Tag Archives: pet friendly

Pets, Places to visit, travel, vintage, walks, Yorkshire

A Short Break In Bronte Country.

August 3, 2025 shazza 24 Comments

So we were back in Bronte Country again ( we last stayed near Haworth in November) for a couple of nights away with Mr Hugo. As our gorgeous labrador was with us, we knew we would have to keep things relaxed ,with not too much walking.

The perfect place for some fresh air and bracing moorland views is Penistone Hill Country Park , just outside of Haworth. There are several car parking areas, so the heather- strewn countryside that so inspired the Brontes is easily accessible. Other artists have recently drawn inspiration from the rugged surroundings and Wild Uplands is a set of 4 outdoor art works scattered around the park. We managed to come across three of them.

The Brontes were inspired by the wild moorland on their doorstep.

Just a few of the charmingly nonsensical creatures that make up **The Children Of Smokeless Fire** by Berlin based artist Monira Al Qadiri. The figures are inspired by The Cottingley Fairies Hoax of 1917.

A distant view of **The Tower** by Steve Messam. This art work is built from locally quarried stone and covered in wool from local sheep breeds.

**99 Butterflies** by Pakistani-born artist Meherunnisa Asad in partnership with Peshawar-based atelier Studio Lél. The pink marble butterflies represent Bradfords migration stories.

After an all too brief moorland mooch we checked into our home for the weekend Wildfell Cottage in the nearby village of Oxenhope. What a lovely end terrace this is, the perfect dog friendly base for exploring Bronte Country. The owners really have thought of everything.

Oxenhope has a couple of pubs, a chippy, a co op and a station on the Keighley & Worth Valley Heritage Railway . On the Friday evening we walked to the nearby Bay Horse pub for a couple of drinks. Just about everyone there was accompanied by some type of four-legged friend. 🐴

After a leisurely morning relaxing at the cottage we headed to Oxenhope Station to catch a train into Haworth. The Heritage Railway runs alternate vintage diesel and steam locomotives 🚂 along the 5 mile line from Keighley to Oxenhope. Dogs travel free and the journey to Haworth takes about 6 minutes.

Haworths main cobbled street leads up to St Michael & All Angels Church where Patrick Bronte served as curate and brought up his family in the Parsonage behind. Here is where Branwell, Charlotte, Emily & Anne grew up and spent most of their adult lives. Escaping onto the South Pennine moors beyond the confines of home served as inspiration for the talented siblings writing. Today the Bronte Parsonage is a world renowned museum exhibiting many of the families possessions & memorabilia.

Bronte Sisters Bronze Sculpture behind the museum.

As an entry ticket to the museum is valid for 12 months ( I last visited back in November) I had a quick look around the Parsonage for free. Wil and Hugo waited in a shady area outside.

For the next couple of hours we mostly people watched on the cobbles. There are plentiful pretty shop frontages, quirky cafes & bars and olde worldy pubs to relax outside of on a sunny day and watch the world go by.

I always visit the Cabinet of Cabinet of Curiosities when in Haworth.

Cloth Store is the perfect place on Main Street for chicken burgers/ haloumi burgers and people watching.

Later on we caught a train back to Oxenhope. I had hoped we would make the return trip on a steamer but we got the timings wrong. It was no hardship though to have a brew on the platform and wait to see the next steam engine arrive in all it’s Railway Children Esque glory.

As the day got hotter and hotter we decided to then take Hugo back to the holiday cottage and enjoy the shady coolness of its outside area.

Thanks for dropping by.

🌸🌸🌸🌸

Pets, Places to visit, travel, walks, wildlife

Low Force Waterfalls and The Bowlees Visitor Centre, County Durham.

April 30, 2024 shazza 32 Comments

At the weekend we drove over the North Pennines ( a scenic 45 minute journey from the van) into the Durham Dales. Our destination, a pretty waterfall walk in Upper Teasdale.

