Our drawing of the route, over road and path data from OpenStreetMap. It shows where the walk goes and what it goes through. It is not a survey and not a navigation aid — carry OS Explorer on the hill.
Five and a quarter miles one way, about two and a half hours, on the flat trackbed of the old Midland and Great Northern line as it leaves the city through Train Wood and follows the Wensum out past Hellesdon to Drayton. Start at the Barn Road trail head beside Train Wood, ten minutes from the city centre with no car park of its own, so use the St Crispins or Anglia Square parking and walk in, or take the bus and walk back. The whole route is traffic-free with a mix of tarmac, compacted gravel and earth, no stiles and no livestock, the Wensum is reachable at three or four points for a drink, and it is shared with cyclists and horse riders so a lead near the narrow bridges is sensible.
Ninety acres of grazing marsh and dyke inside the city, bought by Norfolk Wildlife Trust in 2022 and reached from Sweet Briar Road off the ring road. Dogs are allowed but must stay on a two-metre lead and keep to the paths, because the marsh is grazed and full of ground-nesting birds. A genuinely wild walk fifteen minutes from the market.
A Thorpe Road corner pub near the station whose own motto is dogs welcome, humans tolerated. There is always a snack and fresh water ready for canine visitors, and dogs are welcome throughout. Five minutes from the Riverside walk and the start of the Whitlingham path.
A well-run backstreet pub on Cowgate in the Norwich Lanes hinterland, with a long keg and cask list and pizza from the kitchen. Dogs, like children, are welcome in the pub before 8pm and not after, which is stated plainly on its own site. Worth knowing before you plan a late supper with the dog.
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