Dog Walk Archives - Page 2 of 2

Abbots Pool Dog Walk

Posted on July 6, 2019July 22, 2019 by Philip

A tranquil wildlife-rich oasis with a feature central pool that was once used by abbots and monks to provide fresh fish whilst they were staying in their rest-house nearby.

We park close to the George Inn pub, and walk up Manor Road to the footpath next to Grangewood House. The path takes us between the houses and to the top entrance of the woodland where we begin our Abbots Pool dog walk.

Abbots Pool map — Map at the top entrance

This walk is so much fun for dogs and has plenty of variety including, a wooden bridge, hidden pathways, mature woodland, fallen trees, a series of pools to paddle and swim, water casscade and a bat cave!

Abbots Pool start of dog walk — Cleo is excited to start the adventure

Abbots Pool woodland dog walk — Cleo on the main path

The mature woodland includes massive oak and beech trees and an abundance of wildlife, including deer, squirrels, birds and bats. There are also picnic benches dotted around.

We explore the woodland paths and then visit the pool for a paddle.

Abbots Pool small pools dog — During the 1930’s Pulhamite was used to join natural rocks together

Stepping stones. — Small trout pools were separated by cascades’ constructed from Pulhamite

The large central pool is covered in lilies, there are fish, and waterfowl nest on islands. The dam provides a deep area and cascade to lower pools.

As we prepare to leave Abbots Pool, someone arrives to enjoy an early morning wild swim.

Abbots Pool in Bristol central pool — Central pool

Dog watching ducks at Abbots Pool Bristol — Watching the ducks

This is a beautiful area and one of our favourite locations to bring dogs. They get very excited running along the paths and splashing about in the pools. It can get quite busy when the weather is nice but during the week it is usually very quiet and peaceful.

There is a small car park for Abbots Pool further along Manor Road, but if we spot a space close to the pub we find it easier to walk.

Next year I will post about the (secret?!) bluebell wood which is very close to Abbots Pool. Here are a few more photos from our visit:

Bridge at Abbots Pool. — Looking for squirrels?

Wild Swimming at Abbots Pool Bristol — Early morning wild swimming

Dog running through woodland. — Woodland walking

Dog searching keeping watch. — Exploring

Wet dog after a paddle at Abbots Pool. — After a fun paddle

Dog hiding in the undergrowth. — Hiding in the undergrowth

Dog running along the trails of Abbots Pool Bristol. — Cleo loves running along the trails

Dog running at Abbots Pool. — The end of today’s adventure

Swanage to Corfe Castle Dog Walk

Posted on June 25, 2019December 16, 2019 by Philip

The Isle of Purbeck is a peninsula in Dorset that is bordered by water on three sides. It is beautiful area of the country with a traditional seaside town, dramatic coastline, rare heathland, rolling hills and an ancient castle that lies in ruins.

We park at the Corfe Castle National Trust car park and it is a short walk through the village to the train station. Our plan is to take a steam train ride from Corfe Castle to Swanage and from there we will commence our Swanage to Corfe Castle dog walk.

Corfe Castle railway station — Corfe Castle train station dates back to 1885

Swanage Railway Dog train ticket — Tickets, please!

The station was almost demolished in the 1970’s but has since been restored to display period signs and memorabilia linked to the long history of railways in Purbeck and Dorset.

Dog on Corfe Castle train platform — Waiting for our train to Swanage

Steam train at Corfe Castle — Steam train arriving

Steam train pulling in to Corfe Castle station — Stand clear of the doors!

This is Cleo’s first time on a train and she is highly interested in everything going on around her. The journey is around 20 minutes through the Dorset countryside to Swanage.

Swanage

After arriving in the seaside town of Swanage, we stop off at Love Cake café for a drink. They are dog friendly and Cleo has some water provided at the door and we find a spot inside.

We leave the café and take a stroll round the town and onto the seafront. There is plenty going on, with amusement arcades, ice cream outlets and a lovely beach. Unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the beach itself during the summer so we begin our walk up to Ballard Down on the Purbeck Hills.