Low Force is a series of low cascades about three miles upstream from Middleton-In-Teesdale. Although not as dramatic as nearby High Force, the falls are still worth visiting.

We parked nearby at Bowlees Visitor Centre , it has a good sized carpark with a donations payment box. From there we crossed a wooden bridge and headed to the centre, which is in a lovely converted chapel. Next it was a matter of walking straight ahead down a lane and through some fields into woodland.

Once in the woodland we decided to cross Wynch Bridge, a chain suspension bridge over the River Tees. Erected in the 1800s, this Wynch Bridge was built to replace the original, which had collapsed under the weight of nine miners heading to Middleton Mine. The present bridge still comes with a ‘ Please Cross One Person At A Time !’ sign.

Near the other side of the bridge there are two life-size Sheep sculptures stood on a dry stone wall plinth. The Sheep by local artist Keith Alexander look like they are off to view Low Force too. 😊

The writing on the plinth reads ‘ A Wonderful Place To Be A Walker.’

And here is Low Force! There are various natural viewing points from which to photograph the falls. Plunging over the Whin Sill ( layers of millions of years old molten rock) the water cascades into scenic rocky river pools.

Low Force tumbles a small and mighty 18ft drop.

We decided to walk along the riverside a while, which is part of The Pennine Way. You can easily carry on from Low Force to England’s biggest waterfall High Force, a couple of miles upstream. Now that Hugo can’t walk as far, we will save that for another occasion. There are certainly plentiful routes and trails in the Durham Dales to explore. 😊

Nature inspired art in a dry stone wall.

I would definitely love to return, not least because there was so much wildlife to see, including curlews, lapwings and my first swallows of the year. The area has also been used as a filming location in the war movie 1917 and the supernatural series The Witcher.

After retracing our steps back over Wynch Bridge and taking a few more photos of the waterfalls, we headed back to Bowlees Visitor Centre for an early lunch. The Visitor Centre is run by the North Pennines National Landscape team, and is a gateway to the North Pennines National Landscape and UNESCO Global Geopark. So any information you may wish to know about North Teesdales unique geology and wildlife can be found here.

There’s a lovely gift shop and cafe downstairs too and an art gallery upstairs. Dogs are allowed on the ground floor. A toasty wood burning stove warmed us up, for despite the welcoming sunshine it was still chilly outdoors.

Lapwings in the rafters. The words read ~ ‘A Flock of Lapwings, Tumbling above the meadows, Flood the sky with sound.’

My lunch was delicious 😋. Tasty tomato soup with a savoury cheese scone. So good.

Have you ever visited Low Force and The River Tees? I thought it was lovely there and can’t wait to return. 😊

lancashire, Pets, Places to visit, walks, wildlife

Being Tourists In Our Home Town ~ Clitheroe.

April 8, 2024 shazza 36 Comments

We had ‘ Stay Home’ plans on Saturday and as it was actually sunny and dry ( Of course there had to be gusty winds too, courtesy of Storm Kathleen! ) we took Hugo up The Castle Keep, which has recently been undergoing ongoing repairs, and is now back open again.

Clitheroe Castle 🏰 is often described as ‘ England’s Second Smallest Castle Keep’ though to be honest, however much I look online, I cannot find any information regarding the actual smallest. Let’s just say, Clitheroe has a tiny Castle!The 12th Century Norman Keep stands on a limestone outcrop and has commanding views over the historic market town of Clitheroe and towards Pendle Hill. It is surrounded by 16 acres of parkland ,which include a bandstand, cafe, labyrinth, children’s playground, skate park and war memorial.

Heading up to the Castle Museum buildings.

The Castle Keep. The landmarks infamous ‘ cannonball hole’ is presently boarded up…

Inside the keep. Nope you couldn’t live here!

This photo does not show how wild it actually was up there!

Moments after taking this photo I was blown Mary Poppins style into the clouds. Honest!

