When thinking of Northumberland's dark skies, normally people will immediately think of going inland to one of the county's five observatories.
However, a derelict quarry which became the first site on the Northumberland coast to be awarded dark skies designation is also an option. And though much less well-known than the likes of Kielder Water and Forest Park, it has already featured on TV this year in Kate Humble's Coastal Britain.
Embleton Quarry, which dates back to 1864, had fallen into disuse and the local community is spearheading a project to redevelop the quarry into a nature reserve. A major source of employment for the area for more than a century, the site became overgrown and unused after whinstone production ended in the 1960s.
