5 of the Best Dog Friendly Walks in the Cotswolds

There are a number of beautiful areas of the Cotswolds to take your four-legged friend for a walk, and we’ve put together a list of 5 of the best dog-friendly areas in this exceptionally scenic part of the UK.

The Cotswold Way, in particular, showcases the best that the Cotswold has to offer. It runs from Chipping Campden all the way to Bath, and provides a number of circular walks, ideal for lovers of the countryside, outdoors, and of the classic British pubs that yet more character to the area.

Read on for our five favourite circular dog walks in the Cotswolds.

1. Old Sodbury Circular Walk

This is a nice and easy circular walk, and is particularly dog friendly as it only has moderate slopes and no stiles or fences whatsoever. There is some beautiful Cotswold architecture to behold on the route, with the Old Sodbury medieval church and the iron-age Hill Fort as the main features of this beautiful stroll. As ever, there’s a public house nearby to rest up and quench the thirst, so finish up with a tasty English ale at the Dog Inn, Old Sodbury.

Take a look at the Old Sodbury Circular Walk route map on the National Trails website.

2. Stanton, Snowshill & the Edge Circular Walk

This trail takes you through two of the most beautiful little villages in the area; Snowshill and Stanton, with plenty of impressive views from hilltops, as well as some elements of the classic British woodlands. The full route is 6 miles long, but there is a shorter circular route of 2.5 miles if you want a more relaxed stroll. This walk does include some stiles, but with a bit of assistance, we’re sure your dog will hop right over.

For the full walk, take a look at the Stanton, Snowshill & the Edge Circular route map.

3. Chipping Campden Circular Walk

The longer version of this delightful walk is of moderate difficulty, but the 3 mile version avoids the steeper climbs, so may be more appropriate as a dog-friendly day out in the Cotswolds. There are a number of wonderful little pubs and cafes in Chipping Campden to refresh yourself after (or before!) the route. This is considered as the “entrance” to The Cotswold Way, so enjoy it and take in all the scenery!

Visit the National Trails website to view the Chipping Campden Circular route map.

Take a look at our article on the History of Chipping Campden.

4. Leckhampton Loop

This loop is roughly 4.5 miles long, and runs on the outskirts of the beautiful village of Leckhampton. Again, some ancient ruins add yet more interesting points to this route, as well as the classically impressive Cotswold scenery. The Devil’s Chimney is another key site that you can visit along this route, admire the limestone formation as you take in the incredible views. Much of the trail is along charming woodland, with some nice shelter from the rain and wind, or even from the summer sun if you happen to be lucky enough! There are a number of classic Cotswold pubs nearby too, which are ideal to visit come rain or shine.

View the full route for the Leckhampton Loop.

5. Broadway & The Tower Walk

This walk takes you from Broadway village (The “Jewel” of the Cotswolds) to Broadway Tower Country Park, and back. Start your walk on the High Street in the morning, then finish up at lunchtime in one of Broadway’s fine pubs. There are some stiles on this route, so it’s only really appropriate for pets (or owners!) that are agile enough to hop over. The hills provide wonderful views as far as Wales, yet another beautiful part of the UK.

Visit the National Trails website to view the Broadway & The Tower route map.

If you are looking for a base for your next adventure in the Cotswolds, take a look at our range of dog-friendly holiday cottages or take a look at these 7 fabulous Forest of Dean walks for some extra adventure inspiration.

Images courtesy of: ChurchCrawler, David Stowell, [CC BY-SA 2.0]; gibourn_134 [CC BY-ND 2.0]; Karen Roe [CC BY 2.0]