Winter Walking in Wiltshire

Wiltshire is one of our favourite places to walk all year round, but even more so on a crisp winter’s morning, listening to the birds as frost crunches underfoot! Here are our Top 5 Winter Walks in Wiltshire.

All are dog friendly with no stiles and easy parking. We have also highlighted some fantastic places to find refreshments on route, as well as particular views to look out for. All of our food and drink recommendations are also dog friendly. We would recommend a sturdy pair of shoes or boots, and cosy socks, for the coldest of Winter days.

Westbury White Horse

Westbury White Horse is perfect for a long winter’s walk with your hound in tow. We love starting with a visit to the farm shop and café at Edington (with outside seating). From here, a myriad of bridleways and footpaths takes you up to the view point at the top of Westbury Hill. You can see the Westbury White Horse, one of eight white horses in Wiltshire. The top of Westbury Hill connects onto the Imber Range path – more about this below...

Imber Range

The ‘lost’ village of Imber is a very special place to visit. Even when the village is not open, you can still walk along the Imber Range Perimeter Path. This is a 30 mile walk around the edge of the Imber Range. There is a diverse range of landscapes and you can start the walk from the top of the Westbury White Horse if you like. You could dip down into Warminster for a bite to eat – we particularly love the pizza at The Old Fire Station, The Close.

Caen Hill Locks, Devizes

A great place for a scenic winter walk, with 29 continuous locks rising 72m over 3.2km. Easy to park and dog friendly, there is plenty of wildlife and birds to spot en route. We recommend stopping at the Caen Hill Café for a hot chocolate and slice of cake, or even heading into Devizes for a walk around town. Go on a frosty day and really appreciate the beauty of our British waterways.

Bradford-on-Avon to Bath

One of our favourite dog friendly walks this year! Simply park in Bradford-on-Avon, we recommend by the train station. The walk heads down the Kennett & Avon canal all the way into Bath City Centre, roughly 20km in length. In Bath, there are many places to eat and drink, as well as to shop and perhaps visit the Christmas market. From Bath, we hopped on the train, taking 10 minutes straight back to the car in Bradford-on-Avon. There is plenty to see on the walk, beautiful narrow boats, wildlife, birds and frosty hills and valleys.

Frome

We love heading to Frome with our greyhound, Ben, for a mooch around the shops and a bite to eat. Frome is easily accessible off the A361 and there is plenty of parking in and around the town centre. We recommend checking out cobbled Catherine Hill, as well as the riverside path to Welshmill. If you fancy walking further afield, you can head towards Spring Gardens and then along the Mells River – going as far as Great Elm or Mells if you wanted to. There are plenty of dog friendly places to eat and drink in Frome, one of our favourites is Pronto Bikes on Bath Street. They have a café with plenty of seating, top quality coffee and home-made cakes. One not to be missed!

Find out more about Walking in Wiltshire and start exploring this season!