There are so many things that you can do in Northumberland that are dog friendly. We reckon you might be able to do ten of these things within a day!
This guide is based on The Cask Connoisseur trip at the end of September. This involved them driving up from the Midlands on the M6, which took around four to five hours of driving. All places visited are dog friendly although they will need to be kept on a lead. Check each attraction’s website for opening times and costs or book a tour.
Day One: Driving up to Northumberland
For our first day on holiday, we left our home at around 11 o’clock in the morning. The car was packed and we were ready to drive the five hour journey up north.
Stopping off at Tebay: Halfway to Northumberland
Our first stop is at Tebay Motorway Service Station. Probably one of the better, it has a reputation for providing locally farmed and produced food which is fairly good. But as anyone will tell you who’ve been to Italy there’s still a long way to go. This is not a stop for human refreshment, but for the dogs (Eddie and Whisky) to stretch their legs. Here you can take a walk along the lanes with views of the Lakeland fells.
Arriving in Northumberland: Perfect stop for a dog walk
The next stop is Allan Banks and Starwood Gorge (free to National Trust members, £3 for two hours parking). This is just off the A69. We’re ahead of schedule, so we decided to let the dogs burn off some more energy. This is a great dog friendly spot in Northumberland, as it’s the perfect place to go for a dog walk.
Most of the signed walks are closed for maintenance. But it is still possible to take a circular walk of around one hour. Lovely views and a couple of stunning vistas. Time it right, and the autumnal colours of the trees would be breathtaking. We were treated to a stunning sunset over the Whin Sill, one of the most famous geological features in Northumberland. Be aware that some of the short climbs on the walks are fairly steep.
Sleeping in Northumberland: Hotel Suggestion
Beadnell Towers Hotel, Beadnell – a bit of luxury for the night. This was also the first time we’ve taken the dogs to a hotel and it was a very friendly welcome. It included treats for the dogs along with obvious places to walk the dogs soon put our minds at rest. The restaurant’s bar is L-shaped and we have dinner in the “dog owners” section. Strange to be eating dinner in a hotel where there were more dog owners than none, but clearly just shows how dog friendly Northumberland is.
There was the odd grumpiness between canine companions, but a peaceful night was enjoyed by all. Beadnell Towers is regarded as one of the better restaurants on the Northumberland coast by locals. A tad expensive but very good. For those wishing to spend less and be happy for “pub food” then The Grey Inn at Embleton. This is a few miles drive away, provides both good food and beer (unfortunately for the driver).
Night time dog walk in Northumberland: Under the night sky
The last walk for the dogs provides time to experience Northumberland’s Dark Skies. Both the Milky Way and the Andromeda galaxy are visible to the naked eye. By taking some binoculars out and you won’t believe how many stars there are. Can you spot The Coat-hanger? This is one of our favourite star asterisms – an arrangement of stars shaped like a coat-hanger hanging in the sky.
Day Two: Full Day Exploring Northumberland
After a superb breakfast at the hotel, we decided to drive the short distance to Seahouses, another dog friendly destination in Northumberland.
Starting the morning off with a boat trip in Northumberland
We went down to the harbour to take the one and a half hour tour of the Farne Islands. What you see by way of wildlife varies depending on the time of year. But you will always see seals and various seabirds on your boat trip.
Both dogs behave impeccably. Whisky who still has the “let’s explore” attitude of a puppy is kept on a tight lead… Just in case he decides to go for a swim. Eddie sits quietly enjoying the scenery although he’d probably prefer playing catch and retrieve. It’s important to note that whilst this is a dog friendly activity to do in Northumberland, dogs are only allowed on the boat, not the island.
Exploring Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland
After the boat trip we drive up to Bamburgh Castle (Adult £17.50, Children £8.50). You could spend a few hours exploring the castle rooms, but dogs are not allowed except in the grounds. So, one person needs to wait outside whilst the rest of us take a quick tour round the State Rooms.
