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.
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. 🐶
RavenglassUseful sign. 😉Hugo rides The Ratty ( Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway).Yummy food at The Pennington Hotel.Ravenglass.
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.
The beach below St Bees Head.Cliff top flowers.On the cliffs.Anchor from shipwreck.
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. 🐕
Looking over the Kent Estuary.Windswept Selfie.Windswept Hawthorn.Moochin About.More Moochin About.
If you have a dog, what beaches do you like to visit with them?
Hello and welcome to a Sunday Sevens. This is a collection of seven or more photos from my week. Exciting stuff eh!
Coffee Table ~ We have acquired a coffee table at last! I can’t tell you how fantastic it is to have somewhere proper to pop my brew/wine instead of the floor. Hurrah! Also it’s great for displaying my cacti coaster tree. 🙂
Rhubarb Cleaner ~ Thanks to my friend Jo for gifting me a bottle of ……. Method Anti-Bac wild rhubarb cleaner. The kitchen smells so delicious ly rhubarby after cleaning. And as a big fan of all things rhubarb, I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. 😁 Method Anti-Bac is probably available at most supermarkets. Jo bought it from Booths.
Cheese Easter Egg! ~ Speaking of Booths, Wil found his perfect Easter Egg there. It’s not chocolate, it’s cheese. 🙂
Waffles and a Walk ~ The kids are off school for the Easter break ,so enjoyed scrumptious chocolate waffles at The Chocolate Works in town on Friday, followed by a canal side walk at East Marten near Skipton with my sister and niece & nephew.
Smartie Pants Waffle.Roman and huge horse!Canal side.Jelly ear fungi. Thanks for the I D Louise. 🙂This gravestone at St Peters in East Marten belongs to a lady with the name of Easter.❤️
Smelly Dog.
Yesterday Wil, Hugo and I did a pub walk to The Red Pump Inn in the village of Bashall eaves. Hugo decided to snaffle down quite a few sheep poops. We suffered his stinky trumps all evening.
Over the past few months we have been checking out lots of local pubs, all in the name of blog research, of course. 😉 I actually have the #walk1000miles challenge to thank for this post. If it wasn’t for hearing about this great walking incentive from the lovely Christine , I probably would never have given my walking boots such welly…or discovered how easy it is to reach all these lovely Ribble Valley hostelries on foot, from my home town of Clitheroe. As you probably know by now, we do have the perfect pub dog, a certain bouncy black lab called Hugo. He has definitely enjoyed some longer weekend walks recently….as well as a few extra treats!
As ever if you are walking in the countryside, please keep dogs on lead where there are livestock, shut gates behind you securely and always pick up after your pooch.
Resident Labradors. 🙂
The Aspinall in Spring.
By the fire.
The Aspinall Arms, Mitton. Book in advance for a table with your dog, and he will be saved a place, brought water and given a saucer of dog biscuits at this attractive former Coaching Inn . Yep the Aspinall Arms is one very pooch friendly pub! Even though we have only visited here with Hugo for morning coffee ( the bar opens at 10.30am) or afternoon drinks, Hugo was still brought water, treats and made a fuss of. The Aspinall makes the most of it’s enviable riverside location and has a large beer garden, looking over the Ribble. There is a handy muddy boots & dog wash in the courtyard outside and every last Sunday of the month, an organized 3 mile dog walk starts from the pub, with complimentary bacon butties and brews. www.aspinallarmsmitton.co.ukWalk. 4 miles there and back. Head down Henthorn rd, through Shuttleworth farm and follow the Ribble Way to Mitton, where you will see The Aspinall Arms on the riverside. Retrace your steps home.
Cosy fireside.
Hugo in a Downham meadow.
Assheton Arms.
