Best dog walks in North West London

We wanted to know what the top dog walks locally in North West London are... so who better to ask than Warren from Premier Dog Walkers, a dog walking company based in North West London? Surely he knows the best places to go! Here's what he had to say.

One of the great things about being a dog walker in this part of town, is that we’re lucky to have some of the best open spaces in London. When we first began our journey into dog walking we made sure that we found all the best walks, we would use maps to find where the open spaces were and investigate, that way we were able to locate great walks that you don’t always hear about. We have split our best walks into the size of the walks with big walks lasting around 2-4 hours, medium walks around 1-2 hours and small walks lasting around 30 minutes – 1.5 hours.

Big walks

Trent Park

If you follow us on Facebook you will know that we are massive fans of Trent Park, just a stone’s throw away from Cockfosters station, you really will be glad that you’d travelled a little for this beauty. With ample free parking and various entrances, your pooch will revel in the open fields followed by lush woodland and a lake or two. What a place, you can get lost here for hours or a quick hour walk followed by a coffee and a slice of cake in the café. What we like about this space is that it caters for every dog, some dogs love open fields and some enjoy the woodlands, whist others will spend all their time swimming in the lakes.

Hampstead Heath

Hampstead Heath as we all know is a very special place, for this blog we are going to assume you know about the main part of the heath, Parliament Hill. Instead, we are going to focus on the smaller but excellent separate sections of the Heath. The Heath Brow and the Heath Extension.

Heath Brow

The Heath Brow is just across the road from the main Heath and can be accessed by car via the Jack Straws car park. Park the car and walk down the steps, you will be presented with a lovely old woodland with a path running around it. Your dog will absolutely love running through the trees whilst you stick to the path. Connected to this part of the Heath is Golder Hill Park, you will need to put your dog on the lead for this area as they have a small zoo on-site. A nice option once you’re halfway through your walk is to enter Golder Hill Park, visit the animals, have a cup of tea and a bite to eat in the café and continue the walk up the path to re-enter the Heath Brow. We find that this is a fantastic way to break up the walk.

Heath Extension

The Heath Extension is a very different walk, it consists of a very open space with a stream running through the center. We particularly like this space as it is a very sociable area for dogs. As the Extension is very open, you can see all the different visitors out and about walking their dogs, this really does encourage people with dogs to say hello to each other and let their dogs play together. You often see groups of people walking together who originally came to the Extension on their own. You’re bound to meet some great people who are always very friendly! You can join these two walks together by simply crossing the road and combine them into a more lengthy walk. You could also add the main Heath to this adventure and then you are truly set for a mammoth walk!

Medium walks

Hadley Wood

This area is not too far from Trent park. We decided to put Hadley Wood on our list as this is a rough and ready type of walk. There is a path that you can follow but to get the most of out of this space we recommend pulling out your wellies and heading into the woods. You will be able to see where people have already walked, so don’t worry you’re not going in Bear Grylls style! When you get going you will feel at peace with your trusty doggy at your side, with just the sound of the birds to keep you company. We do recommend that you bring a towel for this one!

Arrendene Open Space

Now this area is a hidden gem... Across the road from Mill Hill Park you will find Arrandene Open Space. We admit, not the catchiest name around, but what a beautiful walk. Your dog will love the open spaces with tall grass and the woodlands either side of the many paths. You will also enjoy the views when you reach the peaks. There are so many different routes to take around this area, so you may need a few visits to find them all. Keep an eye out for trees with Jumpers, we’re not sure who is responsible for this act of kindness but several of the trees have jumpers knitted around them, we have found four so far. How many will you find?

Small walks

Welsh Harp

The welsh Harp was one of the first places that we went to when Premier Dog Walker first started many years ago. Probably a little small for us now but we still like to pop down here in the summer to enjoy a walk along the waterside. Watching the small sail boats on the water and the views across to Wembley stadium. This is a very relaxing 45 minute walk that has free parking available.

Coldfall Woods

We do love Coldfall Woods, a great spot if you have children joining you for your dog walk. The woods are not too dense so that you can see everyone running around, enjoying the many tree huts that have been built or chasing a stick or two, everyone is catered for here. With bridges over small streams you can turn a small walk into a big adventure for the whole family!

Are you interested in learning more about our recommendations for you and your dog?Visit Premier Dog Walkers website today!