A Dog Friendly Holiday in Rothbury

 AD - This post features a press stay with Copper Beech Cottages. 

Fozzy's First Holiday! 

Ah I am so pleased to be sharing this post with you today. In April, we took Fozzy (our 4 month old Cockapoo) on his first little holiday. It was a little daunting but we all took it in our stride and honestly we could not have picked a better location than Rothbury for our first trip away. 

Rothbury is only a 40 minute drive from our home in Northumberland but it feels a million miles away. When people picture Northumberland in their heads, I always feel like Rothbury would be the picture they conjure up. 

Think rolling hills, fields filled with sheep, traditional shops, a river with steppy stones and banks lined with fisherman. Rothbury itself is very welcoming to dogs too with many businesses opening their doors to four-legged friends. 

Finally, Rothbury offers an abundance of dog walking opportunities straight from the door. Whether you'd like a stroll around formal gardens, a hike up a hill or a walk along the river, there are options for all kinds of adventures with your dog. 

Before I jump into this post, I wanted to mention that Copper Beech Cottages have offered our readers a £50 discount. Details below: 

Copper Beech Cottages Discount 

• Use cofe 'NEFF50' when booking online via CopperBeechCottages.co.uk (enter where you see the 'enter promotion code' box)
• This will automatically provide a £50 discount 
• Valid for new bookings taking place on any date in 2022 (Fri-Mon/Mon-Fri or full weeks) 

Copper Beech Cottages 

We stayed with Copper Beech Cottages which are a set of four beautiful cottages overlooking Rothbury Golf Course. The cottages can sleep up to 8 guests and 2 dogs per cottage and a typical price is £434 for a family of four to stay for three nights across a weekend in May. 

You can check out Copper Beech Cottages and their current availabilty and prices here: https://www.copperbeechcottages.co.uk/

We stayed in Copper Cottage which sleeps up to 6 guests plus 2 dogs. 

You can see the location of Copper Beech Cottages on the map below. They aren't in the heart of Rothbury but it's an easy 15-20 minute walk into the town centre. It's along one road and very difficult to get lost.

I recommend stopping off at Rothbury Golf Club en-route but I will share more on that later. There is a designated parking spot outside of each cottage and the setting offers stunning views, peace and quiet. 

Copper Cottage Layout 

The layout of Copper Cottage worked brilliantly for us as a family of 5 (plus puppy): 

Downstairs

• Open plan living room and kitchen with patio doors leading to decked area and a gate down to your own gated garden
• Separate dining room 
• Kingsize bedroom 
• Family bathroom with bath and shower 
• Large entrance hall 
• Designated parking spot 

Upstairs 

• A further two bedrooms (can be made up as King/Twin) 
• An additional bathroom with shower 

This is the same layout as we had when we visited Center Parcs earlier this year and when travelling with teens, it's my favourite layout. We let the kids take over upstairs and they feel as if they have their own space. 

Copper Cottage Outdoor Space 

The outdoor space at Copper Beech Cottages was a real selling point for me. All four cottages are similar. Patio doors open out onto decking which overlooks the beautiful Northumberland Countryside and Rothbury Golf Course. The views are just spectacular and it's a lovely spot for morning coffee or evening drinks. 

The decked area then has a gate which opens out into a private enclosed grassed area. Perfect for playing fetch with the dog. Fozzy loved it and had great fun playing with the kids out there. It felt safe and secure for him. 

Copper Cottage Amenities 

Copper Cottage was nice and comfortable with everything we needed. The King beds were huge and nice and comfy, the shower in the downstairs bathroom (I didn't check the one upstairs) was extremely powerful and nice and hot and the towels and linen provided were lovely and soft. 

Extra little touches included a welcome hamper with local fudge, biscuits and fizz, washing and dishwasher capsules, soap provided and dog treats. 

The open plan kitchen was brilliant for cooking - we placed a click and collect order with Rothbury Buthers on one evening and made pizzas on another. Everything we needed to prepare family meals was provided. There is a full size fridge/freezer, dishwasher, oven and washer/dryer. You can find a full list of amenities here. 