We next took shelter in the Stewards Gallery situated next to the museum buildings. At the moment the gallery is hosting a photography exhibition called Diamonds In The Landscape, which celebrates 60 years of The Forest Of Bowland as an AONB. The free exhibition continues until the end of April and dogs are welcome inside.

Attempting to get Hugo to pose for a photo doesn’t always work!

Continuing our town tourism adventure, we decided to go for a drink at Holmes Mill which contains one of the largest bars in Britain ~ Bowland Beer Hall.

Because we live close enough to Bowland Beer Hall for the beer to be pumped across to our living room ( well, in theory! ) we very rarely pop over, just the two of us, preferring to save our trips for when we are with visiting friends and family. 😋 The Holmes Mill complex has lots going on including an Everyman Cinema, Duck Pin Bowling Alley, Hotel, Bistro and Food Hall.

It was still very blustery outside and when one of the table umbrellas decided to launch itself into the sky, we quickly moved indoors. We then ended up enjoying more drinks whilst sitting in a cosy nook by the bar. So that was us being tourists in our own town. It became quite the Saturday Session! 😁 I even bumped into a fellow blogger, Sophie who blogs at So Beau . She was with her lovely family in the mill and was very gracious, despite being spotted by a slightly tipsy reader. 😙😃

Thanks for bobbing by.

Pets, travel, vintage

Quirky accomodation stayed in over the years.

November 18, 2023 shazza 35 Comments

Next year to save money, we have decided to use our lovely static caravan for all our UK holidays. Whether we do remains to be seen of course! All too often it seems, we are tempted by new destinations and quite often, quirky accomodations! Here I have listed 10 of our more unusual stays, happily all of them seem to be still going strong. 🙂

A Showmans Wagon In Cornwall.

Located in Cornwall’s beautiful Tamar Valley, Spring Park is a captivating collection of vintage vans and cute cabins, set in their own private wildflower meadows. We stopped in The Duke, a 1940s Showmans Wagon back in 2016. I absolutely loved how cosy The Duke is , with its french enamel wood burning stove and colourful decor. A large modern bathroom is situated in a separate timber building and just outside there’s a Wood Fired Hot Tub. Your deep in the Cornish countryside here, so truly a place to relax and recharge.

A Crofters Cottage In The Outer Hebrides.

White sands, turquoise sea and stunning machair are just some of the attractions of a stay on North Uist in The Outer Hebrides. In 2017 we rented Monty’s Cottage , a thatched one story Crofters cottage on the island . The restored black house had been home to conservationist Monty Halls ( and his rescue dog Roobs) for the BBC series ‘ Monty Halls Great Escapes’. The show had really sparked our interest in visiting the Uists, fast forward a few years and we finally got there, stopping in that very same cottage. Possibly my favourite quirky stay, though I think the gorgeous location was key.

An Art Deco Hotel In The Lake District.

Did you know that there is a beautiful Art Deco hotel in a remote corner of the Lake District. The Haweswater looks out across the reservoir/lake of the same name. Built in 1937 by The Manchester Waterworks, the guesthouse has 17 bedrooms, and two restaurants. The stunning interiors feature parquet flooring and 1930s antiques. We’ve been lucky enough to stay here on two separate occasions and have seen how lovingly the building has been restored over the years.

A Tree Dome In Shropshire.

In 2019 we glamped in style under a canopy of trees in Shropshire. Woodland Escapes near Ludlow comprises of five different properties in a shady woodland setting. Tree Dome with its elevated position and wrap around decking has an alfresco oven for cooking and hot tub for relaxing . It’s a short hop, skip and a jump to the outdoor shower room, but the super kingsize bed and glowing wood burner kept us cosy once back inside the dome.

A Shepherds Hut In The Lakes.

My first glamping experience was back in 2015. Wil, Hugo and I snuggled inside a bijou Shepherds Hut near Coniston Water. I remember we played Scrabble, barbecued and stayed toasty by the wood burning stove. Herdwick Huts have had a change of location since ( the beauty of sheds on wheels!) ,they now reside in the grounds of Rydal Hall. So still that idyllic Lakeland scenery, right on your doorstep.

