Paxton House – Zip Wires, the Tweed and a Tearoom for the Dog
A few hours.
The route
Paxton House is a Georgian mansion near Berwick-upon-Tweed, in 80 acres of woods and lawns that run down to the Tweed, where the river is the border with England.
Children have a woodland playground with zip wires and a den-building zone, and dogs on leads are welcome everywhere but inside the house, even in the tearoom, which keeps a room just for them. It's an easy family day the dog can share.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Blue Cabin by the Sea in Cockburnspath, 15 miles away. Sleeps 4.
Book the grounds day pass for Paxton House on its website before you go (parking is included; display the confirmation in your car window); the grounds open every day until 1 November, 10am to 3pm in October, and on site they take cards only.
The day
Paxton
Zip wires and dens in the woods, a walk down to the river, and lunch in the old stables with the dog beside you.
About three and a half hours
Paxton House
An attraction
Paxton House is 3 miles from the A1's Berwick bypass, on the B6461. Parking is in the hard-surfaced car park a short walk from the courtyard, and it's included in the grounds pass. Book the grounds day pass on Paxton House's website before you go and display the confirmation in your car window; on site it takes cards only. The grounds and tearoom open every day until 1 November, from 10am to 3pm in October. Dogs on leads are welcome all over the grounds, but not inside the house, so this is a day outdoors. Head first for the woodland playground, with its zip wires and slides, and the den-building zone beside it, and pick up the seasonal children's trail. Then follow the footpaths south of the house down through the woods to the Tweed, where herons, kingfishers and swans work the bank and the Union Chain Bridge is in view. The car park, courtyard and toilets are level, with an accessible toilet and baby changing in the courtyard; Paxton doesn't describe the woodland paths, so ring 01289 385777 about a pushchair.
The Stables Tearoom
Lunch
Lunch is back in the courtyard at the Stables Tearoom, in the old stable block, open 10am to 3pm in October. It serves light lunches with children's options and home baking, and keeps colouring sheets and a toy box for small ones. Dogs have their own room, the Harness Room, with a dog menu and puppaccinos. There's no need to book. If it's full, the Cross Inn in Paxton village nearby takes dogs in its bar and serves lunch from noon, Wednesday to Sunday.
If it rains
Dogs can't go into the house, so on a wet day keep the woods short and take a table in the tearoom, with the dog in the Harness Room.
Where to stay
