Dog-friendly walks in Coniston

Two miles on a gravelled all-ability path right round the tarn, fifty minutes at a stroll and the flattest famous view in the Lakes. The National Trust car park is the only sensible start; it is paid, it holds around 130 cars and it is full by half past ten on any fine day, with a mobility vehicle available in summer for those who need it. The surface suits old and short-legged dogs, the tarn has several easy shingle entries for a swim, but Belted Galloways and Herdwicks graze the surrounding enclosures and the path is shared with pushchairs and wheelchairs the whole way, so this is a lead walk from car park to car park.

Four miles and an hour and three quarters, near-level all the way: out of Coniston past the old hall and along the north-eastern shore of the lake, returning by the pastures behind the jetty and the Bluebird Cafe at the boating centre. It starts in Coniston village and the main car park on Ruskin Avenue is the place to aim for, paid but rarely full before midday outside August. The shore is the draw for dogs - long shallow shingle beaches with no boat wash away from the jetty, drinking bowls put out at the boating centre cafe - though the fields behind Coniston Hall are grazed and there are two kissing gates that a very large dog will need coaxing through.

A short rough fell between Coniston and Little Langdale, all heather, birch and old slate, with a summit view out of proportion to its 317m. From the Tilberthwaite car park the track climbs east past the disused workings, then a scrambly path picks its way onto Ivy Crag and the top. The return passes Hodge Close, a flooded slate quarry with a vertical hundred-foot drop straight into green water and no fence on the north side. That drop is the reason to have the dog on a lead for the whole of the second half.

Six and a quarter miles and about three hours, climbing from the head of Coniston Water through Tom Gill's waterfalls to Tarn Hows and coming back down the Cumbria Way through Monk Coniston's woods. Start at the National Trust Monk Coniston car park at the lake head, which is paid, holds around 60 cars and is a far better bet than the Tarn Hows car park higher up. Most of the route is enclosed woodland and walled track where a dog can run, Tom Gill gives running water for most of the climb, but the Tarn Hows enclosures hold Belted Galloway cattle and the ford above the falls runs hard after rain - a small dog will want carrying across.

The full round of the Old Man from the village: up the quarry road past Miners Bridge and Low Water to the 803m summit, then south down the ridge to Goat's Hause and back under Dow Crag past Goat's Water to the Walna Scar road. The quarry ground on the way up is dangerous for a loose dog, with open levels, spoil edges and standing water in the workings. Above Low Water the path is loose slate and steep. Sheep graze from the last intake wall all the way to the top, so leads throughout.

The shortest way onto Wetherlam's 762m summit, up the old quarry road out of Tilberthwaite and along Birk Fell to the top, with the whole Langdale skyline opening on the last quarter mile. The route passes above Tilberthwaite Gill, a deep slot with a fenced viewing path and old adits in the sides, and there are unfenced shafts and spoil heaps on the Birk Fell ground. Coming back the path drops through Dry Cove and rejoins the quarry track. This is a serious fell walk on rough, wet ground with no shelter above the workings.