A Gothic Guesthouse In Whitby.

Seemingly I described La Rosa as a haven for teacups and taxidermy, when we stayed here in 2012. Happily the period townhouse with its coveted views of Whitbys famous abbey has retained it’s eccentricity and kitch decor. The 8 themed bedrooms include a Lewis Carroll inspired boudoir ( the guesthouse was a favourite seaside retreat of his) and a Bram Stoker room. Breakfast is a hamper delivered to your door. A Victorian Tearoom and Cocktail Library add to La Rosa’s unique charm.

A Fairytale Woodland Cottage In Staffordshire.

Hansel & Gretel Cottage is a much loved Victorian Folly , built by a former Earl of Bradford on his Staffordshire Estate. The charming lakeside cottage with its own pier is set in 200 acres of private woodland. Off-grid ( powered by a generator) yet luxurious, guests here are encouraged to toast marshmallows on the fire, read by candlelight and borrow a vintage bicycle to ride around the estate. A romantic retreat and fairytale treat.

A Lighthouse In Wester Ross.

Of everywhere we have been fortunate enough to stop Rua Reidh Lighthouse must be the most remote. Perched high on the cliffs at the end of a long and fairly hair raising 3 mile track, this Stephenson Lighthouse looks out over Loch Ewe and the vast ocean beyond. Guest accommodation comprises of two tastefully renovated former keepers cottage apartments and the bijou sea facing Hide. Rua Reidh is for those who seek solace, bracing cliff top walks and occasional wonderful wildlife spots.

A Cool Castle In Ayrshire.

Last year my sister booked an actual Scottish Castle for a family break by the coast in North Ayrshire. Six adults, two teenagers and a dog made ourselves at home in the quirky and cool Knock Old Castle near Largs. Dating back to the 14th Century, this unique residence is brimmed full of unusual touches. Fresco painted ceilings, fairytale turrets, higgledy piggeldy floors & steps and stained glass windows. There’s also a glass lookout tower, a sauna in another tower, hot tub and a lawned garden perfect for playing croquet.

A Cosy Cabin In Kilmartin Glen.

If there’s an alfresco bath tub in the garden, you know your holiday accommodation is going to be a little bit different. Some years ago we enjoyed a few days away in A Peaceful 1930s Cabin near Kilmartin Glen, Argyle, Scotland. Located in the owners orchard, the cabin features a Scandinavian wood burning stove that really keeps things cosy. I remember making a fruit crumble using apples and plums from the orchard, and eyeing up that bath with some trepidation. 🤔Luckily there’s also a shower room indoors!

Are you tempted by any of the places above?

What is the most quirky accomodation you have stopped in?

* Everything above welcomes dogs. Some don’t have WiFi or television.

Pets, Places to visit, seasons, travel, vintage, walks, wildlife

Stepping into a fairytale. 🍄

October 27, 2023 shazza 28 Comments

Once upon a time, in a land not that far away, an enchanting cottage in a magical forest became our home for a few lazy peaceful days.

The Hansel and Gretel Cottage on the Staffordshire/Shropshire border is a charming woodland folly , with more than a hint of the Grimm’s Fairytale about it. The former Victorian fishing and shooting lodge ,handcrafted in 1856, was used by the Earls of Bradford for entertaining. Guests included Queen Mary, who may or may not have indulged in estate shoots and ice skating on The White Sitch.

Frontage with boardwalk to a fishing lake called The White Sitch.

Bicycles. Unfortunately too big for a shortie like me.

The quirky cottage is definitely for those who want to get away from it all. The woodland is private and the only souls we saw were fishermen. There is barely any phone signal. And no TV of course. So you really do feel like you have stepped back in time.

I almost expected to bump into Hansel & Gretel. Or even a wizened old witch!

As well as a few fishermen settled around the lake, did spot a Swan 🦢 couple and other water birds.

