The Best Dog Walks & Parks in Knutsford
A dog owner’s guide to the best walks in Knutsford, Cheshire.
A beautiful, historic town with an array of superb dog walking spots, Knutsford has it all. From enriching parkland and quieter spots to popular places for families, this blog is designed to help you find the perfect dog walk for you and your pooch.
As the owner of a reactive dog, I fully understand the difficulty and importance of finding a quiet spot to walk your dog. The ratings below will help you determine which dog-walking location is best for you.
I’ve rated each park out of five (🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕) based on criteria such as how popular the park is with other dog owners and whether it’s wheelchair friendly. As Knutsford is mostly flat, the routes aren’t challenging and can be enjoyed by walkers of all abilities. However, I’ve included a variety of longer and shorter routes for active walkers.
The Moor
Located a mere stone’s throw from King Street, the Moor is a much-loved Knutsford attraction. With a pond featuring ducks and swans at one end, and a small woodland with wildflowers at the other, this park boasts an abundance of natural beauty and there’s plenty to explore.
In the centre of the park is open grassland where you can let your dog off the lead for a good run. One of Knutsford’s most popular dog-walking spots, it’s a great place for meeting other dog owners and there are two cafés close by (The Tea Room and Tatton Perk), both of which welcome well-behaved dogs. The children's playground is always busy with families and there are lots of dogs running around, so bear this in mind if your dog is reactive or anti-social and look instead at Barncroft or Wallwood, which are featured below.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Tatton Park
Tatton Park is an expansive estate with over 1,000 acres of parkland and one of my top places to walk your dog in Knutsford. There’s no shortage of fields and woodland walks to explore, including the aptly named Dog Wood, which can be accessed via Mallard Close off Mobberley Road. There are also stunning views over the lakes and a magnificent National Trust mansion. Although it’s a place frequented by local dog owners, the sheer size of it means it’s easy enough to find your very own spot of parkland away from other people and dogs.
Only assistance dogs are allowed inside the mansion, play area, old hall, shops and restaurants, but pet dogs are permitted to explore Tatton's formal gardens (on a short lead).
Due to the number of deer and livestock roaming the park, dogs must be kept on a lead every May - July.
Please note that Tatton Park is closed on Mondays during low season, which runs from the end of October to the end of March. See the Tatton Park website for more information.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕🐕🐕🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕🐕
Wallwood
You’ll find Wallwood at the top of King Street, opposite the main entrance to Tatton Park. It’s a small, triangular-shaped area of woodland (just 0.7 acres) – a mini oasis of tranquillity nestled amongst the streets. If you're looking to give your dog a good run, this probably isn’t the best spot for you, but it could suit a dog in need of a slow, sniffy walk. Wallwood is home to a bug hotel and mature woodland, providing excellent sniffing opportunities for your dog. There are ample benches to sit and enjoy your surroundings, and it’s never too busy, making it a peaceful place to relax.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕🐕
Knutsford Heath
Situated on the edge of the town and flanked by both Manchester Road and Northwich Road, Knutsford Heath features a colourful mosaic of habitats, including woodland, scrub, heathland and grassland. If you walk through the woodland, you’ll also find an area of bare, sandy ground, which most dogs love to explore.
The central heathland features wavy grass and is the perfect place to let your dog burn off some energy. Please ensure your dog has good recall (e.g. will reliably come back to you the first time you call them) if you choose to let them off the lead. Alternatively, a long-line or extension lead can allow your dog to have more freedom, while providing a safety net.
Please note that during May Day weekend, part of the park is sectioned off for rides and other fair-related activities, and it can get very busy. However, there are still areas of woodland off the beaten track for you and your dog to explore.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕🐕🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕
Barncroft Meadow
Barncroft Meadow is located behind St Cross Church and can be accessed via the Moor through a short tunnel. It’s often referred to as one of Knutsford’s hidden gems and I can see why. It comprises of two fields, lined with trees and houses, and is a much quieter spot than the Moor or Heath for walking your dog.
During the spring and summer, a section of the park is left to overgrow and transforms into a beautiful meadow containing a variety of wildflowers and grasses, which attracts wildlife including butterflies and bees. It’s also a lovely place for conker picking in the autumn.
This is one of my favourite locations for walking reactive dogs as there are plenty of areas for them to sniff and explore, away from the busyness of town life.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕🐕🐕
Cross Town Community Orchard
A relatively new space (created in 2021) Cross Town Community Orchard is fully enclosed, dog friendly and open to the public. It provides a safe place away from the town centre for your dog to explore and features a growing collection of fruit trees cared for and shared by the local community.
As an added bonus, the brilliant Sister Barista coffee van is parked outside the orchard from Monday to Friday, offering hot and cold drinks and some amazing traybakes. Why not take your dog for a stroll, grab a coffee and pick a pear from one of the many fruit trees?
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕
College Wood
College Wood is a small area of woodland in Crosstown, on the corner of Thorneyholme Drive and Woodside. Over 100 years old, the wood was once part of the grounds of Knutsford College (a school for boys which closed permanently in the 1960s) and is a quiet place for a short stroll.
It certainly won’t provide a long walk for your dog, but if you’re in the area, it’s worth popping by to give your dog a short, sniffy break.
Rating (out of 5)
Amount of other Dogs: 🐕
Sniffing opportunities: 🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
Length of walk (potential): 🐕
Difficulty walking level: 🐕
Wheelchair accessible: 🐕
If there are any walks I have missed or you have a favourite location to share, please get in touch at fivesensesdogtraining@gmail.com
For more Knutsford walks, follow me on instagram @fivesensesdogtraining