Do · 9 May 2026

Walks for the dogs — Chess Valley, Burnham Beeches, Penn Wood.

Three loops within an hour of central London, all 4.5★+ on AllTrails, all with the post-walk pub on or beside the trail. Triangulated to be reachable in roughly the same drive from N6 and SW15 — useful when meeting friends from the other side of town. Ranked from where I'd actually go.

Chiltern Hills AONB · Hertfordshire

Chess Valley & The Cricketers Circular, Sarratt.

7.4 km · 175 m · 2h–2h 30m · Loop · Moderate · 37 min from N6 / 57 min from SW15 · AllTrails 4.7★ on 1,131 reviews

The standout. Drops from Sarratt village green down to the River Chess — one of only ~200 chalk streams in the world — through water meadows and watercress beds, then climbs gently back up via Sarratt Church End. Working farmland with intermittent livestock so leads through the field stretches; a few stiles and kissing gates, otherwise wide path-and-track underfoot. Le Carré used Sarratt as the fictional MI6 training school — small literary bonus if anyone's read Tinker Tailor.

Post-walk: The Cricketers on the green, where the loop starts and ends — 4.4★ on 1,074 reviews, dog-friendly bar, garden out onto the green, Sun 11:00–22:30. If they're full, The Boot two doors down is 4.5★/1,036 and opens 9:30 for breakfast. Both independent.

AllTrails · The Cricketers · The Boot · Map

South Buckinghamshire

Burnham Beeches Blackwood Arms Circular.

7.4 km · 50 m · 1h 52m · Loop · Moderate · 54 min from N6 / 55 min from SW15 · AllTrails 4.5★ on 562 reviews

Ancient pollarded beech woodland in fresh May leaf — Druid's Oak (~800 years), an Iron Age hill fort and Hartley Court Moat tucked into the trees — designated NNR/SAC, City of London-managed, paths well-maintained. Mostly off-lead through the woodland with short on-lead sections on the connecting lanes and the occasional grazing patch; flattest of the three, easiest if anyone's hip is twingeing.

Post-walk: The Blackwood Arms is the pub at the loop's start and finish — 4.6★ on 784 reviews, large garden, log fire if it cools, dog-friendly throughout, Sun kitchen 12:00–19:00. Independent country pub.

AllTrails · The Blackwood Arms · Map

Chiltern Hills AONB · Buckinghamshire

Penn Wood & Common Wood Circular, Penn Street.

6.4 km · 200 m · 2h–2h 30m · Loop · Easy · 59 min from N6 / 60 min from SW15 · AllTrails 4.7★ on 454 reviews

Penn Wood is one of the largest surviving ancient woodlands in the southern Chilterns — Woodland Trust-owned, traditional cattle-grazed wood-pasture, deep beech canopy and dappled rides. Bluebells tailing off by mid-May but the fresh leaf is the headline; on lead through the cattle stretches, off-lead through the wood proper. Wider rides than Burnham Beeches, so good for two dogs together.

Post-walk: The Squirrel, Penn Street — 4.5★ on 594 reviews, dog-friendly bar, decent kitchen, Sun till 23:00 (a rarity round here). The Hit or Miss across the road is 4.4★/714, a sound back-up if The Squirrel is heaving.

AllTrails · The Squirrel · The Hit or Miss · Map