Good walks for you and your dog

On this page we want to give you some ideas of great walks for you and your dog as well as dog friendly pubs around Surrey & Middlesex. If you have a favourite walk or pub which is not listed on here, please send it to us and we will add it to this page.

Walks

BERKSHIRE - Bracknell                                        

SURREY - St Margarets   Hampton Court  Epsom

MIDDLESEX -  Teddington  Sunbury

HERTFORDSHIRE -  Chorleywood Common

Dog Friendly Pubs

LONDON - Barnes

MIDDLESEX - Sunbury

HERTFORDSHIRE - Chorleywood

The Look Out, Bracknell Forest, Surrey

One of my favourite walks with Kody, when we have a long afternoon ahead and the kids need fresh air is the forest walk in Bracknell/Swinley Forest. Just 25 minutes down the M3 and you are there. If you park at the Look Out Discovery Park car park, there is a wonderful adventure playground for the kids and miles of trails to walk.

If your dog doesn't like cyclists, then maybe not a good walk. The trails are very wide, but are shared with cyclists throughout, unless you walk into the deep woods (which is beautiful). You can walk the dog around the outside of the playground as well while the children have fun and if you have older kids, check out Go Ape, the aerial adventure playground which is an adrenaline boost for anyone! This must be booked in advance at most times www.goape.co.uk but you can walk freely underneath all of the action in the woodland with your dog whilst the rest of the family flies high above you. A good one for thoroughly confusing the dog! After you have finished your walk, there are picnic tables outside the cafe which serves a basic menu, but the ice cream selection is always a hit with the family after so much exercise.

In addition, next door is the wonderful science centre which is very hands on and the kids love it whilst Fido cools down. Across the road is Coral Reef - one of the most amazing swimming pools I have seen, with a variety of slides, wave pool, pirate ship and even a rain cloud which downpours occasionally! Fido can't swim, but if time is of the essence, you could always split up and one of you take the kids swimming while the other has a peaceful walk through the miles of woods available across the road at Swinley Forest. A simple, fresh air kind of day and who doesn't need that every so often! Sandy Stewart

Marble Hill Park - St. Margarets

Free parking in Orleans Road up to 10.30 am and after 4.30 pm, otherwise 40p for 20 minutes You can only access Orleans Road from the Richmond Road, don't attempt to drive along Riverside as it is blocked off. Also there is a pay English Heritage car park off Richmond Road (near Beaufort Road turn off). Tarmac paths around park and large open grass areas surround Marble Hill House. Inside the park there is a dirt footpath along river boundary between the trees which has an exit onto the Twickenham to Richmond towpath or continues along to the eastern boundary of the park. There is a cafe in the Stable Block (near end of Montpellier Row on A-Z) and also another cafe at the childrens playground at the bottom of Orleans Road where it does a right angle turn into Riverside Human loos available at both. Dog bins and free English Heritage plastic doggy-do bags are provided at the bins.

A pleasant add-on to the walk is through Orleans Wood. Take the gate in the brick wall on the right side of Orleans Road as you face the river and take one of the four paths leading through the wood to a gate at the far end which takes you out, across Riverside, and back along the river's edge to the children's playground. The wood is managed and has some attractive flowering shrubs and bulbs. Sarah Leworthy

Hurst Meadows - Hampton Court

South of the River Thames, over Hampton Court Bridge and right along the Hurst Road. Several free car parks, one off Graburn Way another off Sadlers Ride. Dog bins and free do-bags when they have been replenished by the council! Lots of grassy open space which is allowed to grow wild in the spring/early summer and the towpath can be walked along the river as far as Walton. First pub you come to is The Weir opposite Wheatley's Ait which has a large open air sitting area by the river and is also dog friendly inside! Sarah Leworthy

Bushy Park - Teddington

Two free car parks, one at the Diana Fountain Roundabout and the other marked on a turning off Chestnut Avenue. Also small disabled car parks at other locations within the park. Free range walks along grassy rides, around the lake and along the streams. You cannot take dogs (sadly) into the planted garden areas which are fenced off to protect them from the deer. Also beware the deer during the fawning season (May/June/July) and also during rutting (October) - I have heard they can target dogs that get too close and charge them causing severe injury and even death.

A pleasant add on walk with dog on lead is to cross the main Hampton Court Road by the Chestnut Avenue exit and enter Hampton Court Gardens via the Lion Gate. Spectacular daffodils in March/April. Human loos available here. Sarah Leworthy

Rivermead Island - Sunbury

Between Walton and Hampton Court Bridge along the north side river road - Lower Hampton Road. Free car park by Indian Restaurant. The park, which is surrounded by water - the River Thames to the south and a wide ditch to the north - is accessed across a pedestrian bridge which has a self-closing gate at the far end. Ideal for letting dogs off lead for the first time, as long as they are not swimmers! Dog bins provided. It is not a large park and is mostly open grass with a small wooded area at the far end, but gives a good run around. Beware the river can be fast flowing. A short walk along the main road (towards Walton) past the Magpie Pub (NOT dog friendly) takes you to the Walled Garden (again NOT dog friendly) but, it does have a human friendly cafe and loos as well as the magnificent Sunbury Millennium Tapestry and a delightful small garden to enjoy the summer flowers. Sarah Leworthy

Epsom Downs - Epsom

Epsom Downs is famous for being the home of the annual Derby horse race is an area of 600 acres of unspoilt downland. The Downs is divided into two areas; the first is the main area where the renowned racecourse is. It’s a vast open space enjoyed all year round by those walking the dog, cycling, having a picnic or who simply fancy a ramble.As you would expect, the Downs is also regularly used by riders from the many local stables taking their horses out for some hearty exercise!

There are numerous free parking areas – most of which are by the Tea Hut (adjacent to the Tattenham Corner Pub). Other places to grab a bite to eat are the Derby Arms pub (opposite the Grandstand) and The Rubbing House (to the right of the Grandstand, under the bridge sign-posted Langley Vale). The ice-cream van deserves a visit too!

There is also an area called the View Point and from here, on a clear day, views of the whole of London - as well as fabulous scenery of rural Surrey can be admired. It has its own free parking area which directly over-looks the golf course. Caroline Vary

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Dog friendly pubs

The 'Brown Dog' - Barnes

Gastropub which takes a polaroid of your dog as you arrive and adds it to its wall of doggy fame.  Very dog friendly, especially at lunchtime. Sandy Stewart

The 'Jockey' Sunbury-on-Thames

I can add one to the list - the Jockey on French Street. If you're lucky enough to bump into the landlord Wayne (although usually more of a night-owl,) he quite often has dog biscuits behind the bar especially for his regular canine customers and in Summer there's usually a dish of water out the front. 
I once over-heard a local out walking his dog, tell his partner that the dog wanted to go & see Wayne so he'd have to have a half-pint before heading home...not entirely sure whether that was the truth but it did make me laugh and she didn't seem to argue.  It can get a bit crowded at the weekends if there's football on the tv. Ellen Sherman

The 'Black Horse' Chorleywood Common