A (dog) walk in the park - Savernake Forest

Savernake Forest, just south of Marlborough, covers approximately 2750 acres, most of which is classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Its history goes back over a thousand years and as a result it has a collection of notable trees. Its tranquillity and unspoiled nature are its main draw and as a result there are few facilities, other than a parking area and a few picnic tables.

We visited to do a geocaching circuit and, as a result, used that as a route. We had Barney with us and he had a great time exploring off lead. As it's such a large area we encountered relatively few other people. 

Although we went primarily to do geocaching we had a great walk and will definitely be back with Barney in the future to explore it further.

A (dog) walk on the beach - Sand Bay

Barney loved the beach when we were on holiday in Dorset so I'd been keen to take him back for some time. Unfortunately living in Wiltshire, any beach is a good car journey away. I'd done some research and found a few about an hour away, but one that kept coming up was Sand Bay.

Sand Bay is a long, wide, flat strip of sand and shingle, a couple of miles north of Weston-Super-Mare. Dogs are permitted all year around so it's a perfect spot for a dog walk. The only down-side is the mud flats which you need to be aware of, but they're clearly signposted. 

Facilities are few and far between, but there are car parks and a tea room. If you want more choice, Weston isn't far away. Part of the appeal is that it isn't as touristy as its close neighbour, so the lack of facilities is a compromise worth making.

Barney had a great time, there were plenty of other dogs for him to meet and he got to run, and run, and run. There was one incident where he stole another dog's tennis ball but then karma kicked in and he had his stolen in return. He's not a fan of the sea, so we went when the tide was out to give him the largest expanse to explore. 

We had such a great time there, we'll definitely be back.

Cotswold Lavender Photo Shoot

Over the summer we had the pleasure of joining Megan Williams for a dog photo shoot at Cotswold Lavender. I'd seen some of her work previously and hoped she'd be able to make Barney look as good as the other dogs she'd photographed!

Cotswold Lavender is a third generation family farm set in the Cotswold Hills near Broadway. The farm is home to 53 acres of lavender fields, initially planted in 2000. The lavender is farmed before being harvested and essential oils extracted. If you visit the farm you can walk amongst the lavender, visit the tea rooms and buy various lavender scented items from the gift shop. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed indoors, but luckily there is plenty of room to sit outside with your canine companion whilst you enjoy a cup of tea. 

We visited in July, which was a perfect time. The lavender smelled amazing and the colours were stunning. We arrived and met up with Megan, she was lovely and Barney took to her immediately. We stopped at various spots around the lavender field for photographs to get plenty of variety. Barney had a great time, sitting, waiting, running, jumping... He had a whale of a time and it made for great photographs.

Now, onto the important bit, these are Megan's amazing photographs!

I couldn't be happier with these photographs, Megan's incredibly talented, patient and knows how to get the best out of your four-legged friend. If you're in the Cotswold area and are looking for photographs of your faithful friend you can't go wrong with her. You can contact her through her website.

If you'd like to visit Cotswold Lavender, you can get information on their website. 

A (dog) walk in the park - Stanton Park

Stanton Park is a country park to the north-east of Swindon, it features a large lake and extensive woodland and parkland. Stanton Park was the site of a Roman Villa from around 200 AD, although there is no remaining visible sign today. The park opened in 2000 and has been further developed since that date. 

The park covers 185 acres, its tranquillity and unspoiled nature is the main draw and there are few facilities. The tea room only opens at weekends and the only other facilities are public toilets. However, due to the lack of facilities, parking is free. If you're visiting during the week and need refreshments, there is a hotel nearby which may be worth a try. 

Stanton House hotel, next to the park

It's a perfect spot for a good walk, we often go out through the woods, around the parkland and then back skirting the lake, but there are other paths you can take. The area obviously gets less busy the further away from the entrance you get, so Barney has plenty of opportunity for a good run off lead.

Various options for walks

We've been lucky with the weather on our last couple of visits, but it's a good spot to visit whatever time of year. 

Plenty of space to roam

Thanking my lucky cards that Barney isn't a swimmer!

Beautiful, whatever the weather