Travel & Tourism

The most dog-friendly waterfall walks have been named – and loads are near Manchester

Paw-friendly trails across the north, right this way. Words by Isabella Norrison.

The Manc The Manc - 3rd November 2023

Fresh air is good for the mind and body, and two things make it even better – a stunning waterfall along the way and the company of a furry friend.

But the challenge of a waterfall walk is that they’re often a little tricky to navigate on four paws.

Thankfully some experts have now pulled together 10 of the most dog-friendly waterfall trails in the UK, with the third place route right here in Greater Manchester.

And the majority of the top 10 are in the North West, easily accessible from Manchester.

The Malham Landscape trail in North Yorkshire has taken first place. The route is home to the Janet’s Foss waterfall, perfect for dogs to play and paddle to their heart’s content.

ADVERTISEMENT

The trail is 8km long and will take you around two and a half hours to complete.

In second place is Aira Force in the Lake District, which has some breathtaking views. It boasts vistas across Ullswater Lake with plenty of space for your dog to stretch their legs. This also takes two and a half hours to get round, and it’s worth the effort.

ADVERTISEMENT
Saddlworth Moor. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Then we come to our home turf. In third place we have Dovestone Reservoir, which is one of the many stunning walks in the Peak District. It’s located on the outskirts of Greater Manchester in Saddleworth, and is a very enjoyable day out.

On the walk you’ll be able to see spectacular views of the water and might even bump into some sheep. This walk is considered a challenging route which takes on average four hours and 30 minutes. So it’s not for the faint hearted!

Elsewhere in the top 10 is Malham Cove, and if you love Harry Potter, then keep reading…

ADVERTISEMENT
Malham Cove has been named a dog-friendly waterfall walk. Credit: The Manc Group
Janet’s Foss waterfall along the Malham Cove trail. Credit: The Manc Group
Malham Cove has been named a dog-friendly waterfall walk. Credit: The Manc Group
Malham Cove. Credit: The Manc Group

Only an hour’s drive from certain points in Manchester is Malham Cove, a filming spot in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One. This hike also includes walking over unusual rock formations, so make sure you wear appropriate footwear as you don’t wanna be slipping through them. This route is dog friendly.

Another great hike which is also in the Peak District near Manchester is called ‘Lud’s Church.’ This walk consists of a chasm caused by a landslip; however, it really is beautiful, looking like something straight out of Lord of the Rings.

The top 10 most dog-friendly waterfall walks were chosen by dog gear specialists at Ruffwear, who analysed more than 200 routes.

Get your walking boots on and go hiking! There’re so many beautiful places to explore and your dogs will thank you for it too.

The top 10 dog-friendly waterfall walks

  1. Malham Landscape Trail: Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar, and Malham Cove, North Yorkshire – 8km
  2. Aira Force and Gowbarrow Park Circular, Cumbria – 6.9km
  3. Dovestone Reservoir and Chew Reservoir Circular, Greater Manchester – 13.5km
  4. Flash and Three Shires Head Circular, Staffordshire – 6km
  5. Ingleton Waterfalls Circular, North Yorkshire – 6.8km
  6. Coire Gabhail (The Lost Valley), Scottish Highlands – 4km
  7. Buttermere Circular, Cumbria – 7.4km8
  8. Ambleside to Stockghyll Force, Cumbria – 2.3km
  9. Rydal Water and Rydal Mount Circular, Cumbria – 4.5km
  10. Gradbach and Lud’s Church Circular, Derbyshire – 10.3km

Featured image: The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

This ‘secret’ North Wales beach has been named one of the UK’s best

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson This 'secret' North Wales beach has been named one of the UK's best

North Wales is a pretty popular holiday destination for us Mancs, especially in the warmer months.

Seaside towns like Llandudno, Conwy and Colwyn Bay are often awash with tourists soaking in the Great British summer, clutching ice creams, skimming pebbles, and frantically shielding your chippy tea from dive-bombing seagulls.

So now that the Independent has singled out some of the UK’s best ‘secret’ beaches – including one in North Wales – we’ve got a new destination to play with.

The paper singled out the beautiful Porthdinllaen in its list of the best secret UK beaches to visit in 2024 for peace and quiet.

And aren’t we all after a bit of peace and quiet these days?

There’s just something about escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and feeling sand between your toes, maybe even taking a brave dip in the brisk waters.

