My top dog walking destination of the week!

So those of you who know me, know that I absolutely adore dogs. And in particular, I obviously really adore my dog. I also adore seeing his little tail wag like crazy when we give him a big cuddle and shout 'WALKIES!' However, sometimes it does seem like my family and I are more excited about going for 'walkies' than he is judging by the way we over-excitedly shout about it.

Anyway, in honour of my love for my little furry friend, I thought I would tell you guys a bit about this week's favourite dog walking destination, in case any of you share my love for dogs, or maybe just want to find the perfect destination to hang out with some friends and have a cute lil picnic during the summer months. 

So, the winner of this week's perfect place for dog walking is...

Dedham!

Now, some of you may have heard of Dedham - some of you may not have heard of Dedham. And if you haven't, then brilliant! It means that this is my chance to really sell it to you and to give you the low down on everything you should do or visit whilst there. So, let's cut to the chase by first mentioning the acres of green, green and - you guessed it - more green!! I, for one, love nature and all things green that aren't currently being built on, so this is a real winner for me and my dog. Everyone knows dogs like to have a little romp around whilst sticking their face in mounds of grass (and cow pat - that is the ONLY downside to Dedham - there is cow pat, and a lot of it!!) instead of having to stick their face in an area of boring, harsh concrete. 

There is also a really lovely river running through Dedham all the way to Flatford Mill. This means that your dog - and perhaps even you if this is your style - can have a little paddle in the river (or just a full on swim as most dogs would prefer) to cool off on a hot day. Or, if you fancy gliding along the river but without the added hassle of getting soaked and having to dry you/ your dog off, you can just go and hire a boat! Boating along the Dedham river can be relaxing, but it's mostly just hilarious. And, get this, you can even take your animal acquaintance on the boat with you!

 However, if you're not one to find rowing into the middle of a bush or bumping into another fellow boater funny, then perhaps rowing along the river is not for you - but the walk along the river is just as promising. And that's the other thing about the dog walk in Dedham - there isn't really much need for a map. Just follow the river and you'll be at Flatford Mill in no time. Flatford Mill has a cute little cafe that sells fresh scones, cakes and drinks as well as ice cream and there is also another car park there ( this one comes with toilet facilities in case you have one too many cups of tea at the cafe- yes I'm talking about you dad!!) as well as the car park at Dedham, which is where my family and I normally begin our dog walk. Once you're at Flatford Mill, all you need to do is follow the river again to get back to Dedham. Simple, am I right?! No stress about getting lost around here!

The car park is only £2 for four hours, so that is quite handy. Also, Dedham is fortunately quite easy to navigate as everything is in quite close proximity. The village includes two really lovely tea rooms, which both allow dogs inside - albeit well-behaved and preferably, not soaked dogs, but still! In both tea rooms, all of the staff are super friendly and the food is absolutely ace!! I do recommend booking before you go though, as these tearooms fill up quickly - and for good reason, too. Dedham as a whole can get pretty busy, so for parking, the earlier the better. 

Just know that if you go there on a scorching hot day, it is bound to be busy, but there will be no shortages of ice cream; the main (and larger) tearoom and Flatford Mill both sell them, and if you come at the right time, there is sometimes a little shed opposite the Flatford Mill cafe that sells plenty of different ice creams too.

So, if you think I hit the spot with my sales pitch of Dedham as the perfect summer/ dog walk destination, let me know- Or if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me in the comments!

Thank you all so much for reading!

See you again soon,

Beth x