I love a good walk. Before we adopted our two dogs, Mat & I used to go for walks in the Peak District and feel a little bit left out after seeing all the cute dogs we would pass along the way.
Half of the enjoyment now is spending that time in nature with our two best mates, Nellie + Gracie, who absolutely live for a good walk.
I want to share more of our favourite walks that are super dog-friendly, so where better to start than the best weekend walk we’ve ever had!
Living in Stockport, the Peak District is practically on our doorstep and not too far from Manchester either. So when we were browsing for Peak District walks and found this perfect-sounding route on Northern Strolls, we got a packed lunch at the ready and headed there on a sunny Saturday with the dogs in tow.
Getting There
Car parking is free at Errwood Hall car park and it’s also a great base for starting this walk to Shining Tor & Errwood Hall.
There’s not tons of parking spaces, so be mindful if you’re planning on visiting on a gloriously sunny weekend or Bank Holiday. We visited on a sunny Saturday at around 11ish and just managed to bag a spot though.
Postcode: SK17 6GJ
(although it’s better to search the car park via Google Maps for accuracy!)
If you can’t grab a spot here, there’s also another car park north of Errwood Reservoir.
I was a little worried when we first left the car park to immediately be met with a steep hill, but once you’ve reached the top it’s smooth sailing right until the very end.
The relatively flat uplands are perfect for walking without exerting yourself too much and the pathways are easy to navigate.
There are also some beautiful views to be had every step of the way, particularly on a clear day. Our favourite part of this walk had to be the variety of landscape, as you also get to amble through the trees and swing by streams before finishing off at the ruins of Errwood Hall.
It’s worth noting that this route was great for walking the dogs off-lead as there was no sheep or cows knocking about. But always be aware and make sure your dogs are under effective control, as per the countryside code, at all times.
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Whilst we’re talking dog walks, I wanted to share a few bits that we always make sure to take with us when taking the dogs on a long countryside walk.
Nellie and Gracie both wear Ruffwear harnesses, which are designed especially for outdoor adventures. We actually went through a few different harnesses when we first got Nellie and after she chewed through two Julius-K9 harnesses, we settled on the Ruffwear Front Range Harness*.
Her pink one (size Small) has stood the test of time and was handed down to Gracie after we were kindly gifted the purple version at a Ruffwear event. I’ve also heard great things about their Web Master Harness*, which is perfect for dogs that wriggle out of harnesses and gives you more control as you can lift them up safely and securely with its handle.
We also take along a Treat Trader pouch* (gifted) to keep the girls close by. It can be strapped around your waist and even through your belt loops for extra security and holds the perfect amount of easily-accessible treats with its magnetic closure. The front part is the perfect size for stuffing in plenty of poo bags.
Make sure to take plenty of water too, especially on a warm day, as the pups will get thirsty! We usually stuff the Ruffwear Quencher bowl* (gifted) into our backpack, which is great if you don’t want anything too weighty, or we also have a collapsible bowl* that clips onto our backpack.
All in all, it took us around 3 hours to complete the walk with a few stops for water and to devour our packed lunch. I’d definitely recommend bringing a light picnic blanket with you too, so you can park yourself on some grass to enjoy lunch. We stopped in the woodland area (pictured with the dogs above), which is just before you make your way over to Errwood Hall.
If you give this walk a go, do let me know! Or if you have any recommendations on some dog-friendly walks we can try next, leave a comment below.
