Dog Walks Near Upchurch, With Lunch at the End

There is no shortage of lists of dog-friendly places to eat in Kent. What none of them tell you is where to walk first, which is the part that actually makes the morning. So here is the other way round: where to walk around Upchurch, how muddy it gets, and where you can then sit down with a dog that has thoroughly enjoyed itself.

The important bit first, because it decides whether the rest of this is any use to you. Dogs are welcome in our Courtyard, which is outdoors, and not inside the buildings. On a bright morning that is the best table we have. In driving rain it is not, and we would rather say so here than have you drive over and find out.

Where to goThe walk on our doorstep

What is the best dog walk near Upchurch?

The stretch of the Saxon Shore Way running along the Medway estuary, starting from Riverside Country Park at Rainham. There is a proper car park, the paths near the visitor area are level and surfaced, and the coast path runs straight through, so you can do as much or as little as you like and turn back whenever you have had enough.

Walk out towards Horrid Hill, which has the best views on the whole stretch and a considerably nicer outlook than its name suggests. Carry on and the path passes Bloors Wharf and heads out to Motney Hill, a sandy rise projecting into the river, with reed beds alongside it.

How long is it, and how hard?

Medway Council gives the full Gillingham to Upchurch section as 5.3 miles, graded Easy, minimum time about two hours. That is the council's own figure rather than an estimate. It is flat almost the whole way, because it follows the old tideline rather than the land behind it.

Almost nobody walks it end to end with a dog, because it is a linear path and you would need a lift home. An hour out and an hour back from the country park is the sensible version.

What if you want something shorter?

Go as far as Horrid Hill and come back. It is level the whole way, it is the best part of the route, and you can stop whenever the dog has had enough, which is the advantage of an out-and-back over a circular.

There are circular routes linking the shore to the field paths inland between Lower Halstow and Upchurch. They are quiet and pleasant, with one honest caveat: the inland paths are less consistently waymarked than the coast path, so take a map rather than trusting signposts. Explorer sheets 148 and 163 cover the area.

Is there anything unglamorous on the route?

Yes, and you may as well hear it from us. Between Motney Hill and Otterham Creek the path passes the gates of a sewerage works and crosses a road. It is a short section, no walking guide mentions it, and the creek beyond is genuinely lovely. But if you are picturing an unbroken coastal idyll, that is the bit that is not.

Practical bitsMud, leads and what to bring

Is it muddy?

Often. This is low-lying ground next to tidal water, so after any wet spell there will be churned sections and the dog will come back a different colour to the one that set off. Between October and April a towel in the boot is not a nice extra. It is the difference between a good morning and an unpleasant drive home.

Can dogs be off the lead?

Mostly, with two exceptions worth taking seriously. Keep the lead on near the reed beds, which are a spring breeding ground for water birds, and keep it on around livestock on the inland field sections. If cattle take an interest, let the dog go rather than hold on to it.

What should you take?

• A towel, and then a second towel. One for the dog, one for the seats.
• Boots rather than trainers between October and April. Flat and dry are different questions.
• Water and a bowl. There is nowhere to refill along the shore.
• A proper lead for the reed beds, rather than an extending one at full stretch.
• A map if you are heading inland. The coast path is waymarked, the field paths are patchy.

AfterwardsWhere you can actually sit down

Where exactly can the dog go?

The Courtyard, the enclosed terrace immediately outside The Rooster, with festoon lighting, planted borders and proper tables. What it is not is indoors, so on a cold or wet day you are choosing between the weather and leaving the dog at home. Ask at the bar and a water bowl will come out.

What time should you finish the walk?

Before two, comfortably. The kitchen serves from 9am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. Breakfast runs until 11:30am and the Sunday roast from 12:00pm to 3:30pm. There is no evening service, so plan this as a morning and a lunch. A late-afternoon walk will land you at a closed kitchen.

Do you need to book?

At weekends, yes, and say that you are bringing a dog. Courtyard tables are a smaller pool than the dining room, and it saves being moved after you have sat down. Sunday is much the busiest day we have.

What is worth eating?

Breakfast, if you have timed it before half past eleven. Otherwise lunch, or the roast on a Sunday. We have written separately about what makes a Sunday roast worth the trip. The menus are on the menus page, and Sunday tables are booked from the Sunday lunch page.

Finding usParking and directions

Oak Lane, Upchurch, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 7EZ. About five minutes from Rainham, twelve from Sittingbourne, fifteen from Gillingham and twenty-five from Maidstone, off the A249 and the M2. Parking is free and on site, which matters when you are carrying a wet towel and a dog that has decided it lives here now.

Access and the rest of the practical detail is on the everything explained page, and if you want to see how many dogs have been to weddings here, that is Perfect Paws.

That is the whole thing. Walk the shore in the morning, take a towel, lead on near the reeds, and book a Courtyard table if the forecast is kind. The dog will be asleep by three.