In 2022, a night under the stars in Northumberland topped a list of 40 things to do in the UK before turning 40.
I still have a decade to tick it off my bucket list but since the opportunity came up, there's no way I was going to turn my nose up at it. And I've felt too old a lot of Newcastle's nightlife for a while, so I swapped it for that of its neighbouring county, which is less about hitting pubs and clubs.
Instead you might take a flask of hot chocolate out into some of the most remote areas and spot shooting stars, constellations, and even the aurora if you're really lucky (or extremely organised). Northumberland is home to the largest gold tier dark skies park in Europe and fourth largest in the world, with the county's five observatories benefitting from an almost complete lack of light pollution.
Read more: I visited a Northumberland Roman temple frozen in time and it was magical
As the UK was coming out of a cold snap, my partner and I headed to one of those five observatories at the Twice Brewed Inn for their stargazing, supper and slumber package. Here's how it was.
Stargazing
As we drove out to Northumberland National Park on a chilly December afternoon, a cloudy night was forecast with just seven - 12% visibility, threatening to scupper the entire evening. However, the cloud never materialised and we had a cloudless, moonless night - the perfect conditions for stargazing.
Usually, the Twice Brewed's events start at 8pm and run until 10pm, kicking off with an explainer - in what is the brewery's shop during the day. Our evening was busier than I expected, with roughly thirty people huddled onto chairs waiting for the resident stargazer, Wil Cheung.
Chronicle readers may be familiar with Wil, whose photography has made the headlines when he snapped a shooting star flying through a family photo in March 2022; and during the Geminids Meteor Shower in December, another shooting star over the iconic tree at Sycamore Gap (worth visiting while you're at Twice Brewed if you have the chance).
Wil usually gives an introduction to what to expect ahead of the event, but since a raincloud was approaching, the order was flipped and we headed straight out after an explainer of how to use the telescopes, of which there are around twenty split between the patio at the Twice Brewed and a newly fashioned area that has been in use since November 2022.
We were told that the ratio of seeing stars is 88% at the Twice Brewed, far higher than the national average of around a third at stargazing events. In our hour using the telescopes, Jupiter, Mars, the Orion stellar nursery, the Seven Sisters constellation, and the Andromeda Galaxy were just a few of what we saw, with the latter being an astonishing 2.537 million light years from earth - essentially meaning we were looking 2.5 million years into the past!
The telescopes were positioned by Wil, who told us everything and probably more that we needed to know about what we were looking at. It was a fascinating introduction to stargazing, which is set to be taken up another notch in 2023 when the Twice Brewed opens its new planetarium, which is set to become part of its stargazing packages.
The only complaint I had regarding the stargazing was the walk to a new stargazing section at the pub, which was down a hill and over a bridge across a small stream. Wil, who was leading the group, headed straight off whilst some members (me and my partner included) were still leaving the building.
Waiting for the entire group on the patio would have made it much more comfortable, especially since we were told not to use the white light on our phones, despite it being pitch black. Alternatively, making sure that every person was either offered or given a red light torch to easier light the way would also have made a lot of sense - you are given the option to stargaze from the terrace if it's a large group.
However, that's a very small complaint. Seeing the night sky littered with stars was so different to what it's like from my home near the centre of Newcastle - absolutely incredible, and to me more impressive than anything I saw through the telescope.
Food and Drink
The stargazing may be the most eye-catching part of a visit to the Twice Brewed, but two of the three packages on offer come with food, so it won't be remiss of me not to mention it. Ours came with a two-course evening meal and breakfast the next morning.
The menu is quite extensive and Italian-inspired and we chose the house and vegetarian crostini as starters (both £8.50 if you're dining without a package). For a main we had the Bianca pizza and Veneziana (£13.95), both pizzas wouldn't have been out of place at an Italian restaurant.
In the interests of catering to those who may have ordered a dessert as one of their two courses, I also ordered a panna cotta. Some people might say serving one in a glass is cheating, but who cares when it's this good (and this big)?
Since Twice Brewed is an award winning brewery, I also had to try a beer. Ales don't really do it for me so I tried their award-winning Juno Pilsner, a crisp and refreshing accompaniment to the pizza.
We ate in the restaurant but I'd recommend getting a table in the bar. The restaurant is pleasant enough, but on a cold winter's evening you can't beat the cosiness of the roaring fires and the good-natured chatter in said bar.
There was one issue with the menus, and it's not exclusive to the Twice Brewed. Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian, yet more than half of the vegetarian options come with it.
While this might seem like a small thing if it doesn't apply to you, it's something that chefs should and do know. It should not be up to the customer to ask for changes to their food to put them right.
That aside, breakfast the following morning was generous too - for £14.95 you get a choice of a hot meals, and we went for a Full Northumbrian Breakfast and Eggs Benedict - along with tea or coffee, and (rather than or, as in a lot of places) a cold buffet style breakfast with yoghurt, fruit, juice, bread (and a toaster) and more. For those heading out onto Hadrian's Wall on foot or by bike, you couldn't wish for much better of a start to the day.
What's nearby
Twice Brewed is just inside Northumberland National Park and if you're looking to make a longer trip, there's plenty to do nearby. It's right next to the Sill visitor centre, where there's a café, gift shop, and exhibitions on life in the National Park.
You've also got a wealth of Roman attractions right on Twice Brewed's doorstep with Cycle Route 72 and the Hadrian's Wall Path easily accessible, as well as the B6318 (Military Road). You can reach Sycamore Gap in less than half an hour on foot (though it took us a little longer due to the icy conditions - some of the path was completely frozen), Vindolanda is 1.8 miles away and is easy by car or bike.
Cawfield Quarry is 2.9 miles to the west, while Housesteads is the same distance to the east. The Temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh is 10 minutes away by car too, whilst the nearest towns are Haltwhistle and Hexham - both of which you can reach by train or bus from Newcastle, with the AD122 bus connecting the towns to Twice Brewed and other Hadrian's Wall attractions.
How much does it cost?
Twice Brewed Inn's Stargazing, Supper and Slumber package costs £199 for two people in a double or twin room, or £149 for single occupancy. We didn't spend a lot of our time in the room but the bed was comfortable, there was a TV and hot drinks, and a big bathroom with a tub.
If you don't fancy staying the night, there are also stargazing and supper packages (£51 for adults, £32 for under-16s) and straight-up stargazing (£30 for adults, £19 for under-16s). For more information and to book, visit the Twice Brewed Inn's website.
Have you been stargazing in Northumberland National Park? Let us know!
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