Author: evaprknova

This is a gem of a dog walking park! Between Nash Mills to the South West East and Leverstock Green to the North, the park provides great spaces for dogs to exercise.

The car park is off Bedmond Road. You’ll find it down a wide, bumpy gravel track, but the good thing is that the car park is set well back from the main road. The car park isn’t particularly large. Room for 15 cars.

From the car park you are straight into Top Field. This is the biggest open space in the park, and where Johanna and I met most dogs. If your confident about control, then your dog can run and run.

From the car park we headed South West, through gates into several enclosed fields, known as Mattens. These fields would be great spaces to let your dog off the lead.

We carried on walking South West, with Bunkers Lane on our left until we reached Bottom Field. Once we’d left Top Field the walk was all downhill, with Bottom Field being the steepest descent.

In the corner of Bottom Field is a gate that leads onto Bunkers Lane. Across the road is Long Deans Nature Reserve. Very pretty and you can take dogs into the Reserve. However, as this area is used for grazing you must keep dogs on the lead.

So back up the hill, through Chambersbury Woods and back into Top Field. A dog walker’s paradise. We even had a group doing close control and agility to watch as we headed back to the car park.

With the change in the weather to cold and wet it was time bring the waterproof coats out for Missie and Olive.

It didn’t slow either of them down. In fact, I’m sure it kept them going for longer.

Smaller dogs can get cold very quickly. We take great care of each one that we look after.

Leavesden Country Park is deceptively large. It is in two halves, with College Road running through the middle.

There are car parks off College Road (on the North East side), and many footpath entrances from the surrounding residential areas. Nearest postcode to the car park is WD5 0GN

Just up from the car parks are the YMCA Gym, Woodlands Café and the children’s play area. Beyond is a huge open space. It is used regularly for outdoor exercise and bootcamps. However, there was ample space to let the dogs run and fetch the ball.

If you carry on further North, you come to the nature reserve and wooded area. Peaceful and quiet. The place for chilled dog walks after chasing the ball around.

To get to the South West side of the park you need to cross College Road. There is a steady flow of traffic, so it is best to use the pelican crossing.

The South West side of the park tends to be quieter. There a several different species of tree, the park is more landscaped and there are some wood sculptures.

Pleasant to walk through with the dogs but felt the need to keep them under closer control. Langley Lane appears abruptly on the western edge of the park and this tends to be a busy road.

Altogether a great park for dog walking, with a preference for the North East side in particular.

We have been walking dogs in Oxhey Woods recently. So far, we have explored the woods south of Prestwick Road. This is the side that has the sculpture trail, which has added some more fun to our walks. The car park for the woods in on Oxhey Drive South (HA6 3EX).

It is a large wood with several trails to follow. There are many paths off the trails and through the trees that make it exciting for the dogs. There are also plenty of squirrels hopping around which can make it exciting for us!

With that in mind, on the edge of the woods that borders the Prestwick Road there is no fencing. Just something to be aware of.

The woods are well maintained and that is a credit to the Oxhey Woods Conservation Volunteers. You do have to mind where you walk though. There was quite a bit of fouling near the paths.

Favourite wood sculpture was the TV and armchair. Definitely woods worth a visit.