Dog-friendly walks in Weymouth

A 5.6-mile out and back east along the low clay cliffs of Weymouth Bay to the Smugglers Inn, about three hours with 220 metres of undulating climb on grass paths and a short stretch of shingle beach. Start at the Bowleaze Cove car park, pay and display, large but shared with the holiday park and prone to filling on hot afternoons; the number 5 bus from Weymouth stops on Preston Road ten minutes away. Bowleaze is one of the Weymouth stretches where dogs are allowed all year, the cliff path itself is unfenced and slipping in places, and the Smugglers Inn at the far end takes dogs in the bar and garden, which makes the turnaround point a proper halfway house.

A 2.6-mile hour-and-a-quarter town circuit round the working harbour, over the town bridge and up through the woodland walks of Nothe Gardens to the fort, with views along the Jurassic Coast from the gun batteries. All surfaced paths, steps and pavement, with one steady climb of 45 metres to the headland. Park in the Nothe or Melcombe Regis pay and display, both signed from the seafront, or leave the car out of town and take the harbour ferry across, which carries dogs. Leads are required in the gardens under the Dorset order and along the quayside, where the drop into the water is sheer, but this is the driest, most sheltered walk in Weymouth on a filthy day.

Two and a half level miles down the bed of the old Weymouth to Portland railway, an hour one way, tarmac and compacted track through cuttings, two tunnels and the gardens of Sandsfoot Castle with the harbour opening out below. Start at the Newstead Road end in Westham where there is free on-street parking on the side roads, or ride the number 1 bus, which runs both ends of the line every twenty minutes. Traffic-free almost throughout and lit in the tunnels, which makes this the best wet-weather and reactive-dog option in Weymouth; leads at the four road crossings and in the Sandsfoot gardens, where the Dorset order requires them, and a water tap by the castle.