Located in the heart of the Cumbrian countryside in the Lake District National Park, Near Howe is an idyllic, quiet, and tranquil retreat with stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding fells. Seven high-quality, tastefully decorated self-catering cottages set in extensive, spacious grounds. The smallest cottage sleeps 2, the largest 7, sleeping up to 30 people in total.
Near Howe enjoys minimal light pollution and uninterrupted views of the stars on clear, dark nights and is proud to be a Cumbria Tourism Dark Sky friendly destination. Guests can glimpse the Milky Way in all its glory, along with sparkling star clusters from numerous outdoor seating areas and our extensive field, which provides uninterrupted views of the night sky.
Their complimentary Dark Sky package is available to pre-book for your stay at Near Howe on a first-come, first-served basis. It includes using a Sky-watcher telescope, binoculars, waterproof rug, blankets, thermos flask with hot chocolate and cups. In addition, all cottages are equipped with red torches and stargazing information.
Near Howe also holds dedicated stargazing weekends. Over these weekends, there will be talks about the stars from an astronomer, taking photos of the night sky, and top tips for setting up and using a telescope, and, of course, they’ll also be plenty of time for stargazing (subject to the weather).
Stay & gaze - this location benefits from dark skies, relatively low levels of light pollution, is astronomy friendly and suitable for stargazing breaks.
Weather forecast
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01/05/24
11° 37% -
01/05/24
10° 4% -
02/05/24
11° 1% -
02/05/24
10° 4%
Weather forecast for Blencathra (3.2 miles away) updated 01/05/24 at 20:00.
Local light pollution
Near Howe is estimated to have light pollution levels similar to arural rural location based on the latest data from the VIIRS satellite.
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Urban
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Suburban
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Semi-rural
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Rural
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Dark site
The above demonstrates the estimated effect of light pollution - graphics created using Stellarium.
Best time to visit
Find the best dates
If you are planning to visit this location check our dark sky calendar to find out when is best!
Calendar