Ballard Down

Leaving the residential area, we join the cliff path up to Ballard Down. It’s quite steep and there are good views of Swanage.

Dog ascending Ballard Down Swanage — Continuing the ascent

We reach the Ballard Down open ridge. Turning right goes to Old Harry but we turn left to follow the Purbeck Way to Corfe Castle. From here there are good views on the other side of the ridge towards Poole Harbour and Studland.

The Purbeck Way

View towards Old Harry Rocks and Isle of Wight — View towards Old Harry and Isle of Wight

Sheep and lambs with views over Swanage, Dorset — Sheep grazing on Ballard Down

The ridge walk path takes us straight ahead until we reach an obelisk. Here we turn left towards Ulwell and climb down approximately 210 steps and then carefully cross the road and go through a kissing gate and follow the sign to Corfe Castle.

Ridge walk to Corfe Castle

From Ulwell it is pretty much straight ahead all the way to Corfe Castle. There are a couple of uphill sections but the route is a mostly flat chalk and grass path. Although there are some sections with cows grazing, the path is long and open so Cleo can come off the lead for most of the ridge walk.

It’s a very peaceful route with some great views of the Dorset countryside. We only encounter a handful of other walkers and Cleo plays with a couple of dogs along the way.

Ulwell ridge walk with dog — Cleo leading the way

Perbeck Way ridge walk with dog — Beautiful countryside views

Steam train heading to Swanage. — Steam train heading to Swanage

Corfe Castle

Now Corfe Castle is visible in the distance. We continue to follow the path towards the castle and start desending down to the village.

Corfe Castle from railway line — Caution is required at this unmanned railway crossing

Corfe Castle from the village — Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle is a picturesque village with a range of independent shops, pubs, tea houses, hotels, artist studios and the magnificent imposing castle.

This was a fantastic walk and Cleo loved all the different experiences packed into one walk. Remember to take plenty of water for your dog because when you leave Swanage there will not be another chance to top up until you reach Corfe Castle. Check out our walking route map below.

We provide similar adventure experiences for your dog with our weekend adventure days in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Contact us for more information.

You can follow our dog walking adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Bath Skyline Dog Walk

Posted on June 14, 2019December 16, 2019 by Philip

We travelled to the beautiful countryside which surrounds the City of Bath for a 6 mile Skyline dog walk. Passing through hidden valleys, idyllic woodlands and meadows rich in wildlife.

It’s Sunday and the usual parking restrictions are not in force, so we park on Cleveland Walk close to Bathwick Meadow (on any other day you can park on the opposite end of Cleveland Walk, before the controlled parking zone). Then it’s a short walk to Bathwick Hill. Taking the path between the houses and through the gate, it’s here we pick up the trail for our Bath Skyline dog walk. Entering Bathwick Meadow we are immediately greeted with views of Bath’s honey-coloured Georgian architecture.

Bathwick Meadow start of Bath Skyline Walk — Starting the Bath Skyline walk

Bath Skyline walk Bathwick Meadow — Bathwick Meadow and view over the city of Bath

The best views of the Bath Skyline are during this part of the walk. Cleo has a run through the long grass and I try and spot some of the famous Bath landmarks. We walk up to Richens Orchard, where occasionally you will find a small flock of sheep grazing.

Richens Orchard The National Trust — Richens Orchard

We follow the trail to Smallcombe Nuttery, a nut orchard of 37 trees including cobnuts, walnuts, almonds and sweet chestnuts. This is a project run by Transition Bath with the aim to provide a sustainable food resource for the local community.

Smallcombe Nuttery, Bath Skyline Walk — Smallcombe Nuttery

Dog on Bath Skyline walk — Cleo with Bath city view

Bath Skyline walk view — Bath city views

Claverton Down

We walk a steep uphill stretch to Rainbow Wood. This area is great for wildlife and we spot rabbits and butterflies. You may be lucky enough to see deer, woodpeckers, jays and buzzards.

