Here are some ideas of where you can walk your dog within the areas we cover

​

At Holty Paws we have always tried to make ourselves stand out from many other pet care companies. One of our key differentiators is that we take your dog to different places each day.

 

We often give our new clients a list of some of the places we like to go to, especially if they are new to owning a dog. We thought it would be good to share this list with everyone to give you new ideas and so your dog has the opportunity to enjoy a wide and varied range of safe walks throughout the area.

​

We often use the what3words app to give precise (to a 3 metre square) location, this is shown after the postcode. Simply copy the three words into the app and you'll get directions to that spot from wherever you are. 

 

Alverstoke Country Park - (PO13 8BH - ///limbs.discrepancy.blog & PO13 8AS - ///spoon.legend.transmitted) - Mainly reclaimed MoD land but essentially heathland now, popular with lots of dogs in the Gosport area. – We advise extreme caution during summer months due to number of adders reported.

​

Beacon Hill Nature Reserve - (SO32 2LG - ///freezers.crispy.searches) - With one of the very best views in Hampshire, this walk is relatively short but if you can take some time to look at an Ordnance Survey map, you'll find footpaths (and the South Downs Way) leading you down to Exton (and a couple of nice pubs) and on to Old Winchester Hill (see later) and beyond. Beware of livestock grazing on some areas occasionally.

​

Curbridge Nature Reserve - (SO31 1BL - ///guard.devalued.homes) - A walk in woods, fields, recreation ground and the Hamble River, the dogs love it and people can even take in the Horse & Jockey pub at the upper limits of the walk if you need a further incentive...

​

Chilling Barn - (SO31 9HF - ///gracing.stars.grown) - Parking near Solent Breezes, we walk on footpaths at edges of fields, woodland and onto the beach. Great walk that can be continued up to Meon Shore/Titchfield Haven which is a great place when the tide is in or out, with scope to walk edges of fields in a circuit nearby and can be extended to take a couple of hours or more.

​

Coldeast Park - (SO31 7BH - ///pool.necklaces.sampled) - Near Holly Hill Leisure Centre. Has playing fields, woods and a pond. You can also pop in to Coldeast Mansion for a dog-friendly end of walk coffee and cake (or more!). Be aware of areas where dogs MUST be on a lead otherwise you may get a £100 fine PER dog!

​

Creech Woods - (PO7 6UB - ///overcomes.baths.sharpens) - Near Denmead, a great forest walk with good footpaths and better off-track options.

​

Farley Mount Woods – (SO21 2JG - ///showcase.chills.gloom) – Parking at Pitt Down (there are other car parks) there is a large expanse of chalk down and woodland to explore, but there’s very little phone signal so easy to get lost but the dogs will love you for that extra long walk!

​

Fleming Park - (SO50 9LH - ///camps.shaped.sheep) - A former golf course, now very much a dog walking park with a stream and plenty to keep them entertained. Sometimes shared with running clubs (mainly weekends or Christmas Day).

​

Forest of Bere (Hundred Acre Wood)– (PO17 6JB - ///outings.introduce.carting) - A great walk for sunny days when shade is needed and also for charging around sniffing at all sorts of things.

​

Hamble Airfield - (SO31 4RN - ///octagonal.motive.outdoors) - A good walk on open land and starting on a recreation ground with many paths to take it offers plenty of variation. Not so good on really hot days as there is no shade nor water available.

​

Hamble Common and Shore – (SO31 4QG - ///briefing.factually.increased) - A good woodland and open common walk through to the beach. Perfect on a rising tide or a full spring tide.

​

Hamble River Country Park – (SO31 1BH - ///head.pardon.start) - Formerly known as Manor Farm Country Park, this area has more woodland and direct access to the river but has benefit of dedicated dog field, too. Various parking areas, this one is close to a cafeteria.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Hamble River Towpath – Walking from Warsash upstream (///debater.aunts.just) or from Swanwick downstream (///dust.almost.outer), this can be a pleasant walk but be aware of VERY strong tidal currents at the sluices when tide is in or on the turn out. If a dog gets caught in this whilst swimming, then it would be approx. one minute underwater. Another potential hazard can be broken cans and other sharp litter in the tideline that can cause cuts to pads on the dog’s feet.

​

Hayling Island – (PO11 0DG - ///verbs.senior.equal) - We like to go to the west side near the golf course and have heaps of fun on the beach there when the tide is out. Beware of strong currents on a falling tide and always in the Langstone Channel.

