Two great castles, a beach the dog can run on all year, and the biggest secondhand bookshop in the country. Here is how we would spend a day in Alnwick and Warkworth with yours.
This corner of Northumberland is castle country, and happily it is dog country too. You have two proper strongholds within a few miles of each other, a coastline of empty golden beaches, a walled market town, and one of the best bookshops in Britain sitting inside an old railway station. It is a big, breezy, generous sort of day out, and dogs are welcome across almost all of it.
The trick is to pair the coast with the castles. A long beach walk in the morning, a stronghold or two in the afternoon, and a proper Northumberland pub to finish. Here is how we would spend it, with the real, well-loved places we would actually take our own dog.
1
Morning: a beach the dog can have all year
Start at Alnmouth. This is the Northumberland coast at its best, a wide sweep of clean sand backed by dunes, with year-round access for dogs and room for the sort of flat-out gallop a dog dreams about. The village itself is a row of pastel houses on a hill, and the walk out along the estuary and back is a lovely, easy morning.
It is the kind of beach that ruins other beaches for you, and outside high summer you will often have great stretches of it to yourselves.
Warkworth is the one to make time for. This dramatic hilltop castle lets dogs on leads across the entire site, keep and battlements included, with the River Coquet looping round below and the village tumbling down the hill. It is one of the best-reviewed days out on the whole coast, and you can carry on down to Warkworth's own beach afterwards.
Alnwick's mighty castle, familiar from Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, does not generally allow dogs inside, but its grounds and the town around it are a fine wander, and the real dog draw is right next door.
Barter Books, set inside Alnwick's grand old Victorian station, is one of the largest secondhand bookshops in the country and one of the most loved places in the town, with dogs welcome to browse the shelves with you, model railway humming overhead. It is a genuinely brilliant hour out of the weather.
Next door, The Alnwick Garden runs Dog Days on Thursdays and Sundays, when well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to explore the fountains and borders. Between the two you have an easy, happy afternoon.
For a proper sit-down, the Strawberry Lounge is a lovely, well-reviewed spot that welcomes dogs inside, and the Rocking Horse Cafe goes one better with a dog agility course in the garden, which is a dangerous thing to show a Border Collie. Bertrams welcomes dogs in all areas by day with an allocated dog area.
The Masons Arms is a firm favourite, a proper dog-friendly pub where they are welcome up on the seats and there is a biscuit going. Down on the coast, the Ship Inn at Low Newton sits right behind the beach and brews its own beer, dogs welcome, and Harry's Bar in Alnwick keeps a warm welcome for a dog inside.
There is far too much coast to do in a day. The Oaks Hotel in Alnwick keeps dog-friendly rooms, the Cottage Inn Hotel welcomes dogs in-room, and the Joiners Arms up the coast is famously dog-mad, with pawsecco and treats and dogs welcome in the pub and the guest rooms alike.
A gallop on an empty beach, a castle you can climb with the dog on the lead, and a bookshop in an old station. Northumberland does not do things by halves.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Is Warkworth Castle dog friendly?
Yes. Dogs on leads are welcome across the entire Warkworth Castle site, including the keep and battlements. Keep them close on the steps and steep drops.
Can dogs go in The Alnwick Garden?
On Dog Days, yes. The Alnwick Garden welcomes well-behaved dogs on leads on Thursdays and Sundays, so plan your visit around those. Check current Dog Days before travelling.
What is the best dog beach near Alnwick?
Alnmouth beach is the standout, a wide sandy beach with year-round dog access and plenty of room to run. Warkworth and Low Newton beaches are also excellent and dog-friendly.
Are dogs allowed in Barter Books?
Yes, dogs are welcome to browse Barter Books in Alnwick with you, though not in the cafe seating. It is one of the largest secondhand bookshops in the country and a great rainy-day option.
Where can I stay in Alnwick or Warkworth with a dog?
The Oaks Hotel and the Cottage Inn Hotel both offer dog-friendly rooms, and the Joiners Arms up the coast is especially dog-mad, welcoming them in the pub and the guest rooms.
Alnwick & Warkworth through the seasons
Spring
The coast wakes up and the beaches are quiet. Warkworth Castle looks its best against fresh green, and the Alnwick Garden bursts into colour. A brilliant time to have the sands mostly to yourselves.
Summer
Long northern evenings and warm sand, though the honeypots get busy at weekends. Alnmouth has year-round dog access, so start early, carry water, and enjoy the light that lasts until ten.
Autumn
Big skies, turning trees and emptying beaches. Barter Books is a cosy bolt-hole on a wild day, and the castles are dramatic under low cloud. Pub fires start getting lit.
Winter
Bracing and beautiful. Wrap up for a blustery beach walk, duck into Barter Books to warm up, then find a fire at the Masons Arms with a sandy dog at your feet.