With Christmas and new year festivities already a distant memory, January is National Dog Walking month, and it couldn’t be better timed.
If you’re looking for inspiration to switch up your walking routine, now is the perfect opportunity to spring back into action. Whether you have a furry friend, a willing partner, or prefer to walk alone, here are five great walks to enjoy.
1. Enjoy a circular walk around Alderley Edge
Popular with walkers, hikers and runners, the Alderley Edge circular walk will take you through fields, country lanes, and woodland.
Ideal if you want a longer route that isn’t overly strenuous, this is a walk that’s popular with families, children, and dogs alike.
The complete five-mile walk will take around four hours. Make it all the way you can treat yourself to fish and chips in the village.
Be sure to wear proper walking shoes as the fields and lanes can get pretty muddy.
If you’re looking for something slightly easier, the Wizard’s Wander offers a shorter route that takes around an hour. This route has paths all the way, making it particularly pushchair friendly.
2. Take a scenic walk through Delamere Forest in Cheshire
Delamere Forest is a great spot to explore at any time of the year and, if you’re after a dog walk with plenty of scenery, the Old Pale Trail is one for you.
The walk is a little less than two miles and takes around two hours to complete. Along the way, you’re likely to pass a mix of locals, tourists, and fellow dog walkers.
Beware, this route begins with a short climb to reach the top of Old Pale Hill, so you may need to consider this if you or your walking buddies have mobility issues. The good news is that once the first climb is complete, there are plenty of wide paths and the rest of the walk is relatively flat.
If the hill-climb start is off-putting, Blakemere or Linmere are both good alternative routes. Each offer easier walks, plus you may get to see more wildlife and there’s also plenty of opportunity to stop for a bit of a breather.
3. Spot the wildlife as you wander along Lancashire’s Pendle Canal
The Pendle Canal offers no less than four walks to choose from, you can select a short two-mile walk or a longer five-mile route.
If you’re taking the longer routing, your starting point is Colne Rugby Club, going through Foulridge Wharf and Country Brook. This walk is considered “moderately difficult” as you go along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towpath as well as across Alkincoates Park Nature Reserve.
The upside is that you get to enjoy far-reaching views across the Yorkshire Dales.
Whichever routing suits your mood and energy levels, you’re sure to spot plenty of wildlife – including the occasional deer.
4. Walk to the Lantern at Lyme
For more glorious views, visit National Trust’s Lyme and take a walk through the lesser-visited areas of the park to reach the Lantern.
Not only will you take a path less travelled, but you may also catch a glimpse of Lyme’s red deer, who tend to graze on the east of the park.
If you don’t fancy the climb up to the Lantern, the vast 1,400 acre estate offers a wealth of other options.
Indeed, if you’d prefer to enjoy a more tranquil walk you could choose to explore the elegant Rose Garden, Ravine Garden, or the luxurious herbaceous borders beside the reflecting lake where Mr Darcy met Miss Bennet in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice.
Dogs are welcome in all areas of the park and garden. To protect the wildlife, you should keep your dog on a lead in some areas of the park, but there’s plenty of scope for off-lead exercise, too. For example, there’s a safe off-lead dog-walking area in Knightslow Wood, which is open year-round, as well as a route through Pursefield Wood.
Keep an eye out for signs in the park or check out the map on the National Trust webpage for Lyme.
5. Run free at Thurstaston Beach
Accessed through Wirral Country Park, you’ll find Thurstaston Beach – a long sweep of sand and dunes where you and your four-legged friend can run free and enjoy the sea air.
The Wirral Way, a 12-mile walking trail, runs just behind the beach and offers a different route along the old railway line, finally heading inland to Hooton.
Whether you explore the park, hit the beach, or amble along part of the Wirral Way, don’t miss the chance for a tasty treat at Flissy’s Coffee Shop, on Station Road.
Open until 5 pm every day and 5.30 pm on weekends, the cafe is so dog friendly, they even serve dog sausages and dog ice cream. And don’t get us started on the delicious meals and cakes for humans!