There has been a castle here for hundreds of years, and Bamburgh was the original capital of Bernicia. But the current building mostly dates to the Victorian era. It still is fascinating to explore and imagine what happened here previously.
Find the perfect dog friendly beach in Northumberland
Bamburgh beach is a lovely stretch of sand but one of the busier beaches in this part of the world. It is relatively empty compared to say a similar beach in Cornwall, so the dogs can run free. Additionally, unlike in the summer there were plenty of “free” parking places.
However, for a less popular beach we head down to Low Newton by the Sea. The car park was £5 for 2 hours. You can park for free about half a mile away from the beach at Newton by the Sea.
The beach stretches a couple of miles towards the lowering ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle. This provides a very fitting backdrop to the crashing waves and is the perfect dog friendly beach in Northumberland for you to visit with your canine companions.
Whisky is not very impressed with the blowing sand. Once the “thrower” appears any qualms about being on the beach disappear. Eddie, being a lurcher nearly always gets the ball first. Whisky, who’s a cockapoo, tries his best by running as fast as he can.
Enjoying the castle and kippers in Craster, Northumberland
For refreshment there is The Ship Inn and The Joiners Arms at Newton by the Sea. Both are excellent. The Ship Inn nestling within the square of former fisherman’s cottages perhaps providing a more atmospheric setting.
To fill-in time we head to Craster, another unspoiled fishing village. We’ve been visiting Craster and buying kippers here since the 1960’s. Whilst it is still a beautiful little spot, it has changed with only one smokehouse remaining. This is no one fishing off the harbour anymore.
Then we stroll towards Dunstanburgh Castle (English Heritage, Free to members, from Adults £8, Children £4.50 and allow 45 – 60 minutes to walk there and back). This is a great dog friendly castle in Northumberland to walk up to. After we visit L Robson & Sons smokehouse shop to purchase some kippers for tomorrow’s breakfast and treats for our late lunch.
Dinner at Newton by the Sea in Northumberland
We head to The Joiners Arms at Newton by the Sea for dinner which serves food till 9.00pm. They were quite flexible over exactly what time we sat down to dinner. They were also happy for the dogs to accompany us, making them a good dog friendly pub to visit in Northumberland. The food was good and reasonably priced.
They’re described as a Gastropub and the experience is certainly somewhere between a pub and a good restaurant. There was sufficient selection of beers to cover most tastes and palate, and a couple of excellent beers were sampled. We started to wonder if it was possible to get a poor pint in this part of the world. The Joiners Arms has rooms and a three bedroom cottage and would be a nice place to stay. Maybe the base for our next trip to Northumberland?
Day Three: Continue Exploring Northumberland
Our itinerary is quite busy today with an estimated sixty miles of driving and dinner booked at 7.00pm. So, a relatively early breakfast of the aforementioned kippers and we’re off. The dogs have to put up with a brief period in the back garden. But we’ve got plenty of walks planned for the rest of the day, and the nice thing is so many places are dog friendly in Northumberland!
Start your Northumberland adventure at Ad Gefrin Distillery
Our first stop is at Ad Gefrin distillery (opened 2023) in Wooler. We enjoy views over the Cheviots as we drive there. Ad Gefrin is well worth the visit. Not only is it a distillery producing whisky and gin, but there is also an Anglo-Saxon museum.
The atrium is built from seven thousand wooden staves. Standing on and off the central plaque whilst talking is the first of the amazing experiences. Whisky and Eddie are not allowed in the distillery. But there is a heated patio where coffee and cake can be enjoyed by all, amongst other local produce. The museum is an “immersive AV” experience and worth a visit on its own. But we’re here for the whisky and gin and enjoy a fantastic tour of the distillery and tasting.
The staff are informative and friendly, we discuss becoming a Corenkyn – Chosen Family and leave with a couple of bottles.
Explore Etal Castle a 14th century ruin in Northumberland
From Wooler we follow a somewhat circular route that takes us first to Etal Castle (English Heritage, entrance free but check if open). This small 14th century castle now consists of a gatehouse and keep so is just a short visit. Dogs need to be on the lead but still enjoy the experience.
