Sometimes you just need a day out with your dog to make the world a better place and Howarth in West Yorkshire is one of the most dog friendly villages I've ever visited with Holly Bobbins.

Haworth has long been connected to the Bronte sisters, they wrote many of their books at what is now the Bronte parsonage museum and pretty much every area of Bronte country is smattered with the heritage of this famous family, you can even travel the 43 miles of the Bronte Way should you feel like putting your walking boots on, perhaps that's why it's such a dog friendly place, you often find that places which welcome walkers have also cottoned on to the fact that many walkers have dogs with them and we live in a country where the weather isn't always kind.  When you want to enjoy a place with your dog you don't always want to sit outdoors.

I think it might be one of the most dog friendly places I've ever visited with Holly Bobbins, there were less shops, tea rooms and pubs which didn't welcome dogs than those with signs saying that our four pawed friends were most welcome.  

There's nothing that I enjoy more than an afternoon ambling around pretty little gift shops so if I can do it with my furry best friend then I'm declaring it to be the best village I've ever been to.

It's not just the dog friendly aspect that makes Haworth so very special though, it's in the pennines and quite high up, actually, the village is on a steep hill but it's all pedestrianised so you and your dog are safe at all times, it's also completely cobbled and very much like the set of a movie.  Parts of it reminded me of Beamish like the shop above which is set out like an apothecary and sells all kinds of magical wonders including loose bath salts in many varieties, Holly and I loved our wander inside, it was part Beamish, part Harry Potter, I like a place which feels full of magic.

After a dilly and a dally around the enchanted store we wandered the village and even though it was freezing cold with snow still lying in many areas we had a lovely time exploring this picturesque village which looks like it's a movie set from the 1940's.  If it does look familiar it could be that you've seen it when it was used as a set in many movies but most famously, The Railway Children was shot there.

I'm determined to make it back to Howarth in the summer months when no doubt it's a completely different village bustling with tourists and with steam trains regularly running all year around you can bet it's a hugely busy tourist destination.  Haworth for me, has everything, it's dog friendly, it's gloriously pretty and it's full to the brim with history so if you've never visited, get in the car and get there before the peak season.

Dog Friendly Accommodation for two in Northumberland - Cross House Cottages

Holly Bobbins loves going on holidays, she gets to live her best life running around the countryside and she's always made very welcome given the wealth of dog friendly accommodation choices you can find now,  Northumberland especially seems to delight in offering cosy cottages where you can your pooch can holiday together.  Last week we stayed in the apartment, an open plan first floor property which is part of the dog friendly Cross House Cottages in Warkworth on the Northumbrian Coast.  The best thing for me as a home educating single parent is that Looby and I can not only take trips in the quiet times of the year but we can also get a bus direct from Newcastle which only takes around 90 minutes to get to the heart of the Northumbrian coastline.

Whilst the apartment is on the upstairs of the property if you would rather hire a ground level apartment the owners also have a garden studio which is again, an open plan dog friendly garden.  A huge secure back garden is perfect for your four pawed best friend to have a run around and if you're lucky you may even get to meet the resident poodles who are a very handsome pair, there's nothing better than oodles of poodles!

If you've never been to Warkworth before prepare to be wowed on your way into the village as the imposing ruins of Warkworth castle are your first view of this small rural coastal village, owned by English Heritage you'll find it's open at weekends during winter and week round during the peak months of the year, I've been many times and it's one of the most impressive ruins you'll find on the Northeast coast although if you want a castle which is completely in tact with rooms you can still visit you're not too far from Bamburgh Castle or Alnwick castle although both are unfortunately not dog friendly where as Warkworth Castle is.

For a small village they cater well for dog friendly breaks with 3 dog friendly pubs, namely, The Masons Arms (huge portions and my favourite of the 3), The Sun Hotel and the Hermitage Inn and do treat yourself to afternoon tea at dog friendly cafe Bertrams, you're in luck if they have the courgette and lemon cake on offer.

We really didn't do very much other than relax and rest, it's the time of year for staying indoors in cosy places although we did enjoy a sunset walk along the river and a walk to Amble and back the next day to make sure we'd worked up an appetite and doggy partner in crime Holly Bobbins had quite enough fun and exercise.