​

Holly Hill – (SO31 7BH - ///cans.inviting.plump) - Yet another good woodland walk with an option to go down to the Hamble River and join the tow path to go all the way to Swanwick or to Warsash. Be aware of areas where dogs MUST be on a lead otherwise £100 fine PER dog!

​

Hook Common & Warsash Common - (SO31 9SB - ///rank.archives.adventure or ///fairway.accordion.staging or ///argued.incorrect.ruins) - These are kind of interlinked, but you can do just one or the other if time is limited. We advise extreme caution during summer months due to number of adders reported.

​

Hut Wood – (SO50 9JX - ///flood.chest.safety) - Just to the north of North Stoneham Park development, great woods for exploring, also adjacent is smaller Avenue Park.

​

Itchen Valley Country Park – (SO30 3HQ - ///hype.zest.fleet) - A great for woodland and meadows, secure but it is always busy during school holidays.

​

Manor Farm – (SO31 1BH - ///listen.vibrating.hazy) - Used to be integral to the previously mentioned Hamble River Country Park, now noted as being separate although accessed on same road, just go further to the very end of the road. Open fields, woodland and the river with nice creeks when tide is in.

​

Meon Valley Trail - (PO17 5PX - ///crackles.spoiled.wakes) - This is a footpath on the former Fareham to Alton railway line, is approximately 15km long in total. Various points along its route to park and experience different parts if you don't fancy a full hike. It is a shared path so be aware of cyclists, runners and horses.

​

River Itchen – (SO50 6LA - ///dress.final.jukebox) - Park at Eastleigh Rugby Club and walk the path north towards Twyford. Great on warm days of summer if your dog loves to swim.

​

Royal Victoria Country Park - (SO31 5GA - ///enjoy.fire.codes) - Various parking options. A good mix of woods, open fields, path, trails and a beach with great swimming fun to be had if tide in.

​

Swanwick Lakes - (SO31 7AY - ///enacts.motored.holiday) - A good walk with varied options, generally up to an hour to walk it but you can add some bits as you get to know the area. Be aware that cattle are sometimes to be found in some of the fields.

​

Southsea Beach – (PO4 0SP - ///poems.survey.circle) - Lots of parking options. A nice early morning walk here when the tide's 1/2 in is perfect with a lovely dog-friendly café to relax at afterwards. Evenings are wonderful with great sunsets, too.

​

Telegraph Woods – (SO30 3EY - ///land.locked.libraries) - Good and secure woodland walk behind the Ageas Bowl cricket complex.

​

Thatcher's Copse – (PO14 4HH - ///distract.professed.hamster) - Great options to walk paths at edges of fields to Brownwich Stream and the Solent, the Solent Way and other known areas the dogs love.

​

Titchfield Canal – (PO14 4EA - ///contrived.revolting.shadowed) - A great walk from the village down to Titchfield Haven and the shore at Hill Head. Be aware that livestock are sometimes to be found in some of the adjacent fields and dogs can find their way under the fences in places.

​

Warsash Shore - (SO31 9FZ - ///houseboat.shady.saunas) - We often walk from Strawberry Fields along and past the Maritime Academy and out to the Solent. This can be added to part of the Hook Common walk, too, if you can find the adjoining paths.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

West Wittering - (PO20 8AJ - ///camps.cobbled.costly) - Another fantastic early morning beach walk, East Head is dog friendly throughout the year, but the main beach is only so from October to March. You can walk down to East Wittering from there, great walk and dogs go nuts on the sand and in the dunes. Can be busy with walkers at low tide on weekend mornings.

​

Westwood Nature Reserve – (SO19 9JU - ///impact.racing.tame) - Mixture of woodland and heathland/open common walking near Netley/Weston Shore. Parking opposite Weston Shore.

​

Whiteley Woods – (PO15 7FL - ///myths.cheetahs.trend) - There are extensive and varied options for terrain, can be quite a long one if you fit all of it in. Now there is extensive development on adjacent fields, access is compromised to certain areas but it is still good to explore but phone signals can be low so relying on GPS to get back to your starting point if you get lost cannot be guaranteed.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Wickham Common - (PO17 6JE - ///fired.geek.bullion) - Just outside Wickham and adjacent to the Forest of Bere this is a shorter walk, about 3/4 hr to 1 hr but scope to add in some footpaths round the back of Portsdown Hill. Be aware that a resident next to the common has two pet alpacas so NOT to be used if dogs are livestock triggered.

​

Winchester Hill – (GU32 1HN - ///rooftop.rewriting.writers) - Safe, quite enclosed space for a half hour walk that can be pushed to 1 hour. Be aware of areas where you MUST have dogs on lead due to sheep grazing (such as the Old Fort area).

​