The Assheton Arms, Downham. We arrived at this historic Grade II listed village pub one Sunday morning for coffee and sat out front enjoying the May sunshine. Inside you can dine with your dog in the relaxed bar area and enjoy the Seafood Pub Company menu. Bagsy the cosy nook by the fire. 🙂 Walkers may be happy to know that the Assheton Arms opens early for weekend breakfasts too. On our visit water bowls were provided and Hugo was brought a sausage . If you wish to stay here with your four legged friend, there are pet-friendly rooms available. www.asshetonarms.comWalk. 8 miles there and back. Cross the A59 and walk to the village of Worston , using the cycleway. After the Calf’s Head pub turn left along a track with a public footpath sign. Continue through fields passing Worsaw Hill on the left and Pendle Hill on the right. Once in Downham the pub is at the top of the village. Retrace your footsteps back, perhaps stopping for a pint in Worston. 😉
The Brown Cow, Chatburn. Newly refurbished with an attractive beer garden, the Brown Cow was our destination for a Saturday walk and lunch with family. Dogs are welcome in the bar area and Hugo was given a treat by a friendly member of staff. We all enjoyed our food which was great value for money. I particularly liked the pudding! Unfortunately I forgot to take any photos here. 😦 Walk. 6 miles there and back. Walk through Brungerly Park, turn left at the otter sculpture and follow the footpath along the river to West Bradford Bridge. Cross over the road and follow the riverside on the right hand side path. Eventually it takes you up through a patch of woodland and fields into Chatburn. The pub is the second of the two pubs on the left. Retrace your steps back to Clitheroe.
Bar Area.
The Buck.
Great Cider.
The Buck Inn, Grindleton. Since our walk to this friendly village pub, I think it may have temporarily stopped serving food. But business as usual when it comes to enjoying a pint of good real ale and the Buck has a roaring fire to snuggle next to on cold days. Walk. 6 miles there and back. Walk through Brungerly Park, turn left at the Otter sculpture and follow the footpath along the river to West Bradford Bridge. Cross over the road and follow the riverside on the left hand side path. Eventually it will take you into the village of Grindleton where you will find The Buck on the main road out of the village. Retrace your steps back into town.
Fire Worship.
Pendle Witches.
Worston Sheep.
The Calf’s Head, Worston. The large beer garden complete with stream and views of Pendle Hill is definitely a big draw for this popular watering hole and eaterie. On a Winter’s day walk with Hugo however, we enjoyed sitting by the roaring fire in the bar area. One of the friendly staff brought Hugo an ice cream tub of water and there are dog treats available at the bar. www.calfshead.comWalk. 4 miles there and back. Cross the A59 , turn left and use the cycle way to walk into Worston. The pub is a short walk through the village on the right. Retrace your footsteps back.
Tasty Lunch Wrap.
Enjoying a pint.
Whalley Abbey Gatehouse.
The Dog Inn, Whalley. Originally this traditional village Inn was called The Spotted Dog! Having a canine name pretty much guarantees a warm welcome to four-legged friends and their humans. Hugo was given lots of fuss and attention by the bubbly bar attendant and we enjoyed a delicious and great value light lunch and refreshments. www.dog-innwhalley.co.uk Walk. 9miles there and back. Head out of Clitheroe up Whalley Road, turning right after Barraclough house. Walk along the country lane until you reach a small hamlet, bear left round the side of a cottage and go through a gate. Follow a trodden path through Standen Hey, crossing over the railway and walk through fields until you cross Barrow Brook and enter a small wooded area that brings you to Mitton Road. Cross the road , turn left and walk a short way before turning right up a track. From there follow the footpath signs to Whalley, eventually going under the busy A59, Whalley Viaduct and through the abbey gatehouse. The Dog is on the main street in the village where you will find other pubs, bars and shops. If you fancy a few pints you could always cut this walk short and catch a bus or train back to Clitheroe. If not, retrace your steps back to town.
Edisford Bridge.
The Edisford Bridge, Clitheroe. Clitheroe is surrounded by lovely pubs and Inns in the neighboring countryside. However, if you don’t wish to venture to far, The Edisford Bridge sits on the outkirts of the town, looking down towards the river and the bridge that it is named after. Why not combine some splashing time in the Ribble with a pint or meal here. Although dogs are allowed in the bar area, there are only two tables that you can dine at with your dog, so booking is advisable. Outdoor seating at the front and beer garden at the rear. Walk. 3 mile circular route. Walk to the end of Woone Lane then bear right past a new housing estate and down a track towards fields. Head under the railway bridge and follow the stream down the fields until you get to Henthorn road. Cross over and continue straight ahead and join the Ribble Way. Follow the river towards the bridge. You will see the Edisford Bridge Pub over the bridge and up the hill on your left. To return, walk down the hill, over the bridge and follow the road into Clitheroe.
