Dog-friendly walks in Loddon

Five and a half miles and about two and three quarter hours on the Wherryman's Way, the 35-mile path from Norwich to Great Yarmouth, out from the staithe along the Chet to the shallow lagoons of Hardley Flood and back through Chedgrave and Hardley Street. Start from the free car park at Loddon staithe beside the mill, which is untimed and rarely full, and note the riverside section is a grass wall that stays wet well into spring. Dogs are fine under effective control on the rights of way and the Chet gives a drink at the moorings, but the marsh sections are grazed by cattle where leads are needed, and the reedbeds around the Flood hide deep water with no bank to climb out on.

Four and a half miles there and back, two and a quarter hours on grass river wall and farm track, following the Chet down from Loddon to the isolated brick and thatch shell of Hardley Staithe where the wherries once loaded. It starts at the free untimed car park at Loddon staithe, the only sensible parking, and there is nothing at the far end but marsh, so carry water for both of you. The going is flat with no stiles, the river is reachable at the moorings for a drink, cattle graze the marsh compartments most of the year so a lead is needed there, and the wall itself is unfenced with a steep drop into the Chet on one side.