Dog-friendly walks in Kendal

Two and a half miles and an hour, forty metres of climb: over the Kent by the Miller Bridge, up the green mound to the castle ruin for the view along the town, and back down the riverside path through the parks. It starts on Miller Bridge in the middle of Kendal, a few minutes from either station, and the town car parks at Blackhall Road and the shopping centre are both paid but usually have space. This is the easy town walk that works for any dog - level tarmac and grass path, a river with several shallow gravel entries for a drink or a swim, and no stiles or livestock at all; the castle mound is open ground shared with dog walkers from the estates either side, and the riverside path is busy with cyclists.

Ten miles and four and a half hours for only 230 metres of climb - south out of Kendal along the Kent, over the long whaleback of The Helm above Oxenholme, and back by field paths and the Natland lane. It starts in central Kendal and can be shortened by catching the train back from Oxenholme, which is a mile from the summit and takes dogs free of charge. The riverside first half is level, shaded and full of water access, and The Helm itself is short grass with a trig point and a big view of the Howgills, but the hill is grazed with sheep the year round, several of the field boundaries have narrow slotted stone stiles, and a mile of the return is on a lane with no pavement.

Nine and a half miles and about four and a quarter hours for 310 metres of climb, walked out of the town onto the limestone escarpment: Cunswick Fell first, then the mile-long edge of Scout Scar past the domed shelter known as the Mushroom, with the whole Lakeland skyline in front. It starts in central Kendal, five minutes from the bus station and fifteen from the railway station, so the walk needs no car at all; the free Scout Scar car park on the Underbarrow road cuts it to four miles but holds only about 30 vehicles. The turf is springy and dry underfoot even in winter, but the escarpment edge is an unfenced 60-metre limestone cliff for its entire length, sheep and sometimes cattle graze the top, and there is no water anywhere on the plateau.