Dog friendly day out at National Trust Cragside

National Trust Cragside is an extraordinary 1000 acre estate with a grand Victorian house, picturesque gardens and extensive woodland, created by Lord Armstrong, a Victorian inventor, innovator and landscape genius. Armstrong was the first man to harness the power of hydroelectricity for his home along with the first proper installation of the electric light bulb. He was also the first international arms dealer, with much of the wealth used to create Cragside coming from the weapons he developed that were used in conflicts across the world.

We were super excited to visit Cragside as we saw George Clarke’s National Trust Unlocked and Secrets of the National Trust with Alan Titchmarsh, but nothing can really prepare you for how jaw-dropping and spectacular it is.

When you drive into Cragside, you can see the lake and the National Trust shop and cafe, giving you a hint of the sheer size of the estate. We had a very friendly National Trust employee chat with us at the entrance, telling us his favourite things about the estate and how much dogs were welcome in the gardens and woodland as long as they stay on the lead.

Once we parked, we walked to the National Trust information centre where we looked at the routes around the woodland and grabbed a hot drink to warm us up.

We decided to stop by the house first so we could take turns visiting whilst the other walked around the gardens with Bella. The house was magnificent, partly cut into the crag that it is nestled in, surrounded by towering evergreens and boulders, looking out across the valley that is home to the hydroelectric system Armstrong built.

The house is well worth a visit, inspired by the arts and crafts movement in decoration with William Morris wallpapers, wooden panelling and corridors showcasing magnificent paintings. Easily the most impressive was the drawing room, with an enormous Italian marble frieze above the fireplace.

After, we wandered around the gardens and grounds. It was quite fun walking down the boulders and rockery in front of the house, which is the biggest sandstone rock garden in Europe. As you climb down the stone steps, you can hear the sound of water, before the bushes part to reveal the stunning valley with the iron bridge stretching proudly across.

We walked along the iron bridge, following the river around to see the Archimedes Screw, installed by the National Trust to restore hydroelectricity to Cragside.

There are a few different walking routes around the estate, varying from 1.5 miles to 3 miles, so we recommend getting there early so you can try to see everything! Each route has stunning scenery, so we chose to merge one route with another but unfortunately ended up losing our way!

We would highly recommend finishing your day by driving along the 6 mile carriageway around the estate. It’s a great way to experience what visitors would have been lucky to see in the Victorian era. The grounds are stunning and there are a few areas you can park up and walk around, such as the lakes at the top of the crag.

We were so glad we stopped by the lakes as we didn’t quite make it that far on our walk! It was so peaceful and calm, and as we went right at the end of the day, no one else was around either. It’s a perfect place for a picnic if you have time, there are even picnic benches on the far side. After walking around the lakes, we got back in the car, with music to match the spectacular scenery – the score by John Williams for Jurassic Park! It really did feel like we might spot a triceratops any minute.

We loved our day out at Cragside, and visiting in the winter, the estate shut a little easier than usual, but we were there for the entire day and didn’t manage to quite see it all, so we would definitely love to return another time!