Cleo loves the woods, walking through Rainbow Wood she has her nose firmly on the ground sniffing everything. There is a gate on this path that leads into a valley and at the bottom of the valley is Prior Park. Prior Park was created in the 18th century by Ralph Allen to show off the stone from the quarries he owned. The garden is set in a sweeping valley with magnificent views of Bath. We don’t go down there today but you can read about Prior Park in this blog post.

Valley to Prior Park — View from Rainbow Wood

Rainbow Wood Bath valley — Valley leading to Prior Park

Anthills of ancient yellow meadow ants on the Bath Skyline walk — The mounds are the anthills of ancient yellow meadow ants

Next up, Long Wood. This section is part of the Family Discovery Trail which is two miles loaded with activities for children, including a play area.

We can now hear barking dogs, which means we are next to the Bath Cats and Dogs home. They have a small pet store and snacks. Cleo already has some treats so we head on to Bushey Norwood.

Bushey Norwood

To get into Bushey Norwood we need to climb over a stone stile, this is the only difficult part of the walk for Cleo to manoeuvre. She puts her paws up on the top of the wall and, with a little help from me pushing her up, scrambles to the top and jumps down into the woods. Well done Cleo! We come out from the woods onto a field and there are quite a few cows here on this occasion. Look out for an Iron Age hill fort and early Roman earthworks.

Bathampton Wood

Keeping to the main trail through the woods.

Bathampton Down

We emerge out the woods and head towards the TV masts. The golf course is now on our left and we continue along the ridge walk with nice views of Bath between the trees. Eventually we take the second gate on the right, down into the woods.

Bathwick Wood

The path drops steeply through the trees and down to the main path. Cleo runs on ahead, exploring the smaller tracks. We continue on the main path, winding through the trees, go up some wooden steps to a view point with a bench. Here we make a short detour to Sham Castle.

Sham Castle

Making our way up the slope, Sham castle appears in view at the top. This folly was a Ralph Allen commision to improve the view from his house.

We head down the steep slopes back to Cleveland Walk and the end of our fabulous Bath skyline walk.

This was a 6 mile long and well-marked walk with great views of Bath. You really experience a unique perspective on Bath. There are some steep sections and quite a lot of gates, with the kissing gates giving Cleo’s mind a workout. If I’m with more than one dog on our Weekend Adventure days, we usually take one of the many other footpaths that crisscross the main route and spend more time exploring the woods and open fields without the cows.

You can follow our dog walking adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Durdham Down Bristol group dog walk

Posted on June 8, 2019December 16, 2019 by Philip

The Downs consists of Clifton Down and Durdham Down, bordering Clifton and Redland areas of Bristol. They represent a large area of parkland for the public to enjoy. It is one of our favourite dog walking destinations in Bristol.

Peggy, Darcy, Cleo and Donny joined us on our Durdham Down Bristol group dog walk today. After a morning of showers the sun emerges from behind the clouds, which makes Peggy and Darcy happy because they don’t like the rain but love sunbathing!

Our walk takes us round Durdham Down and past the water tower and Café Retreat, an independent cafe that has dog friendly outdoor seating. It is reasonably busy here this afternoon with dog walkers, joggers and a group of people enjoying a barbecue. We find a quiet spot under some trees offering us shade if the dogs require it.

By now the dogs are excited to play ball games. Donny has set the game rules early on, he must get first dibs on any ball chuck. The others all agree. Peggy and Darcy finish their afternoon fun with a relaxing sunbathe and we all have some water before going home.

The Durdham Down group dog walk is just one of many of our walks available. We have packages to suit all types of dogs, from puppies to seasoned veterans and every dog in between. Contact us for more information on our Bristol group dog walks.

