Sam
I am trying to book more UK breaks away and decided to book a trip to Northumberland with the kids and dogs for a family holiday due to it been claimed to be dog friendly. However, as I have my boys and my dogs I was a bit unsure if Northumberland would work as a child/dog-friendly place. All the days out shown below that we experienced except for Bamburgh castle was dog and child friendly in some way or another. This meant my dogs were with us throughout the day.
Itinerary for Northumberland With Kids and Dogs
Contents
Day 1 – Arrival
We arrived in Bamburgh at about 4pm, which was the check in time for our self-catering accommodation. Our self-catering accommodation was called the Greenleaf and was a lovely 2-bed house in the centre of town. Later that evening after our dinner, we headed down to the beach for a runabout.
Day 2 – Walking Bamburgh to Seahouses
As the weather was meant to be raining today we decided just to walk from Bamburgh to the next town called Seahouses. The dogs and the boys loved running around on the beach. Once we reached Seahouses we stopped for lunch at the Bamburgh Castle Inn. We decided to sit outside in the beer garden for some food before walking back to Bamburgh. On the way back I decided to walk along the St Cuthberts Way which we found slightly harder than the beach way. Although this might have been because we were getting tired!
Day 3 – Holy Island
After checking the tide times I realised that today would be the only day that would work for crossing to Holy Island. We drove across to Holy Island and parked up in the main car park (you can’t miss it). After exploring around the priory area we headed to the Crown and Anchor for a spot of lunch! Lunch was amazing! The castle is currently under restoration so we decided to walk up and explore the area as you get some beautiful views. I hope to go back again once the Castle has reopened. Although I don’t think the castle allows dogs inside.
Day 4 – Dunstanburgh Castle
We had a lovely day exploring Dunstanburgh Castle which the dogs got to explore too. We took a picnic with us and sat behind a wall out of the wind to enjoy our lunch. It was really windy and Little K did not enjoy being blown about. I decided to put him in his toddler carrier so we could explore the ruin castle a bit quicker. After exploring we headed back along the coast back to my car.
Day 5 – Ford & Etal
Today we headed off to visit the Heatherslaw Corn Mill, The Heatherslaw Light Railway, and Etal before checking out the Heavy Horse Farm Centre on the way home. The corn mill is interactive and hands-on which meant the boys were in their element. Dogs aren’t allowed in the corn mill. We had so much fun this day.
Day 6 – Cragside
After being stuck in the accommodation driveway for nearly an hour due to a broken down lorry, we finally managed to head off to Cragside. This is known for being the first house to be lit by hydroelectricity and it is fascinating to explore. The house isn’t dog friendly which is a shame but there is more than enough trails for you to explore with your four legged friends.
Day 7 – Bamburgh Castle
We spent the morning in the house before heading out to the beach for a walk with the dogs. In the afternoon we then headed up to Bamburgh Castle for a look around. Don’t forget your camera as if it’s a nice day then you will get some great pictures of the views. Remember Bamburgh Castle doesn’t allow dogs inside.
Day 8 – Home Time 🙁
The day that no one wants to do. Going home. We managed to get pack up before the 10am deadline. Instead of stopping along the way we headed straight home so we could get the afternoon outside in the garden.
Hopefully, you will get some ideas of dog/child-friendly days out if you are planning a holiday to Northumberland with kids and dogs. If you have been to Northumberland with kids and dogs before let me know in the comments below.
Have you been somewhere before with your kids and dogs that were also dog/child friendly? Please let me know as I would love to go explore more!
Sounds like you were able to do a lot with both children and dogs in tow – looks like you had a great adventure!
Thank you Jade. Yes we managed quite a lot while we were away. Everyone had a great time while away. I don’t think they dogs wanted to leave! Ha!
You certainly packed a lot in your week. The little railways and the castle looked like a lot of fun. It’s so nice when you can take the dogs too. #familytraveltips
Yes we managed to do quite a lot while away. Taking the dogs with us was different to what we normally do but we will definitely do it a lot more!
Wow, thanks so much for all the tips, we may well head that way with children and dogs in tow over the May half term. My favourite dog friendly destination so far has been the Isle of Wight. There were quite a few dog friendly beaches and dog friendly days out, including Robin Hill Park and Black Gang Chine. We camped there too, really close to the beach and there were lots of nice paths to run with the dog and the sea was calm enough for me to take her in for a swim with me too. Thanks so much for linking up to #FamilyTravelTips.
Nat.x
You will love it if you go. Ive always wanted to go to the Isle of Wight but it is a long way for us to go. It sounds the perfect location too! x
Travelling with pets can definitely be a bit of a challenge – sometimes just finding pet-friendly accommodation can be a real headache! Glad to see you had a great trip!
Oh yes, finding the right accommodation took a while. Most dont allow 2 dogs which makes it harder for us to find somewhere. We found a great place though 🙂 x
now this really is my kind of holiday, I’m fed up with flying and would love a week on the coast in the countryside with my dog
#mondayescapes
Yes, it was a great destination. I think we may have to do Wales next…although its a slightly longer journey for everyone. x
I love getting recommendations on places to go with children and dogs. You can usually find places that are good for one or the other but not both. It sounds like you had lots of outdoor and castle fun in Northumberland. It’s somewhere I don’t think I’ve been but I’ve heard lots of great things about the castles. Cornwall is one of our recommendations for dog-friendly holidays. I’ve got a blog post about this on my to-do list. Keep and eye out :). Thanks for sharing this on #MondayEscapes
Yes it is hard finding both child/dog friendly places to visit. Oh will keep a look out for your Cornwall post. I have been a few times as a child but not with our boys x
Derbyshire has lots of dog friendly places, and the National Tramway Museum lets them go in everywhere including all the trams and the shops, and eating places. Chatsworth House is fabulous too – lots of lovely walks with interesting things for the children, and you can take dogs into the eating courtyard and the huge and fabulous gift shop. Can’t go in the house but guess yours might be a bit young to enjoy that anyway!
Derbyshire sounds great! Will have to keep it in mind if we need a UK break at any time. Thank you for your comment.
Thank you for an informative report. My girls are 8 and 12 and its the first time we are daring to take our 3 year old border collie.
Thank you for the lovely comment Lou. I’m sure you will have a blast. It certainly is a bit challenging finding suitable days out for everyone but our dogs love coming away with us.
Thank you for this information, we pretty much did everything on your list and we had the best time in the area. Will be following more of your travel ideas