Make this the year you get out with your pet and discover just what amazing dog walks Britain has to offer. To get you in the mood, here are 10 of the best to inspire you.
- Caledonian Canal, Inverness
- South West Coast Path, Boscastle, Cornwall
- Grasmere to Rydal, Cumbria
- Monsal Trail, Peak District, Derbyshire
- Great Orme, North Wales
- The Wrekin, Shropshire
- Ashdown Forest, East Sussex
- Cromer, Norfolk
- Bridlington, Yorkshire
- Thames Path, London
Taking your dog for a walk not only provides your four-legged friend with physical and mental enrichment, it can improve your own fitness, and boost your well-being. It allows you to access amazing views, and experience sights you can only see on foot. All that, and it also strengthens your bond with your dog.
Andrew and his dog Mac.
Here, walking expert and dog-lover Andrew White, host of ‘Walks Around Britain’, highlights 10 walks around the country that you and your dog can enjoy this year.
Andrew is a Get Outside champion, an Ordnance Survey initiative where a range of outdoor people engage with the wider community to encourage them outside. “The outdoors is there for you, and it’s whatever you want to make out of it,” Andrew enthused.
If you enjoy getting out and about with your dog then the Your Dog Annual 2022 is for you!
You’ll get a year’s access to all codes, offers, discounts and perks, and with 300+ dog friendly partners throughout the UK, you’re sure to reimburse the £7.99 and save plenty more on top! Partners include online shopping for all essentials, plus dog friendly holidays and lodges, eateries, dog-friendly attractions, artists, gifts, discounts to dog shows and more!
Caledonian Canal
Inverness
The Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus.
Stretching from Fort William to Inverness, the canal was engineered by Thomas Telford and opened in 1822. Four lochs, including the famous Loch Ness, feed into the canal.
Andrew says: Spanning some 60 miles from the west to the east coast of Scotland, the Caledonian Canal provides some fantastic walking along the towpaths, with some magnificent scenery, amazing engineering, and wondrous wildlife along the way. The towpaths are mainly flat and are very well maintained, along with easy access for all.
Some choice sections for walking are:
● Corpach to Gairlochy (8 miles) — starting at the famous Neptune’s Staircase.
● Fort Augustus to Kytra (2 miles).
● Muirtown Basin – Clachnaharry Loop (2 miles) — at the Inverness end of the canal.
● Find out more at https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/canals/caledonian-canal
South West Coast Path
Boscastle, Cornwall
The South West Coast Path is one of the best long-distance coastal routes in the world.
You may be lucky enough to spot the world’s fastest bird — the peregrine falcon — from this path, 71 per cent of which is either in a national park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nearly nine million people visit the path each year.
Andrew says: With 630 miles to choose from, the South West Coast Path is one of the best long-distance coastal walks in the world. It’s one of the 16 national trails in England and Wales. Running from Minehead in Somerset around the coast to Poole in Dorset, there’s stunning scenery on offer all the way. My favourite part is the bit from the harbour village of Boscastle to Tintagel, which is nine miles one way.
● A very useful website gives lots of information, including an interactive map of the elevation of the walk; visit
https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walksdb/36
Check out some dog-friendly places to stay in Cornwall here, remember if you are a Your Dog Member you can get some fantastic discounts and offers as well!
Grasmere to Rydal
Cumbria
With a variety of walks on offer, you can choose the level of challenge that suits you. Dove Cottage, once the home of poet William Wordsworth, is in Grasmere, and is mentioned in his 1806 poem ‘The Waggoner’.
The picturesque and historic village of Grasmere.
Andrew says: Walking from the lovely village of Grasmere, home to the famous Grasmere Gingerbread, to the small village of Rydal is a pleasant four-and-a-half mile outing taking around two-and-a-half hours. This route maps part of William Wordsworth’s life; at Grasmere you can see his grave; walking through Town End, you can see Dove Cottage, where he and his sister, Dorothy, lived for a time; and then on to Rydal Mount, where he lived when he became wealthy from his writing. This is also an old coffin route, where people would take the dead down to Grasmere Church to be buried.
● Find out more at https://www.walklakes.co.uk/walk_76.htm
If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Cumbria then Keswick cottages are perfect! Keswick Cottages brings to you the very best in self-catering accommodation in and around the fabulous Keswick area. If you are a Your Dog Member you can also receive free treats on arrival.
Keswick cottages.
Monsal Trail
Peak District, Derbyshire
Cycle hire is also available on the Monsal Trail.
Cycle hire is available, with cafes to rest in too. New for 2022 is the chance to step inside the Millers Dale Station goods shed — a former derelict structure now lovingly restored to its former glory, and featuring an interpretation of the area’s railway heritage, nature, and its industrial past; visitors are free to walk in and explore.
The Monsal Trail passes over the Headstone viaduct.
Andrew says: Along the bed of a closed railway line, the Monsal Trail is loved by walkers and cyclists alike. It’s roughly eight-and-a-half miles long, starts in Wye Dale at the Topley Pike junction, and runs to the Coombs Viaduct. The well maintained and mostly flat paths using the old railway line make for easy walking, and make it accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs too. The recently reopened railway tunnels give the walk a great family adventure feel too — and you can start wherever you like, and turn back when you’ve had enough. Car parking is available along the route.
