In November I posted the Nantwich Riverside Walk (https://nosetotrail.co.uk/blog/f/nantwich-riverside-walk). This was the first blog post where I took my own dogs, Rico and Maisy, for a walk and wrote about; where to park, what to wear on your feet and what type of dog walk it is (distractions, on/off lead) etc. As this went down well on social media, I have a few more in the pipeline for you including today’s – the Combermere Arms Walk.
The Combermere Arms is actually a fabulous dog friendly pub – so you can pop in there (Covid restrictions allowing!) after your walk. Though not at the time of day I took Rico and Maisy out!
Location: Combermere, on the road between Nantwich and Whitchurch. I parked in the Combermere Arms pub car park – SY13 4AT
Footwear needed? I wore hiking boots – the ground was frozen so firm, but the grass is long and there are no paved paths.
On / Off lead? off lead at this time of year as there are no cattle in the fields. However – some of the gates do have signs requesting you put your dog on lead. So please do follow this guidance. Especially in light of recent local events (https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/family-distraught-cheshire-farmer-shoots-19425776). Please remember that your dog does not have to be biting the livestock for the farmer to be legally allowed to shoot your pet – simply being off lead and unattended is enough to be classed as “worrying” livestock.
Warning! The local area has a lot of pheasant shooting. If your dog is sound phobic then please take care. Although early morning walks can be peaceful – later on the game keepers may be out in neighbouring fields on the Combermere Abbey Estate and the gun shots can be heard on this walk.
NOTICE farm livestock keep dogs under control
Distractions level: Easy! This is a great walk for dog reactive, or people reactive dogs. I didn’t see a single person, dog or pesky squirrel! It was sunrise but even on the weekend I haven’t seen many people using these paths. This walk is ideal for those dogs who haven’t quite grasped their loose lead walking skills. There’s no need for heel work – you can attach your dog to a long line and they have more space to explore without the worry of them stepping out into oncoming traffic or ending up face to face with another dog.
Gate at the entrance to the walk
This walk was an absolute dream of a way to start the day! There’s nothing better than a crisp winter morning, just you and the dogs!
To the far end of the Combermere Arm’s car park is a green footpath sign. To access the walk, simply walk to the right hand side of the oil/gas cylinders and head through the gate above. The walk takes you in the direction of Whitchurch, and the Brown Moss Nature Reserve (more about that in a later blog post).
There is a clearly trodden path that we followed across many fields, without another dog or person in sight!
Maisy the jack russell cross pug enjoying her walk
To the right hand side of the path there is a ditch with a shallow stream flowing through. My dogs didn’t show any interest in it as they were far more excited to be off with all the open space to mooch around in, but if you have a ditch dweller or mud seeker beware!
You can basically keep walking for as long or as far as you fancy on the network of public footpaths. The footpaths are very clearly trodden for the first 3km and then you reach another gate (dogs need to go on lead at this point), where the path becomes less clear. As we had to get back for some urgent online work, we turned round and headed home then meaning our walk was around 6km. More than long enough for Maisy before 9am!
I love open ended walks with seemingly no destination as it allows you to fully relax and enjoy the time with your dogs and the scenery. Sometimes having a clear end point to your walk subconsciously means we are hurrying our dogs along, with the end in sight, when actually allowing them the chance to explore and have a sniffari is much better for their health and welfare. Tiring your dog’s brain out will keep them dreaming on the sofa for longer in the evening, than taking them on a really long walk or run. Your dog is a supreme athlete. They will get fitter faster than you will! So don’t try and compete with that, let them sniff – they will find out which other dogs and animals have been in the area. They will know if those dogs are male or female. They will also know if those dogs were looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend! Your dog sniffing on a walk is the equivalent of you scrolling through social media. Let them enjoy catching up with what is going on in the world.
If you do try out this walk and go further than we did, please leave a note in the comments to let me know where you ended up and how the paths continue. It would be great to see which different branches people go off down and where they end up! Obviously if you do end up at the pub – enjoy! I strongly recommend the crispy beef salad……