The best dog walks in the Cotswolds
Date published: 9 Jan 2026
Planning a countryside escape with a wagging sidekick? The best walks in the Cotswolds deliver big views, honey–stone villages and mile after mile of paw–friendly paths. Think castle backdrops, airy commons and riverside rambles where you can stroll, sniff and stop for cake without ever touching a bog.
Whether you’re chasing ridge–top panoramas or easy meadow loops, these best Cotswolds walks keep gradients kind and scenery dialled up. Waymarked trails, dry limestone underfoot and plenty of benches make them perfect for winter wanders and lazy summer mooches alike.
Factor in dog–soft pubs, tearooms with water bowls and farm shops that “accidentally” sell sausage rolls, and you’ve got a region built for contented romps. Pack a lead for livestock, a flask for the viewpoints and let the hills do the rest.
Broadway Tower & Cotswold Way loop
A greatest-hits circuit with sky-wide views and plenty of paw-interest. Start in Broadway and climb the Cotswold Way to the folly for panoramas over five counties, then loop back via quiet field paths and drystone walls.
The gradients are friendly, the waymarking is solid and the café near the tower does thawing-out nicely. Sheep are common on the escarpment – leads on, treats ready. Sunset up here is pure postcard.
Bourton-on-the-Water to Lower Slaughter
Riverside perfection with firm paths and irresistible bridges. Follow the Windrush upstream from Bourton to Lower Slaughter, nose the mill for biscuit smells, then amble back via meadow paths.
It’s flat, photogenic and mercifully low-mud in winter. Weekends get busy – go early for calmer waters and emptier benches. Pubs in both villages are famously dog-soft, so plan a pint or a plate as your halfway motivation.
Bibury & Arlington Row meander
Short, sweet and delightfully pretty. Start by the trout farm, wander the River Coln and climb gently to pass Arlington Row’s honey-stone cottages.
Continue on permissive paths across meadows and back along the water for easy mileage and maximum charm. Expect ducks, photo stops and the occasional coach tour – early or late keeps it serene. Leads near livestock and nesting birds, please.
Painswick Beacon & Painswick Valley
A breezy escarpment loop with Iron Age bragging rights. From the Beacon’s ramparts the views sweep across the Severn to Wales, while the return through beech woods delivers sniffs galore.
Tracks are clear and mostly dry even after rain, making it a safe bet for clean paws. Add a detour to the Rococo Garden’s woodland walks if you fancy a floral flourish before cake.
Minchinhampton & Rodborough Commons
Open commonland made for mooching – limestone grassland, sky larks and ice-cream from Winstones if you time it right.
Stitch together a loop across both commons for long, lazy strides with huge views over Stroud valleys. Cattle graze freely in season, so leads on when needed. Wind-ruffled ears, contented humans – textbook Cotswolds.
Westonbirt Arboretum – Silk Wood trails
Tree-lover heaven with waymarked routes under maples, oaks and towering conifers. Dogs are welcome off-lead in Silk Wood when under control, with plenty of space to roam and seasonal colour that will stop you in your tracks.
Surfaces are excellent, facilities plentiful and there’s a café for carrot-cake diplomacy. Note that the Old Arboretum is a dog-free zone – handy if you’re tag-teaming.
Chipping Campden to Dover’s Hill
A tidy out-and-back on the Cotswold Way from a handsome market town to a breezy vantage point. The climb is steady, the reward a wide lawn of views across the Vale of Evesham.
In summer, you might catch traditional games; year-round it’s perfect for a flask-and-snack flop while the dog does zoomies. Return the same way or extend to Broadway if legs allow.
Cirencester Park avenues
A grand, straight-as-a-ruler network of permissive avenues through the Bathurst Estate – brilliant after rain thanks to firm surfaces and light gradients.
Pick an out-and-back or form an easy rectangle, admire the vistas and statues, then wander into town for coffee. Check opening hours before you go and keep to marked paths – it’s civilised strolling at its best.
Cleeve Hill & the Cotswold Edge
The highest point in the Cotswolds, with an amphitheatre of limestone grassland, wild ponies and views to the Malverns.
Waymarked loops keep things simple; limestone underfoot drains well, so it’s a winter winner. Mind the golf fairways and keep dogs close near the quarry edge. On a clear day you can see half your future walks from here.
Crickley Hill & Barrow Wake
A switch-up of woodland, open scarp and big-sky lookouts over the Severn Vale. Start at Crickley for waymarked circuits, then hop to Barrow Wake for the drama shot.
Paths are decent, parking is easy, and there’s often a kiosk or café for bribery purposes. Buzzards overhead, squirrels in the hedges – sensory overload for curious noses.
Rollright Stones circular
Myth, meadow and mellow miles. Park near the prehistoric circle, pay your respects to the King’s Men, then loop through undulating fields and lanes linking sleepy hamlets.
It’s a quieter corner of the Cotswolds with plenty of hedgerow wildlife, so leads at the ready and pockets stocked with treats. Best paired with a pub lunch in Long Compton.
Sudeley Castle estate paths & Winchcombe loop
A heritage-flavoured circuit that keeps to public rights of way around Sudeley’s grounds before rising onto the Cotswold Way for valley views back to Winchcombe.
Expect mixed surfaces, stiles and a satisfying variety of field, lane and hillside. The town is very dog-positive with cafés and inns that understand walkers – and wet paws – perfectly.
Ready to turn those rambles into a mini–break? Take a look at our dog-friendly cottages in the Cotswolds – all with ample space to unwind after you’ve exhausted your pup (and yourself) on these walks!
Meet the author
Ian LewisIan's worked in travel for over 15 years and has written about destinations across the whole of the UK (and beyond). He loves all kinds of getaways with every member of the family on two legs or four, seeking out the more unique and interesting properties wherever he can.