A stay at Cross House Cottages really involves minimal effort, all of the pubs are a mere hundred or so footsteps away so you can treat this holiday or mini-break as a relaxing haven or if you are more hardy you are right in the midst of the most beautiful coastline in the country with walks which take you to the most beautiful villages which nestle together making up the Northumbrian coastline, the best part is that most of the villages have a dog friendly pub or tearoom and they're all full of delicious treats, so much so that you may need to plan to walk off the calories afterwards.

Holly Bobbins was made so welcome that she couldn't dream of giving Cross House Cottages an immediate entry into her dog friendly guide and 10 barks out of 10 for the big secure garden which meant she could run around doing lots of sniffs to her hearts content no matter what time of the day or night and of course as usual she delighted every one she met and had many pats, dog treats and cuddles, I couldn't ask for a best doggy ambassador for our dog friendly guide.

If you have a dog friendly cottage you'd like to be included in Holly Bobbins Dog Friendly Guide please do get in touch and thank you so much to Lara who invited us to stay for 2 nights in exchange for an honest review.

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A Dog Friendly Break in Embleton, Northumberland

The best thing about booking accommodation for holidays and short breaks with Airbnb is that you always end up having a completely unique experience and so when you book and then discover that you've actually booked a cottage company it's always just a little bit disappointing.  The authentic Airbnb houses tend to be full of special touches whereas holiday cottage companies are all pretty much alike and you don't tend to get the special touches.  I genuinely don't think companies should be allowed to advertise on Airbnb or I think you should be notified if it's a private house or a holiday let. There's a huge list of rules around the "dog-friendly" element of the cottage and let's just say that while we're at home, Holly will be encased in a blanket!

In saying all of that, the cottage that I have let for this week is very small, very cute and perfect for Holly and I, I think if I was a family of 4 there's a chance it would feel far too small, though.

The great thing about where Holly and I are staying is that it's 10 minutes from the beach, it's a tiny village and at night the stars twinkle like a giant glittery blanket in the sky, perfect for moonlight walkies.  Holly is currently the happiest little dog in Northumberland, she woke me up at 6.30am (usually she hates mornings and anything before 10 am isn't doable) and by half eight we were out the door, by 9 am she'd rolled in sheep poo and the day just got better and better for her, we walked the coastal route from Embleton to Craster via Dunstanburgh Castle which sadly doesn't open for another 2 weeks, we had morning tea in Craster at Shoreline which is very dog friendly and welcoming and then by the time we got back to the cottage we'd walked over 18k steps.

There's something wonderful about holidaying with your dog, especially if you are alone, I think if I'd been completely alone I might have felt a touch lonely but that hasn't really happened with Holly by my side, she's such good company and very undemanding which means I have lots of time to think and plan for the future.

I love that it's nearly spring, whilst I often crave to be in a relationship during the dark winter nights, once the spring comes I am far too busy planning my next adventure and I guess that makes me a pretty difficult person to have a relationship, I know from conversations I've had during online dating that men don't seem to like women who are 100% committed to their work, they don't understand my work ethic even though I think I have the most fun jobs ever.  Who knows what the answer is there, my girls want me to work harder so that it brings in the benefits of more income which mean we can do more extracurricular activities but I'll likely never find someone who's going to tolerate me at my workaholic best/worst!

One thing is for sure, though, whilst my life seems to be a double-edged sword, at least I can guarantee that my dog is happy!

Holly Bobbins on Her Travels

Shock update, I love my dog, I know, you didn't realise, right?  When I adopted Holly I was in such a dark place and she mended my broken heart and has brought me so much joy over the last couple of years.  She loves meeting clients and coming on adventures with me and I love when I can get away to dog-friendly hotels and cottages.  This year I've decided to take even more photos of her when we're out and about in different places, now there's a problem here because Holly hates having her photo taken, but I have a secret weapon, much like most of the kids I photograph Holly is quite easily bribed with goodies and treats.

