Visiting an art gallery dedicated to dogs, watching a movie under the stars and cruising on a famous lake in a steam gondola are just a few of the adventures you and your furry travel companion can embark upon in Old Blighty.
London Calling
Every English adventure should begin in the country’s biggest city and capital, London. This bustling metropolis is nicknamed “The Big Smoke” thanks to the emissions from the coal that was once used to heat homes, but today, London’s luscious dog-friendly parks are clean, green and the perfect spot to explore with Fido. Pups with good recall can play off leash at all royal parks, including Greenwich Park and Richmond Park. Dogs are also welcome to join their owners at an alternate green space in the capital. Four-legged football fans can join their owners for kickoff at stadiums in the Non-League like Champion Hill, home of hipster favorite Dulwich Hamlet F.C.
For a different pace, visit the Brunel Museum and explore an exhibition inside the world’s oldest underwater tunnel. Then, head to the Kennel Club Art Gallery and Library to see collections of canine literature, art, photographs and more. Finish your historical adventure at the Tower Bridge Exhibition, which welcomes well-behaved dogs inside the historic Towers, on the spectacular Glass Floor and in the Victorian Engine Rooms. After a full day of exploring, head to one of Picturehouse’s dog-friendly movie theaters to watch a flick alongside your furry film fan, or watch a show under the stars at the Wooftop Film Club. If Fido prefers live entertainment, meet Betsy the house poodle during a comedy show at The Poodle Club.
If you want to learn about London from people in the know, join a guided pet-friendly tour. London Discovery Tours - Jack the Ripper Tour will take you and your pooch on an eerie journey to the crime scenes of one of the world’s most famous unsolved mysteries. Then, take the plunger with your Pug on a unique tour of London lavatories with London Loo Tours. Art lovers can sniff out the new Banksy on a guided tour with Shoreditch Street Art instead, while foodies can join Walk Eat Talk Eat on the Hidden Gems tour that sets off from Tower Bridge and visits two thriving food markets.
Nose Around The North
(North East and West)
Airedale Terriers can begin their North East escapade with a photoshoot next to Antony Gormley’s steel sculpture, the Angel of the North in Gateshead. Afterward, learn about life for coal miners over the past 200 years at nearby Beamish. This dog-friendly open-air museum features a 1900s pit village, a 1950s town, a historic tram, a fish and chip shop and more. Discover The North West’s natural beauty during an expedition around the Lake District National Park in Cumbria. England’s largest national park is home to 16 lakes, some of which can be seen from pet-friendly loop trails like Catbells Lakeland Walk and The Old Man of Coniston Circular. Get out on the country’s largest lake with Windermere Lake Cruises or experience Coniston Water with the National Trust - Steam Yacht Gondola.
While you’re in The North, make your way to Manchester where you can stock up on toys at Betty & Butch Dog Store, followed by an evening of bowling with your Bulldog at the aptly-named Dog Bowl. No visit to the home of Oasis and Joy Division would be complete without “pawrusing” a dog-friendly record store like Piccadilly Records. Afterward, hop on the 35-minute train to Liverpool Lime Street and search out Beatles albums at Dead Air Records. Keep the Beatles theme going in a ‘Yellow Submarine’ themed vessel with Mersey Ferries’ River Explorer Cruises, then hear all about the Fab Four with Liverpool Famous Walking Tours.
Mosey Around the Midlands
(East and West Midlands)
Poochy Blinders won’t want to miss England’s second city, Birmingham. Roundhouse Birmingham offers a variety of experiences in the center of the city, including the Cobbles and Canals Tour that will take you alongside Birmingham’s historic canals once used to transport coal, iron and more. After your tour, wind down with music, good vibes and grub from one of the many food trucks at Digbeth Dining Club. If you want a quieter activity away from the crowds, go for a memorable walk together at Castle Bromwich Historic Gardens.
Take the train from Birmingham New Street to the city of Coventry and wander through the medieval streets to Coventry Cathedral, one of the many buildings in the city that was destroyed during the Second World War. Leashed dogs are welcome in both the Ruins and the New Cathedral. On the opposite side of the region, visit the historic city of Nottingham to stroll around Nottingham Arboretum, look out for Robin Hood and his Merry Men at Sherwood Forest, and soar high above a deep limestone gorge in a cable car with your pooch at the Heights of Abraham.