Yummy Food.
Doggy H20
Roaring Fire.
The Lower Buck, Waddington. All three of the pretty village of Waddington’s pubs welcome dogs , so be prepared to be spoilt for choice. The Lower Buck has three open fires and serves good hearty food. This is a proper family friendly and dog friendly pub that embraces muddy paws with open arms…..or at least plenty of friendly warmth and a couple of treats. Lots of fuss from the locals too. www.lowerbuck.comWalk. 6 miles Circular. Wander down Back Commons fields and walk along the Ribble, Waddow Hall is across the river on your left. Walk across Brungerly Bridge and along the road 1.5 miles into Waddington village. The Lower Buck is past St Helens Church on your left. Head back using the back roads to Clitheroe, cut through the grounds of Waddow Hall, cross Brungerly Bridge and retrace your steps along the river.
Flagged floor.
There be logs!
Stained glass at All Hallows Church.
Three Fishes, Mitton. One of the welcoming Ribble Valley Inns group, this flagged floored country pub has colourful contemporary interiors , crackling log fires and a good selection of local cask ales. Having eaten here with family before , I know that the food is pretty good too. On our visit with Hugo , we were given a very warm reception. I’m not sure he has ever had so much fuss and attention! There again, our naughty Labrador now seems to take it as a given, that bar staff are there especially to give him a treat. 🙂 The nearby medieval All Hallows Church with its alabaster tombs is well worth a visit. And just down the road is another pet friendly pub, The Aspinall Arms. www.thethreefishes.com Walk 5 mile circular. Setting off from Edisford Bridge, walk along the road for 800 yards , turn left onto a farm lane ( with a sign for holiday cottages) and follow the footpath signs that lead you over stiles, through fields and eventually onto Church Lane in Mitton. Turn left at the church and you will see The Three Fishes. To return, turn right as you leave and head over the bridge to The Aspinall Arms pub. Cross a stile to the right of the pub, head up through the fields and follow the Ribble Way signs back to Edisford.
Waddy Arms Interior.
A great spot!
Coronation Gardens in Waddington.
The Waddington Arms, Waddington. James Places pubs in the Ribble Valley are all very welcoming to four-legged friends. The Waddy Arms in the centre of the village is no exception.Boasting outdoor seating to the front and rear, flagged floors and roaring fires, this warm country Inn serves good food & ales and has dog-friendly rooms. Hugo loved the crunchy bonio biscuits he was given by the chatty bar staff. www.waddingtonarms.co.ukWalk. 6 miles Circular. See Lower Buck, Waddington Walk.
Today I thought I would post what I saw on this mornings walk with Hugo.
Friday morning walks are favourites of mine, as I don’t have to hurry. With no work to giddy me along, I am prone to dilly dallying. An hours walk takes me two. Though Hugo has more time to play. 🙂
This morning we ventured up the fields and followed the wall that protects Standen Hall from nosy parkers ( myself included 😁) and wandered along a country lane for a while. Here’s what I saw. …
Hugo , no doubt telling me to hurry up!Bramble blossom. Can’t wait for the Blackberries. 😊Bittersweet or Woody Nightshade. It scrambles over plants in woods or hedges.Hogweed. The largest of the umbellifers.Rook on a dead tree. I have seen a woodpecker here previously.Oxeye Daisies are also known as Marguerite or Moon-Daisy.Into the shade.The shady Woodland path is surrounded by Enchanter’s Nightshade. Its Latin name is Circara lutetiana , named after Circe, the enchantress of Greek legend who turned Odysseus’ men into pigs by giving them a magic potion. Oink!Poisonous berry stalks of the Cuckoo Pint. The berries will change colour to a warning red.
Not sure what these blue flowers are. The closest I have come, when checking my Collins Handguide to the Wild Flowersof Britain andNorthern Europe is Jacobs Ladder. They are pretty anyway.
Field Roses.Hoverfly on rose.Hugo with Pendle Hill in the background.Thistle Flower.
Most of the above photos were taken before 8am. It promised to be a beautiful Midsummer Day. And it is!
