Dog-friendly walks in Rothbury

Five miles and 220 metres of climbing in two and a half hours round Lord Armstrong’s Victorian pleasure ground, past Tumbleton Lake, under the house and along the two Nelly’s Moss lakes on rhododendron-lined tracks. Start from the main car park inside the Cragside estate off the B6341, which is large and free to National Trust members and included in the admission charge otherwise. Dogs are welcome everywhere outdoors here including the formal gardens but must be on a lead at all times, which the Trust puts down to the crag drops, the roe deer and the red squirrels; water bowls and dog bins are provided and dogs may ride the free shuttle bus.

Three flat miles in an hour and a half along both banks of the Coquet, downstream to the narrow rock gorge called the Thrum and the restored mill above it. Start from the free Cowhaugh car park beside the river at the bottom of the town, which has around 40 spaces and is the best parking in Rothbury; the terraces above are metered. Level riverside grass and woodland where a dog can be off the lead, with easy access to the Coquet for a swim in the shallow reaches, though the gorge itself is deep and fast and best avoided, and the far bank crosses a grazed haugh.

Seven miles and 350 metres of climbing in three and a half hours, from the prehistoric rock art at Lordenshaws along the sandstone crags of Simonside and Dove Crag with the Cheviots laid out to the north, returning on forest tracks. Start at the Lordenshaws car park off the Rothbury to Great Tosson road, free with about 25 spaces and full by mid-morning at weekends, with no verge parking on the narrow lane. The forest tracks on the return are a good off-lead run, but the heather ridge is grazed and holds ground-nesting curlew, red grouse and merlin, so the National Park’s Take the Lead campaign asks for dogs on leads on the open moor, and the crags drop away abruptly on their north side.

Four and a half miles and 230 metres of climbing in a little over two hours, straight up to the Simonside summit cairn at 429 metres and back on the forest road below the crags. It starts at the free Lordenshaws car park, which has about 25 spaces and fills early; the walk in from Rothbury adds three miles each way if you miss out. The forestry section is safe off-lead walking with shade and a burn to drink from, but the summit boulder field is hard on paws, the ridge is grazed and ground-nesting birds mean leads from March to July, and there is no water on the top.