Rothbury Tourist Information

Rothbury Town Guide

Rothbury in the Coquet Valley is one of the most popular holiday bases in the Northumberland National Park and main centre for the Coquetdale area and the National park as a whole. Rothbury is home to one of the main Northumberland National Park Centre information points. A premier National Park location for festivals, particularly folk music festivals and walking festivals, Rothbury centre boasts an outstanding choice of specialist shops, fine tearooms and pubs, antiques shops, craft centres and gifts shops. Traditional music and arts both feature strongly in this delightful market town in the heart of the park. The annual Rothbury Traditional Music Festival takes place in mid-July and the Coquetdale Arts Centre on Rothbury Main Street is home to a host of paintings by local artists as well as local crafts. Rothbury also boasts a pretty little community cinema.

Independent and fine specialist shops in Rothbury on the Main Street and around the pretty centre include fine wine shops, antique shops and traditional village stores. Rothbury Wines stocks a wide choice of local whiskies, Fentimans traditional soft drinks, local beers and the choice of Lindisfarne products including Lindisfarne Mead. An outstanding choice of fine tearooms in Rothbury include the Elm Tree House Tea Shop, the Sun Kitchen and Harley's Tea Rooms on Bridge Street. Rothbury Farmers' Market take place on the third Sunday of every month in the central Jubilee Hall.

The stunning River Coquet, one of the best fishing rivers in the UK, runs right through Rothbury and is popular for both fishing and riverside walks. Fishing is also popular at Fontburn Reservoir situated just 6 miles to the south of Rothbury off the B6342. Numerous beautiful walks and cycling routes branch out from Rothbury into unspoilt landscapes such as Simonside Hill and Harwood Forest. Forests around Rothbury cover an area of around 10,500 hectares and include the forests of Harwood, Thrunton, Harbottle and Kidland. You can pick up a copy of the Forestry Commission's specially produced Rothbury Forests leaflet from the main Rothbury National Park Centre in the town. The Cheviot Hills are just a short drive from Rothbury and offer numerous walking opportunities and the 'cup and ring' ancient rock art around Lordenshaws is popular walking territory from Rothbury. The National Park Centre in Rothbury offers a wide selection of information, maps and guides on the Northumberland National Park as well as tourist information for local attractions such as the Victorian National Trust Property Cragside in Rothbury.

Rothbury National Park Centre, Church Street, Rothbury, NE65 7UP. Tel. 01669 620887. Interactive displays on the local Coquetdale area are within the National Park Centre at Rothbury.

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Cragside Victorian House & Gardens in Rothbury

National Trust Property Cragside House & Gardens just 1 mile to the north of Rothbury is a unique Victorian house built by the Tyneside industrialist and inventor William George Armstrong. Cragside was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity generated from the property's five artificial lakes. The famous Victorian Armstrong who built Cragside has been widely credited as one of the pioneers and founders of hydroelectricity. Cragside sits spectacularly on a rocky crag above the Debdon Burn.

Cragside's links to pioneering hydroelectricity is just one of the spectacular features of this unique National Trust property. Other highlights include the largest sandstone rock garden in Europe here at Cragside and not to be missed are the spectacular array of rhododendrons in season at the property. The tallest Douglas fir in England can also be seen in the Pinetum at Cragside. An adventure playground, lakeside walks and trails, a National Trust shop with plant sales, the Stables Restaurant and free parking are all onsite.

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