To reach the castle you drive through the pretty village of Etal with the only thatch roofed pub in Northumberland – The Black Bull. We realise that this whole area needs more than just a cursory visit.
Enjoy a half mile walk to Duddo Five Stones
The next stop is Duddo Five Stones. This stone circle of just five standing stones seems rather unimpressive from the internet search. But the half mile walk to them from the road across fields, includes stunning views, lets the dogs have a decent run.
There is a strange atmosphere at the stones, you can see why they were placed here, but for what reason? Certainly, the vistas from the Cheviots to the Lammermuirs make the walk more than worthwhile. Maybe it’s watching the showers march across the huge landscape that creates the atmosphere?
Also strangely, all of The Cask Connoisseur agree over dinner that the best ‘visitor attraction” is Duddo Five Stones despite its apparently unimpressive status.
Travel to Norham Castle in Norham, Northumberland
We drive through Norham village on the way to Norham Castle (English Heritage, free entry), the village begs to be explored further. We buy snacks at the village store which is well stocked including the best tomatoes and peaches we’ve seen in a long time. Norham Castle was painted several times by Turner, and it is easy to see why.
The keep is massive, and the outer walls include 16th century gun emplacements, something not often seen at one thought of as a medieval castle. Unfortunately, much of the castle was inaccessible presumably for repairs but even so is worth the visit. The dogs certainly enjoyed the space and Whisky with his usual exuberance wanted to be the first to get there, whatever there was. Eddie seemed more interested in learning about any local rabbits rather than the history.
Drive to Berwick upon Tweed for the remains of the castle and city walls
From Norham we take the short drive to Berwick upon Tweed, a place none of us have ever explored. Yet again we discover there is more than we thought and consider next time we’re up near Berwick we should plan for a full day.
Unexpectedly, we discover plenty of free, long stay parking, close to the remains of the castle and city walls. The size of the walls built in the 16th century demonstrates the strategic importance Berwick once had to both the Scots and the English.
They are massive and designed to defend against and kill any attacker. Whilst we enjoy the history and the impressive nature of the walls, the dogs trot along good naturedly exploring the hidden world of smell. The English might have kept Berwick in the end, but its architecture has definite Scottish roots.
If you can drive over to Holy Island (depending on the tides)
Finding ourselves with a spare hour or so before dinner, and the tides are right, we leave Berwick for a short visit to Holy Island (Lindisfarne) to walk the dogs.
Whilst most visitors head towards the pretty village, ruined priory and fascinating castle (a mixture of Tudor fort and Edwardian country house), we park up close to the causeway end and explore the dunes. This is the least popular end of Holy Island but is worth exploring, for the vistas and sense of nature.
Have dinner at The Jolly Fisherman in Craster, Northumberland
Leaving Holy Island, we head down the coast to Craster for dinner at The Jolly Fisherman (best to book a table and tell them if bringing dogs). Their car park is smallish and often full, so it is easier to park in the main Craster Car Park (free after 6.00pm).
Nights can get very dark in Northumberland so you might want to make sure you have a torch when heading back after dinner. The dogs get a brief run before we head into the pub and enjoy an excellent dinner and ales. The seafood platter is good value but tends to be on the “smoked” side of things, maybe because we’re in Craster? Even Whisky behaves impeccably, perhaps the excitement earlier in the day catching up with him?
The day is nearly done and there is nothing more to do than head back to our holiday home, put the feet up and sample a few drams. The end of a lovely day.
Day Four: The Final Day in Northumberland
This is the final day of the holiday, and it’s another full day for those who love exploring! So with this in mind, we knew that a good breakfast was key to this being a successful day, as we needed plenty of energy as we continued exploring Northumberland.
Breakfast at The Running Fox in Long Framlington in Northumberland
We headed to The Running Fox café (Long Framlington). There are five of them dotted around the area. Most allow dogs although a couple do not, so check when booking. Breakfast as ever is excellent, as is the service. Fully fuelled for the day ahead (and a slice of their lovely cakes just in case) we head down to the Tyne valley.