No Bones, a wonderful north east company sent me a gorgeous selection of treats for my four-pawed best friend and so I think she's going to be a very happy beagle over the coming weeks with all of her special Easter treats, they specialise in quality canine confectionary and Holly Bobbins has a definite soft spot for all of the lovely tasty sweeties they sent for her, isn't it wonderful that you can get your dog an easter egg or some pretty little easter nests, I mean it's unlikely she'll realise the meaning of easter but at least she's not going to feel left out when her human brother and sisters are chomping on their chocolate confections.

Last week with spring fast approaching we had a couple of great days out, first we went to Sycamore Gap and climbed up and down big hills to get to the tree made famous by Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Holly particularly loved Sycamore Gap because she loves getting muddy paws, so much so that she needed a bath when she got home.

Our second visit of the week was to York, it was a day when I needed to get away, just for a while and there's no better place to visit than my happy place York, it's a fabulous dog friendly city and we enjoyed big walkies around the city, down by the river and we even popped into the Star Inn for some very tasty lunch.  Holly was in her element when she got some off lead time afterwards too, she really is the happiest beagle in the world and I can't imagine life without my furry friend.  This week we're going to Embleton, again I needed to get away so I've been accruing Airbnb credit for a couple of years which needed using so just she and I are going to wander down by the beach and amble in the pretty little Northumbrian village which will hopefully inspire me for the spring and summer in my writing and photography.

I know one thing, whatever the rest of the year brings, you can guarantee you'll be seeing a lot more photos of Holly on her travels.

A dog friendly stay at the King's Head Inn, Yorkshire

Holly Bobbins, now a dog friendly four pawed travel expert, the canine equivalent to Alex Polizzi, was invited to stay at the dog friendly King's Head Inn, Newton Under Roseberry in Yorkshire, the sister Inn to the Kings Lodge Inn, Durham where Holly and I have given our dog friendly stamp to!

Now I think somewhat Holly and I might have been spoiled by the amazing experience we had when we ate there last month as I would say that although the food at the King's Head Inn was delicious, hearty and the portions large it wasn't quite as good as the King's Lodge Inn.  

Our room at the Kings Head Inn was functional, quite small for two grown ladies and a dog, very hot with a lack of air conditioning but again, it was good but just not as good as other places I've stayed with Holly, the desk for instance was scratched and stained, the beds were hard and the pillows even harder.  There were no little touches like stationary or toiletries just a functional pump dispenser on the wall.  It's just the little things for me that make a hotel stay stand out, those little extras really can turn a stay into a magical experience.

I think though that the staff were so lovely and I don't want you to think that this was an unpleasant experience because really it was lovely, it's always lovely to be able to go somewhere your dog is openly embraced and I loved that there was a big jar of dog biscuits on the bar and masses of water bowls around the inn, the seating in the bar is brand new and dogs are allowed anywhere there's no carpet which is fair enough, the outdoors and courtyard were pretty in the sunshine and the real joy of this inn is that it's location is right in front Roseberry Topping and so what else was there to do on a whim after a 3 course meal than decide to climb it...

When you look at Roseberry Topping from afar it does seem a little intimidating, when you get up close I think it's even more intimidating and when I say that it's not an easy climb it's a total understatement although Harriet and I did bump into a man who was making his 3rd descent of the week, 3 times a week, why on earth would you want to climb it 3 times a week, I can honestly say here and now that it's a magnificent hill and the views are superb, there's also a Pokestop on the top but having climbed it once I can safely say that I don't think I'll ever feel the need to climb it again for when I stumbled upon to the precipice I thought I was surely to die, my heart racing at 161bpm, my body shedding all of it's inner fluids upon my brow and chest, sweating buckets is an understatement, thank goodness then for the endorphins you feel as you realise you've climbed higher than ever before, that drug that keeps us running, climbing, a natural painkiller, the reassurance that this time I was not to die just yet.

I would return to the Kings Head Inn again, my dog and I like to be in the countryside so why wouldn't I go somewhere that would welcome us with open arms, the rooms seemed to be around £100 per night including breakfast which isn't too bad and I assume it gets very busy with walkers and climbers who bring their four pawed companions, what I'd like to see though are just those few extra touches which can make a night in the countryside feel like a magical experience in the countryside.