Duke visits Northumberland
- June 2025

Well May has been a busy month, and not just for mum at work! It started with my annual holibobs to Northumberland for the #GreatNorthTweetUp2025 held each year in Bamburgh on the Saturday prior to the first May bank holiday.

Our holibobs started the day before on the Friday as it is a long journey. My hoos like to break up the journey with a trip to somewhere en route to our accommodation. This year our leg stretch was at Harewood House—www.harewood.org based exactly half way between our house and the holibobs house. We had never been there before, but it caught the hoos eye when they spotted it used in the Land Rover advert. It was also part of the 2-4-1 offer with Gardeners World magazine as part of the May 2025 issue, which provides you a card to show to gain entry to a ton of places on a 2-4-1 offer.

We had a nice walk round the lake, with a bit of posing here and there, and saw the garden showing off all its pretty colours. We then walked back to the formal gardens, and I sat with mum whilst she had her picnic lunch and dad visited the house. Then they swopped over whilst dad ate his lunch.

There were two other walks on offer, but it was getting warm, and I still had a holibobs to get to.



After a quick charge of the Dukemobile & me resting in the shade of the Sainsburys canopy attracting quite a crowd of admirers we were back on the road, and we arrived at our cottage in Rothbury.

On Saturday we headed to Bamburgh where 32 hounds enjoyed saying hello to each other and we headed for a walk along the beach. Back at the car park we gathered round for the odd treat or two and handed in our ticket to collect our surprise hound gift. All hounds bring a wrapped gift and after the walk we all get to choose a lucky dip gift to take home. I got a toy and some treats. Then dad starts shouting out random numbers to the crowd as the main raffle gets under way, and people come away with a variety of different prizes. All monies raised go to a different dog charity each year, with this year £455 going to Greyhound Gap Rescue.

I met up with my old pals Rory and Nial, nicked all Nial’s cheese and chicken, and arranged to meet up the following day for another walk for anyone wishing to join us.



On Sunday a few of us met up at Craster to walk from the car park to the Castle and back. It was due to rain, but luckily the weather held out, but it was colder and breezy. I think they call it invigorating! Rory and Nial turned up as well as a few other chums and we headed off, me closely following Nial’s mum as she had brought more chicken and cheese whilst I refused everyone else’s treat offerings. We did a bit of posing at the castle as a trio and then turned round and headed back.



During the rest of my holibobs I mostly went out just with my hoos, visiting my National Trust haunts of Cragside, Wallington and Seaton Deleval. All places are dog friendly in the gardens, grounds, cafes, and shops.

 

I visited a couple of new places this time too, one after a recommendation from Nial. We headed to the Scottish borders and went to Kelso, after a quick walk round the shops (none of the shops the hoos wanted to visit were actually open that day!), we headed to Floors Castle It was a very warm day, but thankfully the car park near the Castle was in the woods so the car stayed cool. We started our trip to the café which allowed me inside so I could stay out of the sun, which was very reasonable and pleasant.

The hoos then decided to visit the castle next, so mum went first, whilst I stayed with dad resting under a tree in the shade. We decided to go for a walk and explore the walled garden, after mum had watched a video whilst in the castle. This was paused briefly whilst we visited the shop, where even my lying up the middle of the floor did not stop the hoos from spending all my kibble earnings. The man saw my pleas and offered me a biccy, which naturally I refused. I ate it later in the day to stop me wasting away. We then visited the gardens, did some more posing and as it was getting very warm, we headed back to the shady tree, and I stayed with mum whilst dad visited the castle. There was a nice river walk but it was too hot for that, so I headed to the other castle gift shop, the hoos spent more kibble earnings and I got another biccy I did not want. A great place to visit with plenty of walks, shady rest spots and ability to shop and eat inside with a hound. This was also on the 2-4-1 Gardeners World offer so a bargain too.



I visited Belsay Hall part of English Heritage, and yes you guessed it also part of the Gardeners World offer. My hoos do like a bargain. This is dog friendly in the gardens and wider estate and has covered eating areas outside the café. You can also browse the shop with a hound & I sneaked into the bookshop (not sure if I was allowed to or not).

We walked to the hall first, where the hoos took it in turns. Mum spotted some William Morris wallpaper in one room so kept her happy. We then headed down through the gardens posing with the flowers and then went through a mystery gate in the garden wall. This brings you out into another garden, which is less formal and had big rocks and trees. Following this brings you to the castle remains, where the hoos took it in turns to look around, whilst I had a rest. There was a good historic video in one of the rooms (one that still had a roof), which was aimed at children but my hoos found entertaining. Behind the castle is a café, so we stopped and had a refreshment before heading back. You return to the mystery gate on a different path, so you see things you did not see on the way.

The man in the shop said there was a crag walk you could do, so we did not go through the gate and turned right.
This walk is less assessable so after mum struggled up and down some steps huffing and puffing, dad suggested we turn back, we found a short cut and returned to the mystery gate and back through the garden. Tigger tells me that there are fabulous views on this walk, but this is a challenging walk and much longer than the 40 minutes we were advised when we arrived, so one for the younger fitter more able generation than my mum with her stick.

The hoos bought a few bits from the shop and we headed home. Well worth a visit, especially if you are an English Heritage member.



The week went by so quickly, but I had time to meet up with my boss, Tigger & his human, as we headed to Wallington National Trust near Morpeth. We decided to do the river walk. We headed past the house and down to the walled garden. We had a sniff of the flowers and a pause in the garden, whilst dad had to run back to the car. Then we exited by a gate that took us down to the river. Faced with several stepping stones and a free running river, what could go wrong. Well surprisingly we all made it across without falling in and continued along the riverbank. The walk then goes up through the woods and you cross a little bridge back across the river. A quick pause to catch our breath and let some enthusiastic dogs go ahead of us, we continued our way. A final photo with the house and then headed for refreshments. It was lovely to have some company on our visit and catch up with old friends.



After this I headed with my hoos into Morpeth, so we could visit one of our favourite tea rooms, Micah’s tea rooms. It is a tiny set up that has a secret back yard where dogs are allowed. Very reasonable and excellent food all made to order.

Now time to head back home via the scenic route.
Until next time, love and licks
Duke

www.dukesdoggieadventures.wordpress.com