Dog-friendly walks in Ashbourne

Two and a half miles there and back, an hour at most, out through the lit railway tunnel under the town and back by the Henmore Brook and Church Banks. Start from the Mapleton Lane car park at the Tissington Trail head, pay-and-display and the closest parking to the tunnel mouth. Level and surfaced almost throughout, so a good short leg-stretch for a dog that cannot manage hills, with close control rather than a lead needed on the trail, a shallow paddle in the Henmore, and a short pavement section on Church Street where a lead goes back on.

Six and a half miles there and back on the level, three hours, starting through the lit 350-metre Ashbourne tunnel and climbing imperceptibly onto the limestone with Thorpe Cloud ahead. Start from the Mapleton Lane car park at the trail head in Ashbourne, pay-and-display with toilets and cycle hire, five minutes from the market place. The surface is smooth and traffic-free from end to end, which makes it one of the best walks in the county for an old dog, dogs need close control rather than a lead but the trail is busy with bikes at weekends, and there is no water on the trail so carry it.