Tucked away at the top of Northumberland, close to the Scottish border and Hadrian's Wall, Kielder Water is the largest man-made lake in Europe and one of Britain's biggest nature resorts, home to red squirrels, deer and rare birds.

Kielder Castle at the western end of the reservoir was built as a hunting lodge for the Duke of Northumberland but now houses the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre for the Kielder Forest Park, and a free exhibition over two floors gives a useful insight into the history, wildlife and landscape of the area.

You can easily spend an extra day at Kielder while on the Reivers route, as Kielder's 200 square miles of forest and 27 mile lake shoreline offer routes for cyclists of all ages and abilities. There are 13 waymarked trails, from easy to demanding, and two off road routes, accessible all year round. There is also a cycle orienteering trail designed for both experienced riders as well as those out for the first time.

On the Reivers route itself, you have a choice for skirting the reservoir but the north-easterly track is more suitable for mountain bikes as there are a lot of stones and it's pretty bumpy without the wider tyres. Other bikes are probably better off taking the tarmac road which is pretty quiet, but does have a few cars passing by.

Further information www.kielder.org/cycling.htm