The Independent selected Porthdinllaen in North Wales as well as Runswick Bay in Yorkshire as some of the UK’s best secret beaches.

The list said of Porthdinllaen: “Offering sandy, secluded space to play, this Welsh beach is tucked away from the old fishing village by sweeping hills.

“As the cove is sheltered, the water is usually calm, making it a great spot for swimming.

“Bring goggles and be sure to look down: the headland is a popular spot with the local grey seals, and one of the largest seagrass meadows in North Wales hides beneath the water, providing a habitat for many different types of fish.”

Now does that not sound magical?

Read more

Featured image: Geograph

Travel & Tourism

Manchester Museum has been shortlisted for the 2024 Art Fund Museum of the Year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Museum shortlisted for Museum of the Year 2024

Another bit of very well-deserved recognition for our city as the Manchester Museum has been shortlisted for the 2024 Art Fund Museum of the Year.

Organised by the independent and membership-based British charity, which raises funds through the collection of important works and artefacts, it’s world the single largest museum prize in the world.

Shining as one of the crown jewels in Manchester’s cultural scene, the museum has been named among five other impressive finalists for this year’s award, which is evaluating inspiring projects from autumn 2022 through to winter 2023.

This wonderful news comes at a good time for Manchester Museum, which recently welcomed its one-millionth visitor since reopening to the public in February last year, following a £15 million values-led redevelopment. It really is back with a bang.

With Art Fund keeping audiences and communities at their heart, the highly revered accolade has a particular focus on community engagement, sustainable ways of working, and demonstration of ambition by reinventing what it means to be ‘the best’ museum for the audiences of today and tomorrow.

For context, the Manchester Museum (which sits as part of the University of Manchester) was the most visited indoor museum in the North of England throughout 2023, despite being shut for an entire month, welcoming a total of 790,332 people through their doors.

Speaking on this year’s selection, director Jenny Waldman, who heads up the 2024 judging panel, has applauded each of this year’s finalists for delivering “something for everyone” and keeping “community at the very heart of their programming.”

“Their commitment to innovative partnerships whilst operating within an extremely challenging funding environment is incredible”, she added. “I’m so pleased to see the way they support and centre young people through their work.

“Across a wide range of size and scale, these organisations are all real leaders in their field. I urge everyone to go and visit these extremely special spaces.” So do we.

name of the t-rex manchester museum
We’d recommend going along to Stand the T-Rex alone
manchester museum up for art fund annual award
You’ve got to see the giant Japanese spider crab
(Credit: Manchester Museum/Matthew via Flickr)

As for the museum themselves, Director Esme Ward said of the announcement: “Manchester Museum’s redevelopment was the result of 10 years’ collective endeavour, so being shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year is a moment of joy for everyone to share in, from staff and partners to our communities and Manchester itself.

“It is an affirmation of museums’ power to bring people together in building a more inclusive, hopeful future.”

Built on self-proclaimed values of “inclusion, imagination and care”, the museum’s recent reopening has positioned it at the forefront of the sector here in the UK, with new galleries, partnerships, visitor facilities, sector-leading programming and digital innovations.

These updates, along with their existing and award-winning South Asia Gallery – the largest and first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contribution of the South Asian diaspora co-curated by members from the community itself – are what have helped put it in the running for this prestigious prize.

Read more:

Visitor numbers for the first year following reopening were up 157% on 2019/20, with 57% of those being new attendees and more than one in seven’s first trip to a museum ever.

The other four shortlisted museums are the Craven Museum in Skipton, North Yorkshire; Dundee Contemporary Arts, the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Young V&A – Victoria and Albert Museum, also in the capital.

The winning museum will be announced at a ceremony at the National Gallery in London on 10 July and will receive £120,000 to put towards internal projects and cultural work. Better still, £15,000 will be given to each of the four other finalists, so everyone’s a winner in a way.

Congratulations again to everyone at Manchester Museum and well done for all your incredible hard work – we can’t wait to be right about you again in a couple of months when we’re confident you’ll be rightly named as the winner of the 2024 Art Fund Museum of the Year.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied/Matthew (via Flickr)

More Travel & Tourism

Things To Do

Olicana Park – The log cabins near Manchester that capture apres-ski magic all year round

Manchester

Whitworth Locke hotel review: This historic Manchester building is home to one of the city’s most beautiful hotels

Audio

Why Leeds is the best city to visit this summer for live music, gigs and festivals

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches