The Best Dog Walks in Bath (With a Pub at the End)

Bath is the kind of city that makes you feel slightly scruffy regardless of what you're wearing. Georgian terraces, Roman history, tourists taking photos of tourists — and then you turn a corner and you're on a National Trust hillside with 500 acres of woodland and your dog absolutely losing their mind about a rabbit. That's the thing about Bath: the city is genuinely beautiful, and two minutes from the centre you can be somewhere that feels like deep countryside. Which is extremely convenient if you need to burn off a spaniel before finding a pint.

We've picked four walks that cover the full range — a proper 6-mile hillside expedition, a flat towpath anyone can manage, a quick city-centre loop, and a shorter hillside walk with one of the best pieces of follyish architecture in the country at the end of it. Every pub named below is one we've actually verified: someone checked whether dogs are allowed inside, whether there's a garden, and whether water bowls and treats are on offer, rather than assuming from a website.

Which Bath dog walk should I do?

Walk	Distance	Difficulty	Lead required	Best for	Pub at the end
Bath Skyline Walk	6 miles (9.6km)	Moderate	Near livestock and in the Woodland Play Area	Big days out, views	The George Inn, Bathampton
Kennet & Avon Canal to Bathampton	3 miles return (1.5 miles each way)	Easy	Optional	Flat walks, older dogs, all weathers	The George Inn, Bathampton
Royal Victoria Park	1–2 miles	Easy	Recommended	City-centre quick walks	The Marlborough Tavern
Prior Park & Claverton Down	2–3 miles	Moderate	Yes (National Trust, livestock)	Views, history buffs	The Packhorse

The Bath Skyline Walk (National Trust)

This is the big one — a 6-mile (9.6km) circular route managed by the National Trust across 500 acres of woodland and farmland on the hills above the city. Budget 3.5 to 4 hours at a steady pace, and boots are non-negotiable after any rain — the woodland sections turn to proper mud in autumn and winter, and there's no shortcut around it.

The Trust rates it one pawprint for dogs: welcome, but facilities are limited, so don't expect bins or water on route. Dogs need to be on the lead near grazing animals and farmland, and specifically in the Woodland Playground Area, but otherwise there's room to let them off and watch them lose their minds over the view.

The route takes in Bathampton and Claverton Downs, drops through Rainbow Wood, and passes Sham Castle — a folly commissioned by Ralph Allen, a former mayor of Bath, purely to improve the view from his own house. Building an entire fake castle because your actual view wasn't good enough is, we'd argue, peak Bath.

There's no National Trust car park for this one. The easiest approach is the U1 bus from behind Bath Abbey towards the University of Bath, getting off at the Cleveland Walk stop, where a National Trust signpost marks the start. If you're driving, North Road (BA2 6JE) is the usual option, though parking can be tight at weekends.

Once you're back down, The George Inn at Bathampton sits on the canal bank a short walk from the eastern end of the Downs — dogs allowed inside, a garden, and water bowls and treats both confirmed in our data.

Kennet and Avon Canal to Bathampton

The flattest, easiest walk on this list, and a good option if your dog is older, smaller, or just not in the mood for a hillside. Start at Sydney Gardens, one of the last surviving 18th-century pleasure gardens in England and free to walk through, then join the Kennet and Avon Canal towpath and follow it 1.5 miles east to Bathampton village — about 45 minutes at a leisurely pace, entirely flat and paved.

The towpath itself is the appeal here: a steady procession of narrowboats, some newly painted with jaunty flowers, others held together largely by optimism, along with swans that will absolutely try to negotiate with your dog and, closer to Bathampton, sheep in the adjacent fields. Keep a lead handy even if your dog usually walks off it.

The George Inn sits right on the canal bank in Bathampton — Grade II listed, dating back to the 13th century when it started life as a monastery, with a beer garden overlooking the water and real log fires in winter. It's confirmed dog-friendly inside and out, with water bowls and treats both on offer.

For the return leg, you can simply walk back the way you came — it's genuinely pleasant in both directions — or, for an alternative that involves boats, catch the Pulteney Princess river ferry back from Bathampton Mill. Fares are approximately £5 each way, but check the ferry's own website for current prices and sailing times before you go.

Royal Victoria Park

The quick urban option — 57 acres right next to the Royal Crescent, with botanical gardens, the Great Dell aerial walkway, and plenty of open grass for fetch. There's no set route, so wander freely for anywhere between 1 and 2 miles depending on how much your dog wants to sniff every tree. Entry is free year-round.

Dogs are welcome throughout, and given the paths and the number of other park users we'd recommend a lead, but there's enough open grass to let them off for a proper run if you find a quiet corner. Good for a morning walk before brunch, or a stretch of the legs straight off the train before you go and explore the rest of the city.

The Marlborough Tavern is a short walk from the park entrance on Marlborough Buildings, and it's a full house on our verification checklist — dogs inside, a garden, water bowls, and treats all confirmed.

Prior Park and Claverton Down

For when you want views and a bit of history without committing to a full day, Prior Park Landscape Garden is a National Trust property on the southern edge of the city, with paths winding through woodland down into a valley and its lake. The full circuit takes about 45 minutes.

Because it's National Trust land with livestock grazing nearby, dogs need to stay on the lead for the whole visit — no off-lead sections here. The reward is the lake walk, which takes you past one of only four Palladian bridges in the world. Your dog will be entirely indifferent to the architectural significance, but it's a genuinely striking thing to stand next to.

Afterwards, The Packhorse in South Stoke is the nearest verified option, a stone-built pub that welcomes dogs on the ground floor — worth checking a table's free if you're planning to sit down properly, since only tables seating up to six are dog-friendly.

Before you go

Parking: City-centre car parks work for Royal Victoria Park and for the Skyline's Cleveland Walk approach if you're taking the bus in. For driving straight to the Skyline start, use North Road (BA2 6JE). If you're doing the canal walk and planning to return by ferry, there's parking near The George Inn in Bathampton.

By train: Bath Spa station is about 10 minutes' walk from Sydney Gardens, where the canal walk starts, and around 20 minutes from the Skyline's Cleveland Walk starting point.

Seasonal notes: The Skyline gets genuinely muddy through autumn and winter — boots are essential, not optional. The canal towpath is flat and paved, so it's a reliable year-round option. Royal Victoria Park is best in dry weather if you want your dog off the lead on the grass. Prior Park closes earlier in winter, so check the National Trust website for current opening hours before you set off.

Water: Bring your own for the Skyline — there are no facilities on route. The canal towpath and Prior Park both have water access points along the way.

Verified dog-friendly pubs in Bath

Beyond the four paired above, a few more verified Bath pubs worth knowing about:

The Packhorse in South Stoke — dogs welcome on the ground floor, log fires, and a genuinely historic building saved by the local community.

The Marlborough Tavern near the Royal Crescent — dogs inside, garden, water bowls, and treats all confirmed, one of the fullest verification records in the city.

The George Inn in Bathampton — 13th-century, canal-side, dogs inside and in the garden, with water bowls and treats confirmed.

Victoria Pub and Kitchen on Upper Bristol Road — a short walk from the city centre, dogs inside, garden, water bowls, and treats all confirmed.

See all verified dog-friendly pubs in Bath →