Long-Standing Heritage

“Best centre I have visited for 20 years! Staff, facilities and activities well presented and very well organised – great timetable.”
Party Leader, Galashiels

A popular choice for Scottish and English schools, Dukeshouse Wood is situated on a beautiful fellside just outside the leafy suburbs of Hexham, close to Newcastle and the Scottish Borders. The centre celebrated its 70 year birthday in 2010 and the culmination of an 18 month £2 million investment programme, to transform it into one of the area’s premier venues for school trips.

“Excellent facilities with excellent instruction. Site continually evolving, it gets better each time we visit.”
Deputy Head, Penrith

Dukeshouse Wood has had a long history of developing children through outdoor learning and adventure, set in 18 acres of unspoilt countryside surrounded by trees and fields.

Centre Improvements

In March 2010 we completed the second phase of the centre refurbishment with many new facilities and great improvements to buildings. Accommodation is in comfortable, clean lodges with boys and girls sleeping in separate houses and teachers nearby. These dormitories have been fully improved and updated, all with en-suite bathrooms for children and teachers. We have also completed an upgrade to the dining hall and completing pathways and groundworks. The new 8000 sq ft all weather barn is where children can experience indoor climbing, laser arena and new ICT lab facilities. The Centre is also fully secure with fencing, electronic security gates and CCTV around the site.

“Dukeshouse Wood is our favourite residential site. This is our second year and we shall definitely come again! A lovely site with a great family ethos and fantastic facilities. Every session is a great adventure.”
Year 6 Teacher

Exhilarating Adventure Activity Range

Dukeshouse Wood has had a whole raft of new adventure activity features installed to become one of the country’s leading residential activity centres. The Activity Park in the grounds houses many of these new additions including a new quad bike track, zipwire, outdoor laser, jacob’s ladder, an outdoor climbing and abseiling tower and leap of faith. The new high ropes course is one of the best Kingswood operates, with exciting elements like high all aboard, jungle vines and high equilibrium, great for promoting confidence, team work and safely taking risks, whilst our 3G swing adds an exhilarating dimension to the activity park. These high-adrenaline experiences are contrasted with activities encouraging mental prowess and teambuilding, like team tech, indoor initiatives and mission possible.

Kingswood has also reached agreement with Northumberland County Council for development of three state of the art sports pitches for the benefit of the local community and visitors to the centre from 2010/11.

“Having attended other centres this visit has compared more favourably. Excellent access to activities, great food, smashing accommodation with security, coupled with enthusiastic and outstanding staff make this location very special.”
Mr Duffy, Teacher