You will find the holy grail of accommodation here too - plug sockets by the bedside and lamps in the living areas and bedroom. Low lighting and being able to charge your phone by your bed for the win. 

There is a SMART TV in the living area but we didn't really make too much use of this - we decided to spend the nights playing board games in the dining room with a few glasses of wine instead which was lovely. 

There is free WiFi too - we all logged in and were able to use our devices without any issues. We did have decent phone signal (with EE) too. 

Something I loved about Copper Cottage was the underfloor heating throughout with individual room thermostats - a lovely luxurious touch. We didn't need to change the temperatures and were lovely and cosy but it's nice to know we could all have our rooms at different temps if needed. 

The only notable negative I would say was that the sofas were pretty narrow. Not exactly a deal breaker but I thought it was worth a mention as I'm a fan of a deep sofa and it's something I notice. There are two sofas and there was enough room to seat the five of us.

Oh also there is no coffee machine and only decaf instant coffee was provided - if you need to start the day with decent coffee, make sure you bring some from home. Remember you are in rural Northumberland and no, you can't uber over a coffee in the morning (I did check 😅 ). 

Everywhere was nice and clean. 

Copper Beech Cottages made a real impression on 13 year old Dee. They have now decided they no longer want to move to France and would prefer to live in Rothbury instead. 

The combination of good amenities, comfortable beds, a brilliant shower, fantastic outdoor space with views to die for, a good layout for families with older kids, reasonable prices, dog-friendly features and the fact that you can easily walk into Rothbury means that I would definitely consider another stay here in the future and would recommend to friends, family and readers. 

Copper Cottage - Dog-Friendly Features 

I found Copper Cottage to be a real home from home for Fozzy. He settled pretty much straight away and we felt as if we had everything we needed and more. 

If anything, it was better than our home. Fozzy had such a brilliant stay here (we all did) and I would 100% recommend to other dog owners looking for a holiday cottage to enjoy with their dogs. 

Highlights include: 

• Dog bowl and treats provided 
  
  
• Laminate flooring in the main areas downstairs. Fozzy didn't have any accidents but it was good to know that if he did, they would be super easy to clean up. It really put my mind at ease straight away
  
  
• Plenty of space for you to bring a dog bed / crate 
  
  
• Each room has doors so it's easy to keep your dog/puppy in one room. For example when we were in the living room in the evening, we just shut the door into the hall so weren't forever chasing Fozzy down the stairs 
  
  
• The grassed area does not lead straight into the cottage which makes it easier for cleaning paws if needed
  
  
• A full size fridge/freezer is provided - handy if you are raw feeding 
  
  
• Washing machine with capsules provided if you need to wash towels etc.... during your stay
  
  
• Enclosed garden with a grassed area and no plants to dig up 
  
  
• Walks from the door and plenty of dog-friendly places to visit within walking distance 

Dog-Friendly Rothbury 

It is around a 15 minute walk from Copper Beech Cottages into Rothbury Town. There is an incline and a walk down (which means uphill on the way back) on the second part of this walk but it's not particularly steep. 

You are walking on road or beside a road for some of it and I'd recommend keeping dogs on leads. The road isn't particularly busy. 

We stopped off at Rothbury Golf Club on our walk into Rothbury. It's less than 10 minutes on foot from the cottage. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas. This place is a bit of a gem serving home-cooked meals and cakes alongside drinks (and a licensed bar).

The views of the golf course and Simonside Hills are beautiful. I'd definitely recommend factoring in a stop off here duing your stay. Non-residents are very welcome. Check their Facebook page for current specials and opening hours. 

Rothbury is such a lovely town with independent businesses galore. We didn't get around many but I can recommend Rothbury Butchers (you can place an order for click and collect or just pop in), the kids really liked Sweeties of Rothbury where they spent ages choosing pick and mix and Elements is worth a mention too - it is a co-operative made up of over 30 independent and local businesses with lots of unique gifts and homeware. The kids really liked the independent toy shop too (please note, not all of the above are dog-friendly). 