Southbound With Your Hound
(South West and South East)
Hop on the 90-minute Thameslink train from London to Brighton, where you’ll find one of the most vibrant coastal cities in the world. Here, you can revel with your Retriever in The Lanes with Only In Brighton Tours and check out intriguing art at Kellie Miller Arts. Dogs are permitted on all Brighton beaches from 1 October to 30 April and can join their owners in the dedicated dog-friendly stretches during summer, too. After a walk on the famous pebbly beach, cruise along the seafront on a heritage train journey with Volk's Electric Railway.
From Brighton, book a pet-friendly rental car and head west for a hike on the gorgeous Seven Sisters trail in South Downs National Park, then take another break at the open-air archaeology museum, Butser Ancient Farm. In nearby Portsmouth, Fido will feel like Godzilla as he strolls through the tiny world of the Southsea Model Village. Step back into the real world and catch the Wightlink ferry to the Isle of Wight for a romp around a variety of stunning off-leash beaches like Yaverland Beach. Back on the mainland, head to the harbor city of Bristol on the border of Wales in the South West. Pups are welcome to stare in wonder as hundreds of balloons take off during the annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court in August and join you for a guided tour of the engineering marvel designed by Brunel, Clifton Suspension Bridge.
“This trip is getting steamy.”
Photo by Facebook.com/RavenglassEskdaleRailwayFull Steam Ahead!
Invented by the English engineer Richard Trevithick at the start of the 19th century, many steam locomotives are still operational around England today. Share an unforgettable scenic train ride with your dog while you’re in the Lake District with The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway. This seven-mile journey through the surrounding hills departs from Ravenglass Station, where your pooch receives a welcome pack and can order a doggy ice cream. Visitors to the Angel of the North can join nearby Tanfield Railway for an excursion on a train track once used as a horse-drawn colliery wooden wagonway. Swanage Railway in Dorset, home of the Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldogge, is a heritage railway that sets off from Norden and stops at Corfe Castle on its way to Swanage. This historic fortification welcomes leashed dogs inside the castle to explore, in the tea room to sniff out gourmet dog treats, inside the shop to pick up swag like a new water bowl or harness, and on trails that wind around the surrounding countryside. Elsewhere in the region, pups can enjoy a day out at Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway. Grab a doggy ice cream from Mr Eddy’s Restaurant, then explore some of the 22 miles of pet-friendly trails that weave through the exquisite gardens. Plan your visit around a Devoted to Dogs Day for a discount on your tickets.
“So, is the cave made of cheddar?”
Photo by Facebook.com/CheddarGorgeandCavesSniff Out Literary Legends
Pups are welcome to join their owners on a trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon to see William Shakespeare’s birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Shakespeare's New Place, where he passed away. If you don’t have time to read The Bard’s 38 plays, hear about them on a guided tour with Stratford Town Walk. You and your pooch can also pay a visit to Tudor World to see life in Shakespeare’s time brought to life by actors in period clothing. Next, it’s back to London to follow in the footsteps of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. Bring your Hound of the Baskerville with you on a tour of book locations like 221b Baker Street with London Walks. Next, take a detour into the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Tour for Muggles is led by real-life witches and wizards and “aims to educate the non-magical world” by visiting secret magical places hidden in plain sight. You’ll also check out London locations where the two worlds meet. Leashed dogs are welcome to join their owners on this unique tour. Afterward, take a picture of your pooch with the trolley at King Cross Stations’ Platform 9 and ¾, before hopping on a train to Paddington Station to see a famous furry passenger from Peru waiting with his suitcase.
Tourists exploring Bristol can easily get to Cheddar Gorge and Caves, one of the inspirations for J.R.R Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. Leashed dogs are invited to explore this underground marvel and see the inspiration for Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers. From Cheddar, head further west into Cornwall in search of more legends at Tintagel Castle, a medieval fortification on the coast said to be the place where the legend of King Arthur was first conceived. Pups are welcome on the coastal pathways, throughout the English Heritage site and even inside Merlin’s Cave on the beach below.