Situated right at the tip of the rugged Northumberland coast, Berwick-upon-Tweed is one of those places you know you’ll want to return to almost as soon as you arrive. Enclosed by impressive Elizabethan walls and threaded with cobbled streets, riverside paths, and quiet lanes, it’s dotted with dog-friendly cafes and pubs. It’s the kind of place that invites slow, curious wandering for both humans and their dogs, and it’s perfect for a day out with your four-legged friend.
We headed up to Berwick a couple of weeks ago. Since you can quite literally step over the border into Scotland from there, I guess it won’t surprise you to hear that we experienced all kinds of weather during our day trip. It was actually lovely to see both the moody, damp side of Berwick as well as the sunny version, especially as we had a special reason for visiting. Northumberland County Council had invited us to find out just how dog-welcoming Berwick-upon-Tweed is as part of their Ready, Set, Explore campaign by following the Lowry Trail. Since it takes a few hours to complete, we were grateful not to be walking around in the blistering sun, as it wouldn’t have been fair on the dogs.
The Lowry Trail is a free, 6 mile self-guided walk around Berwick, also taking in the nearby villages of Tweedmouth and Spittal across the River Tweed. There are 19 Lowry Panels to discover, some easier to find than others, but the trail is mostly straightforward to follow using a downloadable map from either the Visit Northumberland or Visit Berwick website.
As it happens, the work of the “matchstick man” painter has always fascinated me, so I was excited to set off on the walk and see Berwick through Lowry’s eyes. I was struck by how inspired he was by the buildings and the landscape, but more than that, it gave me a real insight into the character of the town and how much there is to see and do, not to mention how welcoming to dogs Berwick-upon-Tweed is.
As soon as we parked at the Quayside Car Park, which is a free, long-stay option conveniently close to the start of the Lowry Trail. The town is also easily accessible by train, which makes it a great option if, like us, you’re trying to reduce your paw miles.
Wandering through quaint little alleys, along the Elizabethan walls, beside the harbour and out to the pier, it felt like Lowry’s paintings were coming to life. The spaniels were equally engaged, seemingly fascinated by the different smells at each interpretation panel. We continued into town in search of the Town Hall Lowry Panel. We visited on a Wednesday, when the market was on, so although we saw the Town Hall itself, we didn’t manage to find the panel. I’ll be keeping an eye out for that elusive one next time we visit.
The highlight of the trail, as far as the spaniels were concerned, was crossing the River Tweed and walking along the riverbank and pavements to Spittal Beach. The beach is dog-friendly all year round and has several food outlets along the promenade, offering doggy ice cream, puppachinos, and snacks and treats for humans too. It’s also home to several of the Lowry Panels.
The dogs really enjoyed the entire walk. It’s officially six miles long, though we somehow managed to do nine. I later read that some people get the bus back from Spittal to the start, while we returned on foot, so that probably explains it.
One of my favourite parts of the walk was spotting the famous Berwick Swans on the River Tweed. My favourite Lowry Panel was the one depicting Berwick Harbour.
There are also a couple of waymarked routes around Berwick that look interesting, including the nature trail and the Elizabethan Walls walk. If you’re after a longer hike, the Berwickshire Coastal Path might be more your style. If you prefer a gentler stroll, there are a couple of parks, or you can simply wander around at your leisure.
Berwick-upon-Tweed is generally very dog-friendly. There are plenty of pup-approved pubs and cafes around the town. We especially enjoyed a coffee break at Lowry’s at the Chandlery and a well-earned pint at the Leaping Salmon, both fully endorsed by spaniels Lucia and Maya. Many shops and even some private homes had bowls of fresh water outside for passing pooches. Somewhere along the riverbank, I even spotted an old but still functioning water fountain for humans.
Next time, we’re planning to take the girls on one of the dog-friendly boat trips and visit Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks, along with a few of the other nearby dog-friendly beaches, which are just a short distance from town.
I was sad that we only had a short time to spend in Berwick, but we’ll definitely be back with the spaniels soon. A big thank you to Northumberland County Council for inviting us to sniff out Berwick-upon-Tweed. It was our absolute pleasure, and we can confirm it’s a very dog-friendly destination indeed.
Why not find out more about this and other hidden gems in Northumberland and the Ready, Set, Explore campaign by visiting The Big Northumberland Gear Change website.
Love Sal, Maya and Lucia x
