Northumberland pub has a new star attraction with opening of planetarium

The Twice Brewed Inn, located in the heart of the Northumberland Dark Skies Park, near Bardon Mill, has been building a strong reputation for its stargazing offer, since opening its observatory in early 2020.

Led by resident astronomer, Wil Cheung, the busy stargazing session timetable- which serves beginners through to seasoned sky explorers – has attracted thousands of visitors.

Now the addition of the planetarium, designed to enhance The Twice Brewed’s stargazing experience even further - is expected to draw in many more.

Wil said: “We have spent many months building and making plans for the planetarium and everyone at The Twice Brewed is delighted to be able to welcome people inside to immerse themselves in the universe.”

A series of captivating experiences are available to enjoy inside the planetarium, offering visitors the chance to journey around the Aurora; take a tour of the Universe; soak up the science behind the Sun; travel through Nebulas; get among Saturn's rings; and much more.

With capacity for around 35 people to make themselves comfortable on a variety of reclining chairs and bean bags – while enjoying the warmth of the underfloor heating – The Twice Brewed’s planetarium will now feature in all stargazing experiences.

And if the skies are cloudy, stargazers will be still be able to explore the night skies from inside the dome.

Wil said: “It really is incredible what the planetarium can bring to the overall stargazing experience.

“While you could never replace the joy and wonder of exploring the night sky for real, having the planetarium will allow us to take guests on journeys which simply aren’t possible through a telescope.

“It’s wonderful that we now have the ability to offer visitors the chance to do both.”

In the coming weeks and months, more events will be added to the Planetarium timetable.

The planetarium will also available for private hire events and it is also envisaged that school parties will be making good use of the facility.

Bookings can be made now at www.twicebrewedinn.co.uk/stargazing