Walking around Rothbury, you will find many stores have bowls of dog water outside and welcome dogs inside too - if you aren't sure, just ask. 

My readers recommended the following businesses as being particularly welcoming to dogs: 

• La Mensa 
• Queen's Head 
• The Turk's Head 
• Star Inn at Harbottle 
• Newcastle Arms 
• Bewicks of Rothbury 
• The Vale Cafe 
• Sweeties of Rothbury 
• Elements Rothbury 
• Pots and Paws 
• Cross Keys Thropton 

We spent a large part of the afternoon in the beer garden at the Turk's Head which had been recommended to us by Copper Beech Cottages. Ah it was so lovely, a real sun trap with lovely staff. One of those places that had a really nice vibe. We felt so comfortable there with Fozzy that we ended up staying longer than planned. 

Dog-Friendly Walks in Rothbury 

The River Coquet runs through Rothbury and Rothbury Riverside Walk is popular with walkers. It's a nice and easy stroll along the banks and there are a few spots where you can stop and let your dog have a paddle too (please do supervise near wildlife). There are stepping stones a little further along from where we were and places to sit too. 

If you're visiting with kids, there is a nice enclosed playground overlooking the river with picnic tables too. Ideal for under 10s and a lovely spot. If you are visiting with kids and dogs, it's easy to sit on one of the benches outside of the playground with the dog as the kids play. 

If you are looking for something a little more challenging, you are very well located for walking around Simonside, up to the Drake Stone, Harbottle Castle, Thrunton Woods and more. Please do keep in mind that some areas are still feeling the after effects of the early 2022 storms so do check access when planning your route. This website is a good starting point for walks in the area. 

We are National Trust members and Cragside is just a few miles from Copper Cottage so of course we had to visit. There are lots of walks to enjoy with your dog (on lead) here and on this particular visit, we enjoyed the formal gardens and newly opened gorge walk which was spectacular. I can also recommend Nelly's Moss as an easy 1.5 mile circular route which is also suitable for pushchairs. 

We ended our trip to Cragside with lunch in the tearoom courtyard where dogs are welcome. Delicious. 

Copper Beech Cottages FAQ 

How do I book? 

The best way to book is via the Copper Beech Cottages website. You will find the best prices here. 

Can I visit without a car? 

I would say so yes, there are direct buses to Rothbury from Newcastle which stop in the town. It would then be a 15 minute walk up to the cottage. The first section would be uphill so keep this in mind re:luggage. Taxis are also available if needed (pre-book here). 

How many dogs can I bring? Is there a charge? 

You can bring up to two dogs with you for which there is a total charge of £20 (set fee regardless of whether you bring one or two dogs). 

Can you remind me of the £50 discount code please? 

• Use cofe 'NEFF50' when booking online via CopperBeechCottages.co.uk (enter where you see the 'enter promotion code' box)
• This will automatically provide a £50 discount 
• Valid for new bookings taking place on any date in 2022 (Fri-Mon/Mon-Fri or full weeks) 
  
  

Is there a travel cot? 

There isn't a travel cot but there is plenty of space should you wish to bring your own. You can add a highchair to your booking at no additional charge. 

Can I order takeaway / shopping to be delivered to the cottage? 

Yes, you can order a Rothbury Butcher's Breakfast pack for £3.50 per person which will be waiting for you on arrival to your booking. Sainsburys delivered to a neighbouring cottage so this is an option too.

There isn't really much in the way of Uber Eats / Deliveroo / Just Eat but you can order takeaway the old school way by giving the local takeaways a call and placing an order that way. Some do deliver and some are collection only. There is plenty of choice in Rothbury and there are a few menus in the welcome book. 

Is there a hot tub? 

No, there are no hot tubs at these cottages. 

Can I follow Copper Beech Cottages on Social Media? 

Yes, you can find their Facebook page here and Instagram here. Both share more photos and things to do in the area. 

Did you feel overlooked? 

Not at all, the decked areas are all separated and we didn't see another soul with the exception of a few golfers in the distance. 

Find out more and book: https://www.copperbeechcottages.co.uk/

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