You can follow our dog walking adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

Group dog walk in Bristol — The doggy group

Pug and Staffy on Durdham Downs — Darcy and Peggy

Dogs playing on Durdham Downs Bristol — Donny and Cleo like to play together

Durdham Down Bristol dog playing ball — Donny

Dog playing ball on Durdham Down Bristol — Playing ball games

Dogs sniffing Durdham Down Bristol — What’s going on here?

Pug Bristol dog walk — Can I have a treat please?

Dogs playing ball on Durdham Down Clifton Bristol — Peggy takes a break from the games

Yorkshire Terrier dog ball game Bristol dog walk — Donny

Dog sunbathing Bristol dog walk — Time for one last sunbathe before going home

King’s Wood to Crook Peak Dog Walk

Posted on May 22, 2019December 16, 2019 by Philip

We take a ridge walk along the Mendip Way to Crook Peak, one of the most distinctive features of the Somerset landscape.

Our Crook Peak dog walk starts from the King’s Wood car park. The weather is nice and sunny with a breeze.

From the car park it is straight through the ancient woodland, which is steadily uphill. The wood supports a wide variety of birds and insects, and range of fungi, ferns, mosses and lichens. Cleo uses this opportunity to explore and sniff around.

We emerge out in the open. Here you can see the walk in front of you and up to Wavering Down.

Crook Peak dog walk — Ascending Wavering Down

Continuing forward, past Hill Farm on the right, I put Cleo on the lead at this point until we reach the top and we can see our path to Crook Peak, because there are often horses and cows grazing. The hill is quite steep and the path uneven.

Wavering Down

On arrival at the top, there is a viewpoint on the left. We are 211 metres above sea level which is the highest point on the walk. Looking straight ahead and you can see Crook Peak for the first time in the distance and much of your path ahead to reach it. I spot horses grazing in the distance.

Cleo has some water and we proceed onwards, passing the horses.

The way is clear from animals so I let Cleo off the lead. People on top of a hill on my left are flying model aeroplanes. We descend slightly and then up to Compton Hill and through a junction of paths. Eventually we will go down the path to my left but we are now at the final ascent to Crook Peak straight ahead. We make our way up.

Crook Peak

We reach the peak and enjoy the far-reaching views from the summit. The scenery is stunning, surrounded by the Somerset countryside, including Cheddar reservoir, Brean Down, Bleadon Hill, the Bristol Channel and the South Wales coast. There are birds soaring above and two model aeroplanes gliding over the valley.

Crook Peak dog walking — Cleo on Crook Peak

Cleo has some water and treats then we begin the descent down to the junction of paths and turn right towards Compton Bishop village in the valley below.

Crook Peak dog Mendip Hills — The descent

A black lab comes running up to us and Cleo plays with him for a short time. Now Cleo is on the lead again and we walk along a narrow path into a wooded area with farmland on the left.

Our path is blocked by cows lying down so we can’t get by. Eventually they move, clearing the path for us. Emerging from the woods there is a layby parking space, turn left down the road and take the first left into the village.

Compton Bishop Village

St Andrew's Church Compton Bishop — St Andrews Church, Compton Bishop

We browse the village briefly, looking at the church and then continue the walk onto the path to Bourton Farm and through a farm access track. From here you can either walk through the woods or straight ahead which will eventually loop back up to the hills. We go back up to the hill to Wavering Down.

Horses Grazing Wavering Down — Horses grazing on Wavering Down

By now, the horses have made their way to the trig point. Walking back down the hill takes us to King’s Wood. Cleo knows the walk is coming to an end and makes the most of it by exploring the woods one last time before we then reach the cark park. Crook Peak dog walk complete!

There are various walks you can do by following the different paths. So you can make each trip slightly different or switch it up depending on ability. Our walk was 7.17 miles. See the map below for our walking track and for a more detailed view use the drop down menu and select satellite mode and zoom in.

I highly recommend this walk, especially with dogs. This is an Outdoor Paws favourite walk on our Weekend Adventure days where we hike and play stimulating games. Contact us for more information.

You can follow our dog walking adventures on Instagram and Facebook.