Start your adventure at Prudhoe Castle
Our first stop is Prudhoe Castle (English Heritage, Free to members, from £7.70 adult, £4.00 ticket) , an interesting comparison to the other castles we’ve visited. It was the only Northumbrian castle to successfully resist the Scots throughout its history and was lived in up to the middle of the 20th Century.
If you use your Sat Nav it will likely try to take you via the bridge at Ovingham but be aware, the bridge is single track and very narrow. Those with larger cars or nervous about driving through tight entrances would do better to cross the Tyne either at Wylam or Bywell.
Next head on over to Aydon Castle in Northumberland
From Prudhoe we head to Aydon Castle (English Heritage, Free to members, from £6.80 Adult, £3.60 Child) which is an intact example of a defensive English Manor house dating from the 13th Century.
It was a working farm up to the 1960’s and some of the interiors and exteriors clearly demonstrate this. A fascinating place, bringing to life past times. We leave wondering whether we would have preferred to live in the manor house or the 1960’s house just down the road. Something we’re still pondering.
The final adventure in Northumberland ends at Corbridge Roman Town
From Aydon we take the short journey to Corbridge Roman town often referred to as Coria or previously Corstopitum (English Heritage, Free to members, from £10.00 Adult, £5.90 Child). The day has turned blustery and chill and we’re grateful for wearing coats.
They become even more important as we join one of the free guided tours. They are supposed to last less than an hour, but our knowledgeable and informative guide is still chatting two hours later (apparently a normal occurrence). His enthusiasm is infectious and despite the fact we need to use Whisky as a hot water bottle, we wish he’d spoke for longer.
Few of the facts related are retained but we now know the reason for the wavy walls (Edwardian Archaeologists), that only 10% of the town has been excavated, the course of the Tyne has changed since then and originally Corbridge was the head of river navigation. Hence the reason for the sighting of the town.
Bonus tip: If time, visit Birdoswald to conclude your trip
Unfortunately, we leave Corbridge too late to take in Birdoswald so finish the break with a return visit to Allen Banks & Staward Gorge. Probably the preferred option for the dogs and also for those who wished to use up the excess calories from the cakes we’d bought in the morning.
Bird Oswald (English Heritage, Free to members from £10.00 Adults, £5.90 Child) is well worth the visit if only for a last glimpse of those huge “Northumberland” vistas and open skies (okay you’re now in Cumbria). Perhaps not as famous as Vindolanda or Houseteads you can see the longest remaining stretch of Roman Wall spanning as far as the eye can see including a mile castle and turret.
Northumberland offers a wonderfully diverse range of dog-friendly activities, from scenic hikes and historic castle visits to local dining spots that welcome your furry friends. With each day bringing new adventures, you’ll find it easy to keep both you and your dogs entertained. Northumberland’s unique combination of stunning natural landscapes, fascinating history, and dog-welcoming atmosphere makes it a perfect getaway for you and your pets. Whether you’re exploring a 14th-century ruin or stargazing under the famed dark skies, this region has something special for everyone to enjoy.
So, grab your leash, pack some treats, and get ready to discover the best of Northumberland alongside your loyal companions.
FAQs for Your Four Day Northumberland Holiday:
- Are all the attractions dog-friendly? Yes, the guide focuses on dog-friendly spots. However, in some places, dogs may need to stay on a lead or may be restricted to certain areas. It’s always best to check each attraction’s website for specific dog policies.
- Can dogs join in on the boat trips to the Farne Islands Yes, dogs are allowed on the boat trip (on a lead), however, they will not be allowed onto the Islands due to the wildlife and would need to stay on the boat with their owner.
- Is it necessary to book restaurants in advance? Many dog-friendly pubs and restaurants do get busy, especially during peak times, so it’s recommended to book ahead and mention that you’re bringing a dog.
Get ready for an unforgettable experience in Northumberland! Start planning your trip today and don’t forget to pack those treats for your dogs!.