After being dragged ( almost kicking and screaming 😉 ) up Ingleborough (one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks) , I actually do now feel compelled to conquer the other two.
So on Sunday , Whernside was our destination. At 736 m ,Whernside is the highest of the three. The weather didn’t look to promising as we made our way by car over to Ingleton. Cloudy, drizzly and blustery, the conditions were certainly not reminiscent of the hot sunny day we climbed nearby Ingleborough.
We parked near Ribblehead Viaduct , which is a popular starting point for the walk. Happily there is plenty of roadside parking there. We donned our waterproofs and met our friends , including my 6 year old god daughter Bronte, all set to climb her 3rd peak. Before her 7th birthday!
Ribble Head Viaduct.
The impressive Ribblehead Viaduct was completed in 1874. Its twenty four arches made for a stunning start to our ten mile circular walk.
Ribble Head Viaduct.
We followed the Settle to Carlisle Railway for some way , passing a railway hut and an abandoned railway house.
Blea Moor Railway Hut.Foxgloves.
I always keep an eye out for wildlife on any walk, so it was lovely to see lots of clumps of foxgloves and hear the melodic calls of curlews. We even heard a cuckoo. 🙂
Beck.Force Gill Waterfall.Blea Moor Tunnel.
So far, so good. The walk had been pretty easy so far. The weather wasn’t sure what it was doing though. Black clouds were soon upon us and more blustery showers as we started the gradual climb to the summit. But then a peek of blue sky, and I for one, was to warm to keep my jacket on!
Greensett Tarn.
A resting point ( Hurrah!) gave us lovely views of a small mountain tarn. We wondered what would live in such an isolated place…..
And then it was a yomp up to the Trig Point. To me , walking up Whernside was lots easier than our previous of the Three Peaks, Ingleborough. Our friend D had chosen the most comfortable route, a gradual ascent that included stone slab steps and an almost level path. The weather too, was a lot cooler.
Trig Point. We made it !
At the summit of Whernside , we met a few more walkers all pleased to have made it to the top. We ate a packed lunch and there was even homemade liver cake for the dogs. Thanks Fiona!
The descent with Ingleborough in front of us.
From the top we had great views of both Ingleborough and Pen Y Ghent, as well as Ribblehead, and even towards the Sea. We walked across the top of the mountain and then started our steep descent. I was thankful we hadn’t taken this route up! Still, a few of us did end up on our bums. 🙂
Looking back towards Whernside.
The longest part of our walk, was probably the journey back to Ribblehead, which passes through a couple of farms and wild flower meadows.
Bunk Barn Accomodation.Sheep near a rocky cave that the girls discovered.Bel the Bedlington looking towards Ribblehead.
Once back at the viaduct we stopped to admire the stone that commemorates the builders who restored the railway bridge in the 1990s, as well as the Navvies who toiled to constuct it, a century earlier.
So, time to celebrate! We drove a couple of miles along the road to the cosy shelter of The Old Hill Inn near Ingleton.
Bronte and her friend Tabby enjoyed chocolate brownies and the rest of us tucked into a delicious Apricot Frangipane tart. 😁
Apparently if you are skinny enough to shimmy through the spokes of the giant cartwheel above, you are skinny enough to go pot holeing. Umm I’ll stick to eating cake. 😉
Congratulations to Bronte, Tabby and Fiona who on this day walked up their third and final of the Three Peaks! I’m sure they will now be aiming to climb all three in one day. 😁. As for me, next stop Pen Y Ghent, so watch this space….
Readers of this blog will probably realise that hills are not my natural environment, never mind mountains! At 723 metres, Ingleborough is definitely a mountain and one of the three highest in Yorkshire. Together with nearby Whernside and Pen-y-ghent , they are known collectively as The Yorkshire Three Peaks. Some people set themselves the challenge of walking up all three in one day. Mad or what! On a camping trip last year , I managed to talk some friends out of dragging me up Ingleborough ( we walked the less daunting Ingleton Falls Trail instead), such is my horror of heading up into the clouds.