A walk called ‘ Charlotte’s Walk’ traverses the water and was a sure hit with our labrador Hugo. So nice to have the forest mostly to ourselves and for him to have lots of off-lead wanders.

A selection of the fantastic fungi to be found near the Hansel & Gretel Cottage.

Staying in The Hansel & Gretel Cottage really was like stepping into a fairytale. 🍄🍁

lancashire, Pets, Places to visit, seaside, travel, walks, wildlife

Lune Valley Stay With Walks In Glasson And Wray.

January 25, 2023 shazza 23 Comments

Recently we spent a night near Lancaster in the Lune Valley area of Lancashire. It’s a fairly little known area to us, so it was good to dig out a couple of walks books and discover some new places.

Walk 1 ~ Conder Green & Glasson Dock.

Map OS Explorer 296 Lancaster, Morecambe & Fleetwood. 3.5miles. Lancaster Year Round Walks by Nick Burton.

This walk actually starts from Conder Green in the book but we just had to be different, we parked at Glasson Dock, had lunch and set off.

Glasson at the mouth of the River Lune was once the busy port of nearby Lancaster. Today the village still thrives , taking in 150,000 tonnes of cargo yearly. There is a small marina, a couple of shops, pub and a cafe.

The area is popular for cycling. The Bay Cycle Way is 81 miles long and connects Walney with Glasson Dock.

We loved The Quayside Cafe. It’s very dog friendly too.

The first part of the walk took us along beside the Lancaster Canal. The towpath was quite icey though, so it was hard going. I enjoyed spotting a heron amongst the reeds and flocks of geese in the surrounding fields.

Canal locks outside The Mill at Condor Green.

The next part of the walk involved tramping through some fields and crossing water. We saw lots of Hares bounding through the grass, a joy to watch.

After some road walking it was good to get back to the coastal scenery. The Stork Pub at Conder Green looks out over the reed beds. I especially enjoyed our hike for all the wildlife we saw, waterbirds in particular. Hopefully we can return in the Spring or Summer!

The benches that look out over the water have this Sea Monster ? figure on them.

The weather was certainly chilly so after our walk it was time to drive inland to find our accomodation.

Our Stay.

Located in-between Lancaster and Kirkby Lonsdale, The Fenwick at Claughton is the ideal place to stay on a wintery weekend. With comfortable cosy bedrooms and warming log fires, the historic inn is a Steak and Seafood pub with an ever changing menu. It’s also very welcoming to your four – legged friends, so definitely a hit with us. 🙂

Walk 2 ~ Around Wray.

Map O S Explorer 0l41. 2 miles. Lancashire 40 Favourite Walks by Alastair Ross.

The pretty village of Wray was our second walk of the weekend. Situated on the edge of the Lune Valley, Wray is set around two rivers, the Hindburn and the Roeburn. Back in the sixties th e normally quiet waters of the Roeburn rose after heavy rain and swept away 13 houses. Luckily it stopped dry for us.

A stone cat or perhaps fox on the river bank.

This walk is short and sweet, taking in Wrays surrounding countryside as well as Riverside paths through the village.

Wrays primary school which was a gift from a Captain Pooley along with the sum of £200 forever.

We noticed a pub and a cafe In Wray, so refreshment stops are available if you visit. And the village holds an annual scarecrow festival in the Spring. A reason to return. 🙂

Christmas, eating out, lancashire, Pets, Places to visit, seasons

A Festive Venue Opens In Clitheroe for Christmas. 🎄❄️

December 6, 2022 shazza 11 Comments

A Christmas Styled Cafe Bar has opened in Clitheroe for Christmas!

Miracle On Shawbridge Street is located in the former Smug Fox interiors shop on Shawbridge Street, just a little further down from and opposite the Dog & Partridge Pub.

The Cafe Bar is family friendly and festive themed, perfect for snapping snuggly selfies with Santa’s reindeer and a giant Nutcracker Soldier.

