Embark on an adventure to Northumberland with your four legged friend, Rab and Phin give us an insight to their short break…….
Oh no, the suitcases are out, that can only mean one thing, we are off to kennels.
Hang on, the kennels are in the other direction, we’re going on holiday too - yippee!
With all the excitement, I nearly forgot to introduce myself, I am Rab, a 5 year old Border Terrier and this is my older brother Phin. It turns out we were going for a short break in Northumberland, staying in Coquetdale. Did you know Border Terriers hail from Coquetdale, so this was a trip to our ancestral home?
Our adventure began when we stopped at Belsay Hall, Castle & Gardens, run by English Heritage. We had to stay on our leads and weren’t allowed inside, but there was lots to explore outside so that didn’t matter. My favourite part was the Quarry Garden, with its sheer rock faces and large exotic plants, it felt like we were in a jungle.
Rothbury, surrounded by the Northumberland National Park, was our base. A beautiful and peaceful town there’s a lovely walk along the river bank, plus dog friendly pubs and cafes.
We are really active and like many dogs love walking, we even have backpacks so we can carry our own water and snacks! The Simonside Hills and Cheviots are all within easy reach of Rothbury, so we had great fun exploring with the family. Northumberland National Park have a series of walking routes available to download on their website. We chose the 5-mile Drake Stone & Harbottle Walk, starting and finishing at the Forestry Commission Car Park in Harbottle. Our humans got very excited when we arrived at The Drake Stone, a large Fell Sandstone boulder which local legend suggests has ancient healing powers, plus the views were stunning.
Cragside, now managed by the National Trust, was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity and our humans were amazed by the fascinating gadgets within the house. Dogs aren’t allowed inside, but, there are over 40 miles of footpaths at Cragside and on lead dogs are welcome. We were feeling energetic so did the 3-mile-long Gun Walk. It did include a steep climb but the views were worth it.
We discovered that dogs really do receive a warm Northumbrian welcome at many cafes, pubs and from numerous accommodation providers. For a list of some dog friendly accommodation go to visitnorthumberland.com/pet-friendly