The day would come however ( and that day was a glorious Bank Holiday Monday), that I would reach the top of my first mountain…
We set off from The Old Hill Inn , just above the village of Ingleton, 4 adults, 2 children, 2 bedlington terriers and 1 black labrador. The weather was warm, but fortunately a cooling breeze helped us on our way. This route is the shortest one you can attempt apparently. A 2.5 mile walk up to the summit.
Ingleborough.
Heading for the hills.Limestone.
Mossy Saxifrage.
Early Purple Orchid.
The scenery as you walk towards Ingleborough is varied. Plenty to look at including limestone kilns, limestone pavements and wild flowers such as Cotton grass and Early purple orchids.
Looming nearer.Stairway to heaven. 😉
So why do I not relish climbing hills? Well despite the fact that I enjoy walking, walking up hill always makes me feel like my heart is going to shoot out of my chest. 😕 I know getting your heart pumping is meant to be a good thing, but I tend to convince myself that my death is imminent. I also hate it if anyone is behind me ( incase I am holding them up) and tend to stop to let them pass. I therefore find myself way behind everyone else in no time, stopping for breath every couple of minutes. Happily I don’t really feel any aching leg pains on the way up, because I am to busy hyperventilating. 🤣
Top of Ingleborough.
But hey I did make it!! And that has to be one of the best feelings in the world. I made it to the summit of Ingleborough. 😁
A good place to stop for lunch.This mountain top is vast and very flat.Craggy pathway.
After eating our packed lunches we tentatively retraced our steps back down the mountain. As you can see , it would be handy to be a mountain goat on both the ascent and descent.
Rocky descent.Sheep in Cotton grass.Cooling off. 😁
Old Hill Inn.
Interior.
Our afternoon was topped off with a celebratory drink in the Old Hill Inn beer garden, with views towards the mountain we had just conquered. 😊
And would I walk up another mountain? We are already planning on Whernside in a couple of weeks, so watch this space…….
Hi there on this gorgeous Spring day! We are definitely due the little bit of sunshine that we are experiencing at the moment. 😁 Yesterday I joined in with Louisa and Janey‘s photo an hour over on Instagram, for the first time in ages. I thought I would record my day on my blog too. Here goes….
7am. My clock is fast, its actually just after seven, and everyone is awake. Sigh!
8am. Breakfast is oats so simple with blueberries and a smidge of peanut butter. Wil thinks I’m pretty disgusting. He hates peanut butter!
9am. My washing up view this morning. A breakfasting starling. ♡
10am. We’ve decided to walk to the nearby village of Waddington and back. We start our walk in Brungerly park and head along the river Ribble.
11am. We happen upon some friendly fellas. Alpaca and Llama. They are very inquisitive and the black and white llama does try and take a chomp out of my rucksack. 🤣
12 Noon. Early Lunch. A tuna toastie in a cafe in Waddington.
1pm. On the way home through Waddow Hall estate.
2pm. Vibrant crocuses. Spring is here in Clitheroe at last. 😁
3pm. A brew at home and a slice of homemade ginger cake. I have decided to no longer buy in biscuits and cake. Because I hardly ever bake ( even though I have a sweet tooth! ), this will hopefully be an incentive to do more and be slightly healthier….hopefully.
4pm. Chillin with this girl. 🙂
5pm. And now chillin down the pub and trying to work out where we should stay on our way home from the Hebrides in August. Thinking maybe somewhere round Oban, but not sure yet.
6pm. Some pub companions. Stan and Smudge the Springer’s. 🙂
7pm. Hadn’t planned on stopping in the New Inn this long! So resorting to taking a photograph of my hare brooch that is pinned to my earth squared bag. Both were presents from my lovely friend Jo. 🙂
8pm. We called in at an Indian takeaway on the way home , so here’s salad, dips and poppadoms.
9pm. Wil is watching Californication on Netflix but I am pretty much beat ! My day ends here and bed beckons. I am officially sad!
Thanks very much for dropping by. I had better go and sort out that alarm clock!
Dog friendly hikes and exploring, mostly around New England. Our Adventures includes: waterfalls, the beach, conservation land, lighthouses, state parks, the woods, the mountains, statues, and castles.
Savouring life intensely every hundredth of a second by capturing scenes from across Cumbria - the Lake District National Park. A pictorial guide to the lakes by a dilettante photographer.
