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Herefordshire is a dog walker’s dream. Big, open fields, charming woodlands, river streams and gorgeous scenery – it’s the perfect place to go on holiday when you have a dog. The great thing about Herefordshire is that there are numerous short & long circular walks, many of which include local attractions or sites of historical interest. Whether you’re looking for old, medieval churches to explore, want to find the best viewpoints of the county or simply want to immerse yourself in nature, you’ll find it all in Herefordshire.
To make things easier, we’ve listed down a few of our favourite dog walks in Hereford!
Looking for somewhere to stay while you visit Herefordshire? Take a look at our glamping site!
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Distance: 12.5 miles
Start off your walking holiday with one of Herefordshire’s classic and most popular routes. Wye Valley circular walk is a fairly easy stroll which gradually becomes steeper as you head into the woodlands. It’s a beautiful, long-distance trail which passes through the border between England and Wales and follows the famous river Wye.
The good thing about this route is that it’s suitable for all ages – it starts out as a gentle walk passing through the open fields and then follows through the woodlands where it becomes a stiffer climb. You can decide whether you want to stop and circle back or continue the trail for a more challenging walk
Distance: 2.1 miles
Starting out as a gentle, picturesque walk along the riverside and through the town before returning along side the former mid-Wales railway. This is a relatively short, ideal walk with a lot of beautiful views and is almost all flat apart from one steady climb back into town at the end.
We also recommend taking some time at the beginning or the end exploring the narrow streets of the town which have numerous idyllic bookshops, antique stores and restaurants.
Distance: 6.5 miles
Named after Dyke King Offa, Offa’s Dyke Path is a long-distance footpath which follows the Wales – England border. It’s also been ranked as one of the world’s greatest walks by Lonely Planet, so you can’t really go wrong! Extreme walkers might do the whole route (which will take a week or two…) but for most, this walk is one to do in stages – there are various circular and linear walks that let you explore the outstanding area.
One of our favourites is the Chirk and River Ceiriog Circular Walk. It’s a nice 6.5 miles which passes through Chirk with Chirk Castle, Offas Dyke National Trail and the River Ceiriog. Despite it being quite muddy and steep in a few places (make sure you have your walking boots), it’s worth it for the scenic beauty you’ll encounter throughout the route.
Distance: 4.5 miles
If you’re new to Herefordshire and want to explore the area, the Herefordshire Trail is a fantastic option. Circling the city of Hereford, it passes through 5 rustic market towns and miles of the beautiful countryside. The walk itself is fairly short, but is full of historical insights – you’ll first pass by Hoarwithy Church which features beautiful italianate architecture.
Then, you’ll continue walking towards King’s Caple – a small, charming village where you can explore the various boutiques, parks and museums. There’s also St John’s Church where you will be able to reach breathtaking views of Herefordshire. The final village you’ll set foot in on this route is Sellack, a beautiful and rural village, where St Tysilio Church was built.
Distance: 150 miles
This entire area is a dog walker’s paradise, with options to explore countryside and neighbouring counties. The landscape varies from pastoral fields, to the river valets to the Black Mountains. Following the route, you’ll pass through castle ruins, farmhouses and numerous pubs & restaurants where we recommend stopping to have a tasty bite! There’s no better way to explore the area, while enjoying the countryside, than the Herefordshire trail – it has everything you could ever hope for.
Distance: 3 miles
Expect to spend just under an hour on this 3 mile walk, and don’t worry about being an expert trekker. May Hill trail is a fairly gentle walk, a few climbs but suitable for almost any and anyone – it’s also dog-friendly and accessible! Within the hour, you’ll be able to reach outstanding views across Herefordshire, including The Forest of Dean, the Cotswolds and across to the Black Mountains.
You can take part in this walk during all seasons; but our favourite time to go is during the spring. This is a great time to see all the interesting flowers, including bluebells and heather. Make sure you also try and spot any wildlife – the area is crawling with ponies and meadow pipits!
It’s definitely more of a place where you can have a gentle walk – maybe a picnic – rather than a full day out, but it is definitely worth it when you see the views.
Distance: 3 miles
If you prefer passing through gorgeous, rustic villages, head on over to Weobly where there is a walk of black and white half-timbered houses which screams ‘countryside’. The village itself has numerous inns, restaurants, museums and boutiques for all of you to enjoy and explore.
If you fancy making a day of it, there is a lovely 3 mile circular walk that starts and finishes in Weobly. The first part of the route starts in the village centre and is fairly gentle with no steep climbs or hills. The second part takes place in the outer village where you’ll pass through numerous farms and fields. If you’re walking with dogs, we do recommend that you keep them on their leash as there will be quite a few animals about.
Distance: 5.8 miles
The area around Symonds Yat has some spectacular walks, but the circular route is one of our favourites. This is a gentle and calm walk where you’ll pass through the Iron Age Fort and into the charming woodlands. Throughout the walk, you’ll pass some striking views, gorgeous woodlands and the picturesque village, not to mention the options for great pubs! In fact, hitting the pub afterwards is practically essential – after all, how else are you going to reward yourself after a walk?
You can also explore the dark caves, take part in water sports or do some fantastic rock climbing – Symonds Yat is home to numerous attractions and is a great place for a family adventure – you might have to leave the dogs behind though…
Distance: 3.5 miles
Starting from the small village of Titley, this circular walk is a fairly moderate stroll around the countryside, through open crop fields, hillside pastures and idyllic views of the Mortimer Country.
It starts out very gently, but does become more challenging as the hike progresses. The route includes many, long up & down climbs and can also become quite muddy after periods of rain. Saying this, you will receive glorious views from the top of the hillside pastures. It’s also worth noting that there will be plenty of sheep and cattle so, make sure to keep any eye on your dogs.
As you can see, whether you’re looking for long-distance footpaths, or gentle strolls, Herefordshire has them all and, better yet, they all come with the gorgeous countryside views that the county has to offer. Depending on the type of walk you go on, we recommend making sure that you always have the right footwear and clothing – some of these walks can be fairly muddy, slippy (especially during winter) and steep! Also, it’s always a good idea to bring along with you a map: a lot of the popular walks have markers which you can follow, but if you want to explore the area a bit more, it can suddenly become very easy to lose yourself in the area.
Overall, there’s no better place for you and your four-legged friends than Herefordshire. With the endless walking opportunities and the stunning views, it’s a great choice for a dog-friendly holiday whatever the season.