On the menu are various winter warming drinks such as mulled cider, mulled wine and fancy pants hot chocolates, , coffees, cocktails and milkshakes.

Local delicatessen Georgonzola provides tempting cheese and charcuterie boards and Finch Bakery cakes are always a delicious treat.

Miracle is open Thursday to Sunday 11am to 11pm and well behaved dogs are welcome during the day.

I did wonder what might happen to the venue once Christmas is over? Well the owners are hoping to style the space to coincide with the different seasons. Beach bar in the Summer maybe??

But for now, why not head on down to Miracle On Shawbridge Street 🎄 for festive tunes and cheer.

❄️❄️☕ ❄️❄️🎄❄️❄️🍻❄️❄️☕❄️❄️🍰❄️❄️🍸❄️

lake district, Pets, Places to visit

Silecroft, Ravenglass & Eskdale and Bootle.

October 24, 2021 shazza 19 Comments

Today I am looking back at our weekend away with friends in Ravenglass & Eskdale. It was during the school holidays in August that we stayed in the same lovely cottage that we have booked for previous get togethers. It has become a bit of a tradition of ours to stop in Ravenglass on the Cumbrian Coast. We always seem to find new things to see and do.

As we had set off a little earlier than the others, we decided to take our dog Hugo for a walk on nearby Silecroft Beach. With the Cumbrian Fells ( particularly Black Combe) as it’s backdrop, this sandy stretch of coastline is perfect for exercising four-legged friends. And dogs are not the only ones. You have a very good chance of seeing the Cumbrian Heavy Horses out for a canter here too.

Once settled into our seafront cottage in the estuary village of Ravenglass everyone made for the beach again. And our evening was spent under rugs on the cottage balcony playing games and watching the sun 🌞 set over the bay.

No visit to Ravenglass is complete without a trip on La’al Ratty! Meaning ‘ Little Railway ‘ in Old Cumbrian dialect, this is the affectionate nick name given to The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 🚂 , a Narrow Steam Gorge Railway that takes visitors on a seven mile journey into the stunning Eskdale countryside.

On-line Shop Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

We were spoiled for choice when it came to walking routes in Eskdale. Many people opt to walk up into the fells. There’s Roman ruins at Hardknott and plenty of wild swimming in the rugged becks and waterfall pools. Speaking of waterfalls, we went in search of Stanley Ghyll and the recently constructed iron viewing platform above it.

Bridge over troubled water? Only if you fall off the stepping stones.

Stanley Ghyll Force ~ Photo from Express Article here.

And some people braved the water. Which was freezing!

Bootle Beach was our destination on Sunday. More swimming for the kids ( they were braver than us!) and a bit of beach combing. We saw two huskies from Horse & Husky being exercised. This beach is great for finding wierd and wonderful pebbles and other flotsam and jetsam.

Hugo and Bel the Bedlington on the beach at Ravenglass.

We had a wonderful time as usual, in this scenic corner of Cumbria.

Thanks for dropping by. 🌊

food, lancashire, Pets, Places to visit, walks

Walk From Nest On The Hill.

October 26, 2020 shazza 29 Comments

It does feel like all I post about is walking this year. I suppose that is very true! Before this Sunday morning hike from the Nick O Pendle , we also enjoyed a tasty breakfast at the super cute Nest On The Hill , a newly opened little cafe in a cabin at The Wellsprings restaurant. Wil had a sausage butty and I devoured yummy french toast with melted chocolate and blackberry compote. Hugo was made a fuss of by the lovely young couple who run this quirky bruncherie ( hope bruncherie is a word! ), that serves warming food & drinks before the main restaurant opens for lunch. The Nest is also packed with locally sourced gifts and crafts. Lots of present ideas. I even started my Christmas shopping!

After our food and my purchasing , Hugo for one was busting for a walk. I could have curled up on the cosy sofa in front of the toasty log burner for a while longer ,but fresh air beckoned…. We took the owners recommendation of a bridleway walk through the fields, thus avoiding the crowds who park nearby to make their way up Pendle Hill.

