Getting there
The cache is an A5ish sized Click-lock box in a camo bag. There are two main choices for routes to find it. The route via the riverside and village is fully accessible via wide tarmac (or similar high accessibility standard) paths, but the route via the Duchess Trail and woodlands is not. NB The ‘difficulty and terrain’ grading and ‘attributes’ refer to the riverside and village route, not the Duchess Trail route.
Kielder Salmon Centre
Kielder Salmon Centre was set up in 1978 after Kielder reservoir was created, because the dam prevented wild salmon and trout following their natural migration routes between the sea and the several sources of the River North Tyne. In the early 1970s, following many years of pollution, the River Tyne was returning to good health, and the fish were beginning to breed successfully here again. As part of the measures to mitigate the impacts of Kielder Water reservoir, the largest fish hatchery in England was established on the bank of the Kielder Burn.
The scientists who work here harvest around 6,000 eggs from each female salmon, and fertilise them in several batches, each using a different male. They are careful to ensure that both males and females come from the same part of the river. This means that the genes of their offspring are well adapted to each tributary, where they will be returned after hatching to grow. In total each year, three quarters of a million eggs are fertilised, and then incubated and hatched in fresh water diverted from the Kielder Burn. In March, the swollen eggs hatch into 2cm long alevin and once they are able to swim and feed they are known as fry. Over 160,000 are returned to their tributaries to grow into smolts. Many become tasty meals for other animals living in the rivers, but a few months later several thousand of smolts are caught at the Kielder Burn Smolt Trap and transported around the reservoir to be released into the River North Tyne, below the dam at Falstone.
Freshwater Pearl Mussels are also hatched here, as part of a major conservation programme to return these slow growing crustaceans to our rivers. You can go into the Salmon Centre’s forecourt to look into the circular tanks where new mussels are cared for. Their life cycle is very precarious and relies on a young salmon or trout swallowing their larva, so that they can clamp their shells onto the fish’s gills where they remain for almost a year. This is a highly risky strategy in the wild, but these tanks significantly improve the odds for them reaching adulthood.
Find out more at http://www.visitkielder.com/visit/kielder-salmon-centre
Living Wild Geocaches
This cache is one of a series placed as part of Kielder’s Heritage Lottery funded Living Wild project to help people discover some of the special wildlife, habitats and history of Kielder Water & Forest Park. These places are recommended by the people in the know - the rangers and volunteers - and let you find some of their favourite places for yourself.
Please visit www.visitkielder.com for more information and events.
Local information
Expect NO mobile phone signal at Kielder. Anything you do get is a bonus!
You may be able to get WiFi at the trailhead and in Kielder Village
Check the weather reports for Kielder as the weather can be more extreme than elsewhere. Dress appropriately and bring supplies.
Between mid-May and late-September, effective insect repellent is heartily recommended!
During the winter (roughly October to February half terms) Kielder can be very quiet indeed and you should ring ahead to check whether pubs, visitor centres, cafes, shops etc. will be open if you plan to use them. In an emergency, there is usually someone at Kielder Waterside Park (Leaplish).