Top Dog Walks in Lincolnshire

Bellmount Tower’s uphill paths and Huttoft’s concrete sea wall give dog walks in Lincolnshire plenty of variety, even before you reach the Wolds.

These seven routes range from short woodland and lagoon circuits to a seven-mile countryside walk. There’s also a mostly flat canal route from Lincoln, with Burton Waters as your turning point. Each entry explains where to park, what’s underfoot, and where dog restrictions apply, so you can choose based on more than distance. The shorter walk isn’t always easier: Binbrook’s stiles could be more awkward for your dog than a longer route without them.

Visiting Lincolnshire with Dogs

To turn a few of these walks into a longer break, browse our places to stay in Lincolnshire with dogs as a base.

Top Dog Walking Routes in Lincolnshire

01 — Bellmount Tower Trail, Londonthorpe

Bellmount Tower gives this walk a destination, with views over Belton House and the surrounding countryside. The 1.9-mile circular Tower Trail takes you through mature woodland and open grassland. Allow about an hour, plus time to stop at the viewpoint.

Join the circuit from the free Bellmount car park on Five Gates Lane, near Londonthorpe and Grantham. Most of the walk follows grass and earth paths, with uneven ground, several gates and a bridge. Some slopes are steep, and it can get muddy after rain.

Dogs are welcome, though the rules change across Londonthorpe Woods and Bellmount. The official map shows where they can run off lead, where leads are needed and where dogs aren’t allowed. Stick to the marked trail rather than cutting across grazing areas. The route takes you to the tower; going inside is separate.

02 — Ashby Ville Lagoon Circuit, Scunthorpe

Ashby Ville’s 1.5-mile circuit follows the lagoon, with a footbridge crossing part of the water. The level paths make this a good shorter walk when you don’t fancy several hours across the Wolds.

Start at the nature reserve car park off Whimbrel Chase, DN16 3WJ. Take the path towards the lagoon, keep the water on your left and follow it round until you reach the path back to the car park. Allow 45 minutes to an hour.

Keep your dog away from the water and under control around wildlife. This was once a quarry, and the lagoon has deep water with steep drop-offs beneath the surface. It’s somewhere to walk beside the water, rather than let your dog swim.

03 — Willingham Woods Red Trail, Market Rasen

The Red Trail at Willingham Woods is a 1.5-mile waymarked circuit through mixed woodland and past the ponds. It’s graded easy, with picnic benches where you can sit down afterwards.

The free Forestry England car park is signed off the A631, east of Market Rasen. Use LN8 3RQ for directions, then pick up the red waymarkers from the picnic area. There’s a café and toilets in the adjoining council lay-by, so you can get something to eat after the walk.

Dogs are welcome, but you’ll be sharing the paths with walkers, cyclists, and horse riders, so keep yours under control. Willingham is working woodland: follow any forestry closure notices and stay on the marked route. The woods open daily from dawn until dusk.

04 — A Walk on the Wildside, Ludford

Ludford’s seven-mile circular walk takes you across the Lincolnshire Wolds without a single stile. If your dog can manage the distance but struggles with awkward barriers, it may be a better choice than a shorter route. Allow around 3.5 hours.

Start at the village hall car park on Playing Fields Lane, LN8 6AJ. The route follows part of the Viking Way, passes the former 101 Squadron airfield, and skirts the remains of the medieval village of East Wykeham. It then climbs towards Great Tows before returning to Ludford.

Expect grass and arable-field paths, farm tracks and some road walking. Although the route is graded easy, seven miles with climbs still makes a substantial walk. You’ll also cross the A631 and follow stretches of roadside, where your dog needs to stay beside you on a short lead.

05— Round Binbrook Walk

The three-mile Round Binbrook Walk takes you along village lanes and out onto paths across the surrounding Wolds. It’s shorter than Ludford’s circuit, but the stiles can be awkward for large or less-mobile dogs.

Begin in Market Place, with considerate parking available along Kirmond Road. The route passes through St Mary’s Lane, continues to the former watermill, then returns to the village. Allow about 1.5 hours. Public toilets are available off Market Place.

You’ll follow paths and tracks over slopes and grass fields, with muddy sections after wet weather. The return road has very little grass verge, so keep your dog close on a short lead. Weigh the stiles and roadside walking before choosing this, simply because it’s only three miles.

06— Fossdyke Canal: Brayford Waterfront to Burton Waters

Follow the Fossdyke Canal west from Brayford Waterfront for a mostly flat walk out of Lincoln. Burton Waters is about two and a half miles away, making for a five-mile round trip if you return along the same path.

Lucy Tower Street car park, LN1 1XL, is a paid option near the waterfront. Three hours currently costs £6.60. From Brayford, take the canalside path toward the Pyewipe Inn, then continue to Burton Waters before turning back.

Dogs are welcome on the trail, which you’ll share with cyclists and other walkers. Keep yours under control, using a lead where needed around birds, passing bikes and the water’s edge. You don’t need to complete the full five miles: turn round earlier and follow the same path back into Lincoln.

07— Huttoft–Sandilands Circular Walk

This six-mile circuit combines the coast with field paths and a tree-lined former railway. You get a coastal stretch without spending the whole walk on the beach. Allow around three hours.

Start at Huttoft Car Terrace, LN13 9RT, and follow the concrete sea wall towards Sandilands. The route then heads inland through field paths and onto the Sutton Branch Line Walkway, returning through farmland to Huttoft. For the coastal section, you can walk along the beach instead of the sea wall, though sand sometimes covers the concrete path too.

Dogs can come here all year: these stretches at Huttoft and Sandilands fall outside East Lindsey’s seasonal beach exclusion areas. Inland, keep your dog under close control and away from wildlife. The published route lists no stiles or livestock, but it includes steps, bridges, road crossings, and stretches of roadside walking.

Parking for more than two hours costs £5 between 10am and 5pm, from Good Friday to the end of October.

Choose by terrain and mileage. If you fancy a meal afterwards, our guide to dog-friendly pubs in Lincolnshire explains where your dog can join you. Binbrook is shorter than Ludford, but its stiles may make the longer, stile-free circuit easier for a dog that struggles with barriers.