We walked up the road and down a little , then through a gate on the right, following a farm track/ bridleway over rugged Lancashire countryside. To be totally honest I’m not really sure what this area is called, maybe Wiswell Moor. Some map perusing is needed! Anyway we basically walked as far as a field of llamas, then turned around and made our way back. A muddy 4 miles or so.

Passing a few houses and farms, some boarded up.

The weather was bright and breezy, a perfect Pendle day. More from Pendle Hill coming soon hopefully. 🥾

lake district, Pets, Places to visit, seaside, Tearoom Treasures, walks, wildlife

Three Cumbrian Seaside villages visited with Hugo. 🐕

May 29, 2019 shazza 20 Comments

If your looking for miles of dog friendly coastline then you’ve hit the jackpot in Cumbria. Because most people head for the lakes and fells, the beaches are almost always quiet, few having any dog restrictions at all.

We recently spent four nights in the coastal village of Ravenglass, and visited a couple of other seaside resorts whilst we were there. All three are served by the Cumbrian Coastal Railwayline.

Ravenglass. A tiny harbor village, Ravenglass has an ancient history. The Roman settlement of Glannoventa stood here and was an important naval base. The remains of a Roman bathhouse lie on the outskirts.

The beach is a mixture of sand, shingle and mud. There are lots of well signposted walks along the coast or up into the fells. Our dog Hugo enjoyed running here and his favourite nearby hill walk from Ravenglass was a mornings yomp up Muncaster Fell.

Nearby pet friendly attractions include Muncaster Castle ( dogs are allowed in the gardens, grounds, cafe and can watch the flying hawk displays & heron feeds) and The Ravenglass & Eskdale Narrow Gauge Railway.

Hugo was made a fuss of in all three of the pubs in Ravenglass. We ate out at The Ratty Arms & The Pennington Hotel. Both were very good. 🐶

Hugo rides The Ratty ( Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway).

St Bees. Twenty minutes north of Ravenglass, St Bees is actually named after an Irish medieval Saint, St Bega . Bega ( a beautiful & devout princess) fled across the Irish Sea by boat, having been promised in marriage to a Viking Prince. She had other ideas, preferring to live in religious solitude on the English mainland.

I’m not sure if St Bega liked dogs ( there is a statue of her and her rowing boat in the village center) but the beach she landed on is a great place for a bracing walk. We took Hugo to the sands at Seacote Park, where there is a caravan park, lifeboat station and beach cafe. I don’t think dogs are allowed inside the cafe but as it was a nice day we had icecream on a bench outside and Hugo was brought water & dog treats.

St Bees is the start of the Wainwright Coast to Coast walk and the cliff top ( safely fenced off ~ Phew!) is also ideal for walkies. Look out for all sorts of seabirds. The cliffs at St Bees head are an RSPB bird reserve.

Arnside. A pretty estuary resort, Arnside resides in the Arnside & Silverdale Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is from here that I took part in The Morecambe Bay Cross Bay walk with Wil and Hugo, three years ago. This iconic organized hike across the shifting sands of Morecambe Bay must not be attempted without an official guide.

On our latest visit Hugo had a good run on the beach but there are also plenty of coastal and inland walks to do in the area including Arnside Knott and along the shoreline to Silverdale. Do make sure you listen out for the sirens that are sounded to warn of the incoming Arnside Tidal Bore, a high tidal wave that happens once a month in Arnside’s estuary.

The village has a couple of dog friendly pubs and cafes. We chose to sit outside with the best ever fish & chips from Arnside Chippy. We also visited a very cute little jazz cafe opposite Arnside’s Railway station. Moochin About is a teeny tiny espresso bar with the cutest decor and vinyl jazz records playing on a record player. Sad to say no doggies allowed inside, purely because it is so small. There are two benches outside though, water bowls and the lovely owner brought out biscuits for Hugo and a collie customer. 🐕