recognised, you need to be in a dark area which we are. We are very close to Cow Green Reservoir and Bowlees Visitor Centre too which are two of the designated dark sky areas.”
According to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, Kielder Water and Forest Park near the Scottish borders has the darkest skies in England. It is the biggest area of dark night sky in Europe due to minimal light pollution. However, the skies about Langdon Beck are also up there at the top.
Mrs Matthews said: “When we had the light tests done, we found out that our light levels are the same as those in Kielder. Our skies are as good as that.”
Visitors are being encouraged to visit the hotel for an overnight stay during which they can experience the beauty of the skies. The Langdon Beck Stargazing Club is also due to launch this weekend on Sunday, November 26.
Mrs Matthews said: “We will be investing in some red light head torches, binoculars and maybe a telescope and we intend to take a fun and informal approach as we learn about our night sky. We will become familiar with the equipment, using helpful apps and warding off the cold with a brazier to keep us warm plus Lonton coffee and some great hot chocolate.”
The first meeting will take place at 8.30pm and is open to beginners and enthusiasts. A follow-up meeting will also be held on Wednesday, December 13, when it is hoped that the Geminid meteor shower will be visible.
Mrs Matthews is excited about her business’ expansion into the astro-tourism market and says the new venture will help to extend their season.
She said: “We are looking forward to doing it. It extends our season. We should have been doing it for a long time. It gives us a more viable hotel jobs-wise too as we are hoping to attract more people to stay overnight. It is another way of putting Langdon Beck Hotel on the map.”
For more information contact Mrs Matthews on 01833 622267 or via the Langdon Beck Hotel Facebook page.
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