Yarningale Common and Lowsonford Canal Walk

This walk is reasonably dog friendly, earning a 6 out of 10 on our rating. The 8.5 km circular offers good variety — canal towpath, open farmland, and the heath at Yarningale Common — with some lovely calm water stretches that dogs tend to enjoy. The Fleur de Lys pub at the start is also dog friendly, so you can round things off with a well-earned rest.

Dogs need to be kept on the lead along the canal towpath and through fields where livestock and horses graze, so off-lead opportunities are limited on parts of this route. Yarningale Common, a designated SSSI heathland, may offer a little more freedom, though it's worth keeping the environment in mind given its protected status.

The route includes kissing gates, country lanes, and field sections that can get seriously muddy after heavy rain, so good boots and a towel for the dog are sensible. Parking is limited — there are only around six roadside spaces near the canal, with the Fleur de Lys pub car park available if you're planning to eat or drink there. Leads are required on the towpath and through livestock fields, so it's worth having one to hand throughout.