We love to see dogs come along with our guests to enjoy the big properties and all the surrounding land - after all our properties are big enough to accommodate your extended family and friends, and your dogs are definitely family! The Somerset countryside is perfect for short strolls to local villages, or long walks across fields and along tracks and hedgerows, all packed with smells that will have your dog’s nose happily working overtime.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite local dog walks, so you can take advantage of some well-trodden routes we’ve discovered with our own dogs. These start straight from the front door, but we have included one bonus walk a little further afield for a coastal adventure. If you want more recommendations when you come to stay just ask us on arrival, we can point out any of the walks below or recommend more walks in the greater surrounding area if you want to travel a little further.
A Local Stroll to Dowlish Wake
The local village is just a 20 minute walk away, and there are various tracks through fields for some pleasant views and fresh air. If you come out of the front door and turn left, just a few metres down the road you’ll find a cut in to a field on the right that you can take to make your way to the village.
There’s a pub – The New Inn – where dogs are welcome, and Perry’s Farm Shop is dog-friendly too, so you could break up your walk with a refreshing drink or a look around for some local produce to add to your next meal.
On days when the weather is very wet you can do this walk sticking to just the roads, they are single track and tend to be quiet, so it’s not game-over if the weather isn’t playing ball.
Reggie enjoying a local walk with his owner Tom, one of the owners of Malherbie Group Stays.
Playing Fetch & Walking On-Site
One of our properties, Churchill, has balconies that overlook a field to the front, and when there are no farm animals in this field you’re welcome to use the space for dog exercise, walking and playing. It’s 28 acres of land you can enjoy, so great for a walk around the edge or lots of games of fetch to tire out your four-legged friend.
When you arrive check with us before using this space, we have working farmland around our properties so we’ll find out where the animals are when you stay. If you specifically want to guarantee access to this space for your dog, please do talk to us before booking, as this may not be possible, so we want to ensure we give you all the information you need before you book.
Chaffcombe Village Walk
This route takes some beautiful public paths through fields, past Chaffcombe House and through the village, with the option of expanding it to a 2-hour walk by adding in Chard Reservoir.
Turn right when leaving the doorstep, and walk up the single-track road, taking a right at the crossroads. You’ll soon come to a Y in the road, take the left road and then in around five metres you’ll see a footpath leading off to the left into the forest and heading upwards slightly. Take this path and it will lead through fields past Chaffcombe House, then through to Chaffcombe village.
At this point you could decide to loop back via the roads for a change, or take the same route back. If you want to add some more distance, continue on to Chard Reservoir – walk out of the village and follow the lane to the left, then go via the stile and field just as Gaylard’s Lane meets the lane you’re on.
Chard Reservoir has some beautiful views across the water, plus a park and play area for kids, and a bird hide. Paths lead between all these areas, making it a lovely spot for just exploring and wandering. With the full route included, out and back, this walk could take up to 2 hours.
A Longer Leg-Stretch to Dinnington Docks
If you’re feeling energetic, the weather is inviting and you want to give your dog a proper leg stretch, try a walk to Dinnington Docks pub. It’s around 1 hour and 30 minutes there, so the full out and back walk will take 3 hours - not including time for enjoying a drink when you get there!
This walk starts by heading towards Dowlish Wake, either via the same public footpaths through fields as mentioned in our first local walk, or by following the country lanes. These are all single-track and quiet, but you will need to pause and step aside if a car or tractor wants to pass.
Enjoy the countryside and then stop for a cold beer before heading back the same way.
A Bonus Coastal Adventure
If you’re feeling up to a short drive and want some spectacular coastal views, head to Beer - it’s about a 45-minute drive and has a typically quaint Devonshire village high street, characterful little beach and some stunning clifftop views.
Branscombe beach, and the South West Coast Path towards Beer.
The coastal route from Beer to Branscombe is well marked, being part of the South West Coast Path, but it has hills so consider it a challenging walk perfect for tiring your dog and probably you out as well! If you’re walking this as a loop to Branscombe and back it will take around 3 hours, and public transport from Branscombe is limited so don’t expect to catch a bus back without careful planning.
This blog post by a walker details the whole walk along with photos to show what to expect, and mentions details for dog walkers too: https://discoveringdevon.com/adventures-in-nature/2020/7/20/beer-to-branscombe-coastal-loop-4mhtr
We hope these walks give you a taste of the great country lanes and green fields that await you on your holiday, and we’re always very happy to share more details of the local dog walks on your arrival, so please do ask if you’d like more information.