Dog walks near Hunter's Moon

Hunter's Moon is a dog-friendly cottage, and the walking for dogs is as good as it gets: quiet lanes and bridleways straight from the gate, the flat drove roads of the Somerset Levels, the Tor, wooded gorges in the Mendips and, out of season, miles of sandy beach. Here are our favourites, starting at the front door.

From the gate

Bradley Way and Pennard Hill loop (2 to 3 miles)

Turn left out of the gate and follow Bradley Way, a no-through lane for heavy vehicles, past the fields to the junction with Breech Lane. Footpaths and bridleways climb Pennard Hill from here, with views back over the Levels to the Tor. You can make a loop via Newtown Lane and West Pennard (and the Lion at Pennard for a drink) or simply retrace your steps. Quiet, mostly traffic-free and ideal for the first and last walk of the day.

West Bradley and the orchards (2 miles)

Turn right and walk down to West Bradley, a tiny village with a medieval church, then follow the field paths through the cider orchards towards Baltonsborough. Sheep and cattle graze here, so keep dogs on leads through the fields.

The stream at the bottom of the garden

You do not even have to leave the grounds. The acre of garden runs down to the stream, where a shallow section is perfect for a hot dog to cool off before an afternoon on the decking.

Short drives

Bigger days out with the dog

• Stourhead (18 miles): dogs are welcome on the estate walks all year and around the famous lake garden in the winter months and early mornings in summer. Check the National Trust website for current times.
• The Mendip Hills: Black Down, the highest point in the Mendips, and the Priddy circular walks offer open heath and big skies.
• Brean Down and Burnham-on-Sea (21 to 25 miles): Brean Down is a National Trust headland with a Victorian fort at the end; the beaches at Berrow and Burnham are dog-friendly outside the summer restrictions on the central section.
• Exmoor and the Quantocks (40 to 50 miles): open moorland, wooded combes and the coast path at Porlock, Dunster and Watchet for a full day.
• The Macmillan Way and Leland Trail: long-distance paths that pass a few miles from the cottage through Castle Cary, Cadbury Castle (an Arthurian hill fort with a great short climb) and the villages of south Somerset.

Dog-friendly pubs on the way home

The Lion at Pennard, the Red Lion at Babcary, the Sheppey at Godney and the Rifleman's Arms in Glastonbury all welcome dogs; see our pubs page. The dog-friendly page has our house rules, and there is a boot room by the back door for towels and muddy paws.