Kielder Keepsake is an entertaining interactive walk of approximately 2¾ miles (2 hours walk time) for all the family, located 1½ miles from Kielder Waterside or 3¼ miles from Tower Knowe. Artist Nicola Moss created a series of bronze rubbing plaques located on a walking loop around the end of the Bull Crag peninsula. Each plaque depicts a different subject inspired by the experiences the artist had as she explored Kielder and developed the project. Once kitted out with Keepsake packs (available from Kielder Waterside and Tower Knowe Visitor Centre and containing a map of the plaques and all the equipment you need to complete the rubbing trail), the walk becomes an intriguing hunt for each plaque with the finished book of rubbings becoming the artwork to be taken home, hence ‘keepsake’.

From Kielder Waterside, follow the Lakeside Way towards Tower Knowe Visitor Centre and the Dam. The first plaque to be reached will be number 4 (approximately 1½ miles from the visitor centre) as listed in the Keepsake packs. If visitors continue along the Lakeside Way, plaques 5 – 12 and finally number 1 will be reached in order. Plaques 2 & 3 are sited on the route that links back across the top of Bull Crag to the visitors start point. From Tower Knowe Visitor Centre, follow the Lakeside Way towards Kielder Waterside. Visitors will first reach plaque number 1 ( approximately 3¼ miles from the visitor centre) and then, following the Keepsake map, should deviate from the Lakeside Way to reach plaques 2 & 3, rejoining the Lakeside Way near plaque 4 and then following the Lakeside Way back towards Tower Knowe, collecting rubbings 4 -12 along the way. A good way to explore all the artworks along the Lakeside Way is by cycle. Bikes should be to at least hybrid cycle grade with decent country tyres for the changing terrain of Kielder Water & Forest Park.

From the start point of the trail, Tower Knowe Visitor Centre is 3.5 miles to the east along the Lakeside Way. The same distance to the west lies Kielder Waterside Park, home of Mapping, Play Garden, and Shadow. Calvert Trust Kielder’s centre is sited on the other side of the C200 approximately 1 mile from the start of the Trail. On the other side of the Bull Crag peninsula from the trail’s start point in the direction of Kielder Waterside Park, is Freya’s Cabin, one of two small buildings that face each other across the lake.