Dog walks around Woodhall Spa

We spend a lot of time in and around Woodhall Spa, and Patch has sniffed most of it. This is our guide to the walks we go back to, from a quick lap of the village to a proper leg stretch in the woods, and a few notes on where to keep the lead on.

One thing worth saying up front. Most of Lincolnshire is heavy clay that turns to glue in winter, but Woodhall Spa sits on sand. The woods and heaths drain quickly, which means the walks here stay walkable long after the fields elsewhere have given up. We think that alone makes it one of the best dog walking villages in the county.

Ostler's Plantation

If you only do one walk, do this one. Ostler's Plantation is a Forestry England pine wood on the edge of the village, planted over part of the old wartime airfield. The rides are wide and straight, the ground is soft and sandy, and there is room for dogs to stretch out without disappearing from view.

There is a car park off Kirkby Lane, and from there you can wander for twenty minutes or two hours. We like the outer loop on a weekday morning when it is quiet, and the straight central rides when we want a sociable walk with a few other owners.

• Cyclists and horses use the wider tracks, so call your dog in when you hear hooves or wheels.
• Wartime remains are dotted through the trees. They are interesting for people and a bit dangerous for dogs, so keep yours out of the old structures.
• Deer live in the plantation. A dog with a strong chase instinct is better on a long line here.
• Check Forestry England before you set off for any forestry work or car park closures.

The Spa Trail

The Spa Trail follows the old railway line out of the village towards Horncastle. It is flat, straight and easy underfoot, with sculptures along the way and the odd bench for a sit down. The Viking Way long distance path shares part of the route, so you may meet walkers with big rucksacks and bigger smiles.

Because it is a linear path, it is the easiest walk in the area to share with someone new. You agree a start point, walk out as far as you both fancy, then turn round. There is no route finding and nowhere to get lost. We use it for first meetings all the time, and our guide to meeting a stranger for a dog walk safely has more on how we approach those.

It is also a shared path, so lead on where it is busy and step aside for bikes. The surface can be wet in the shadier stretches after rain, so boots rather than trainers in winter.

Kirkby Moor

Kirkby Moor is a Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve a short way out of the village, and it is a different world from the pine woods. Open heath, heather, birch scrub and big skies. Our dogs love the smells and we love the quiet.

The reserve is home to ground nesting birds in spring and summer, and the Trust asks for dogs to be kept on leads. We think that is fair enough, and a lead walk across the heath on a bright morning is still one of our favourites. Keep an eye out for adders on warm days too. Our guide to UK outdoor hazards covers what to do if you see one.

Jubilee Park and a lap of the village

Not every walk has to be an expedition. A loop around the village takes in Jubilee Park, the Broadway with its shops and cafes, Royal Square and the lane through the trees to the Kinema in the Woods. It is a lead walk, but it is a lovely one, and it is the walk where you will meet other owners.

This is also the walk to do if your dog needs practice around people, pushchairs and other dogs on leads. Plenty going on, nothing too fast, and a bench never far away.

Down to the river

Head out past the golf course towards Kirkstead Bridge and you reach the River Witham. The Water Rail Way runs along the bank, flat and traffic-free, and it feels wonderfully open after the woods. Lead on near the water, because the banks are steep and the river is deep, and watch for cyclists who can arrive quietly from behind.

Best all-rounder

Ostler's Plantation. Big, soft underfoot and sociable without being crowded.

Best for a first meeting

The Spa Trail. Flat, linear and impossible to get lost on.

Lead on

Kirkby Moor in nesting season, the river bank, and anywhere near horses or bikes.

Parking

Kirkby Lane for the plantation, the village car parks for everything else. Check signs, as some are time limited.

Finding company in Woodhall Spa

Woodhall Spa is sociable by nature, and most dogs here know each other by name. If you are new, or your usual walking friend has moved away, have a look at the Woodhall Spa page on Packmates. It lists walks that owners nearby have posted, and because it looks around fifteen kilometres in every direction you will see Horncastle, Coningsby and Tattershall as well.

We post regular walks around the village ourselves, usually from the plantation car park on a Saturday morning. If there is nothing on when you look, post one. Say where you will start, roughly how long you will be out, and a line about your dog. Our guide to writing a walk listing people say yes to will help, and we promise someone in Woodhall Spa will be glad you did.