Walking the dog is a great way to get away from the stresses of life and clear your head, however it can become mundane and repetitive if you don't shake up your route every so often.
If you're getting bored of your usual dog walk, why not try one of the four North East botanic gardens which have been named among the best to take your pooch in a new index ranking the UK's botanic gardens. Crook Hall and Gardens in County Durham; Belsay Castle and Gardens and Dilston Physic Garden in Northumberland; and Birkheads Secret Gardens in Gateshead all made the list compiled by Essential Living.
The highest ranked of the four was Crook Hall, which is set to re-open this summer as a National Trust property. It was also ranked the 19th best UK botanic garden overall, the North East's only representation on that list.
