Manchester is a pretty dog-friendly city. As well as some lovely parks to go walkies in there are several cafes, pubs, and dog-friendly activities to check out with your dog. But if you’re looking to exchange the hustle and bustle of the city for some peace and quiet, there are some beautiful spots to be found less than an hour away. Manchester’s great public transport links make it easy to reach its surrounding lakes, hills, and woodland so get ready to breathe in that fresh country air.
Dunham Massey
- This vast swathe of ancient parkland is home to a herd of 150 wild fallow deer.
- There are regular guided walks and craft workshops, including one where you’ll learn how to build bird feeders in the park’s Orangery.
- Its visitor centre has a gift shop, customer toilets, and a cafe area with outdoor seating.
- Dogs on leads are allowed in the deer park, and they’re allowed off the lead in the north park. Dogs are not permitted in the garden, shop or restaurant.
- It’s wheelchair friendly, and wheelchairs and personal mobility vehicles are available to borrow from the visitor centre’s reception area but it’s advisable to book in advance. There’s also a buggy service driven by their lovely volunteers which runs most days during their busy season.
- It’s accessible via public transport and there’s free parking.
Clayton Vale & River Medlock
- Clayton Vale is a local nature reserve in the east of Manchester within the heart of the Medlock Valley.
- The Medlock River flows through the middle of its four square miles of urban countryside.
- There are off-lead areas, nature walks and pathways, and picnic areas.
- Dogs are not allowed in the children’s play area, visitor centre (where the toilets are), pond, conservation area with dipping platform, or the angling area.
- It’s accessible via public transport and there’s free parking.
- It’s open from dawn till dusk.
Dove Stone Reservoir
- Located on the very edge of the Peak District National Park bordering the South Pennines, Dove Stone Reservoir offers breathtaking scenery just an hour’s drive from Manchester’s city centre.
- As well as an extensive network of footpaths and access to moorland, the area has a sailing club, a permanent orienteering course, horse riding facilities, and over 500 recognised rock climbing routes.
- From Thursdays to Sundays the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) team are on hand with telescopes to help you watch the park’s peregrine falcons.
- It has a wheelchair circuit around the reservoir but wheelchair users will need a ‘radar key’ to access gates.
- Open all year round. Public toilets are open from dawn till dusk.
- There are two public pay-and-display car parks.
Clifton Country Park
- A local nature reserve in the west of Manchester, Clifton Country Park is made up of almost 120 acres of open woodland, meadows, ponds, and a lake.
- There are trails, paths, and open spaces that your dog can enjoy off-lead, as well as a dog-friendly cafe.
- If you’re into history and want to find out more about Manchester’s industrial past you can explore the remains of Wet Earth Colliery, one of the first deep mines to be sunk in the Irwell Valley.
- The team of rangers provide a wide range of activities throughout the year for adults and children including, orienteering, fishing, and guided walks.
- It’s wheelchair-friendly.
- It is accessible via public transport and there’s free parking.
Jumbles Country Park and Reservoir
- Located in the Bradshaw Valley, just north of Bolton, Jumbles Country Park boasts beautiful woodland, a reservoir and a network of footpaths radiating up the valley and across adjacent hills.
- There’s a cafe with food and light refreshments, a visitor centre, and a sailing club.
- It takes just an hour to walk around the reservoir.
- There are off-lead areas, as well as several benches and picnic areas.
- It’s accessible via public transport and there’s pay-and-display parking.
We hope you get a chance to explore some of these incredible places with that furry special someone but if you’re heading somewhere you can’t take your dog, Rover.com is here to help you find someone who’ll treat them like family while you’re gone. We’ve got plenty of awesome local sitters who provide dog boarding in Manchester, so start looking forward to meeting your dog’s perfect match!
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Featured image: Baldhiker.com