● Operated by the Peak District National Park, find out more at https://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/places-to-visit/trails/monsaltrail
If you need somewhere to stay in Derbyshire then Bolehill Farm Cottages are perfect! They are situated 2 miles from the centre of Bakewell with eight dog friendly self-catering cottages, lovingly converted from traditional farm buildings set within the heart of the Peak District National Park. If you are a Your Dog Member you can also receive 5% off!
Bolehill Farm Cottages.
Great Orme
North Wales
The Great Orme is a limestone headland.
Keep a lookout for the Kashmiri goats that roam the Orme. How and why the goats arrived on the Orme is shrouded in mystery, but they thrive there! Local weather forecasters even claim they can be used to predict flooding.
Kashmiri goats on the Orme.
Andrew says: From the Victorian splendour of Llandudno rises the mighty headland of the Great Orme, a huge chunk of limestone emerging straight out of the sea next to Llandudno’s pier. At 679 feet high, it’s the highest point on this part of the North Wales coast, and there are several great walks to the top. On a clear day you can see Snowdonia and Anglesey, the Isle of Man, Blackpool, and The Lakes from the summit, and there’s the Summit Complex, which has been at the top since the early 20th century, and has a cafe, bar, gift shop, children’s playground and visitor centre.
● Find out more at https://www.visitconwy.org.uk/ explore/outdoors/great-orme-country-park
The Wrekin
Shropshire
Local folklore has it that the Wrekin was formed by a giant dropping soil from his huge spade. In fact, the Wrekin’s origins were volcanic, although the Wrekin itself was never a volcano. There is an Iron Age hill fort on the summit.
Andrew says: One of the highest peaks in the Midlands, it is also one of the most rewarding to walk up. Start from the village of Cluddley and there’s a bit of road walking before you get into the woods around The Wrekin. Various footpaths show you the way to the summit, from which there are great views across Staffordshire and the Black Country. Walking up 1,335 feet to the top could take around three – four hours depending on the time of year.
● Find out more at https://www.discoveringbritain.org/activities/west-midlands/walks/wrekin.html
Need somewhere to stay? Puddle Duck Cottages are award winning luxury self-catering dog friendly holiday cottages that have been featured as one of the top places to stay by The Telegraph. The cottages are located in a beautiful tranquil setting at the heart of the Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire and surrounded by green open spaces with woodland and riverside walks direct from the cottages, they are the perfect location to enjoy a relaxed outdoor holiday and the area is very dog friendly too.
Puddle Duck Cottages.
Ashdown Forest
East Sussex
The beautiful Ashdown Forest.
In Norman times, this was a deer hunting forest. Nowadays, it is one of the largest free public-access spaces in the south east. It is situated on the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Andrew says: Famous as the setting for the ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ stories, Ashdown Forest is a fantastic place for a family walk, especially if you plan the walk to take in the Poohsticks Bridge. A downloadable leaflet from the Ashdown Forest website describes two great short walks through ‘Pooh’ country and the longer three-and-a-quarter kilometre (two miles) walk is perfect for little explorers.
Make sure you are careful of the deer who live here.
● Find out more at https://www.ashdownforest.org/home/index.php
Cromer
Norfolk
On the pier at Cromer.
Cromer is a charming, traditional seaside town, although a modern addition in 2021 caused a stir, when Banksy created a number of artworks around Norfolk, collectively known as the ‘Great British Spraycation’.
Andrew says: The walk from Cromer along the beach to Overstrand is exciting for all the family, with Overstrand Cliffs being classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The village and the lighthouse are all interesting to look out for. Do check the tides to be safe walking along the beach.
● Find out more at https://www.visitnorthnorfolk.com/ places/cromer.aspx
Bridlington
Yorkshire
One of the Flamborough Head lighthouses.
With RSPB reserves nearby, seals often spotted in the shallows, and dolphin or porpoise sometimes spotted further out, this walk will delight nature lovers. The village of Flamborough has a rich history, and even boasts a resident ghost.
Andrew says: Starting out at the impressive cliffs at Flamborough Head, this coastal walk ventures south for six-and-a-half miles to reach the seaside town of Bridlington. Explore the two lighthouses on Flamborough Head, as well as the massive variety of sea birds which make their home in the cliffs.
● Find out more at https://www.yorkshire.com/places/yorkshire-coast/bridlington
Thames Path
London
Alongside the Thames in Fulham.
If you manage to walk the whole path, there is an online certificate you can download to celebrate the achievement — it’s the longest river walk in Europe.
The earliest Thames bridge was built by the Romans.
Andrew says: Another of the national trails in England is the Thames Path, offering 180 miles along the banks of the Thames from Gloucestershire to the Thames Barrier.
The path is flat and is made for easy walking. Some choice sections are:
● The Thames Barrier to Greenwich (4½ miles) going past the Cutty Sark and The Royal Observatory.
● The London Eye to Putney (8 miles), past Battersea Power Station.
● Dorchester to Abingdon (9 miles)
● Find out more at https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/thames-path
https://petcheck.blog/2021/07/19/dog-walks-thames-path
Useful contacts
● Find out more about Andrew at http://www.andrew-white.co.uk
● Find out more about the GetOutside initiative at https://getoutside.ordnancesurvey.co.uk