Dog walker in Bermondsey.

Southwark Park

Southwark Park is the main dog walk in SE16: an old Victorian park with a lake, a bandstand and long tree-lined paths that make a satisfying loop in half an hour. The quieter edges near the bowling green are good for dogs who need a calmer start to the walk.

The river and the warehouses

North of the park, the Thames Path runs along the river from Tower Bridge past Butler's Wharf towards Rotherhithe, flat and mostly away from traffic. Closer to London Bridge, Leathermarket Gardens and the cobbled streets around Bermondsey Street and Maltby Street make a short city walk, and Russia Dock Woodland in Rotherhithe is a surprising patch of trees and ponds for a longer one.

Why it suits Seekies

Bermondsey is mostly flats, from converted warehouses to new blocks on the river, so nearly every dog walk starts at a lift or a communal door. Owners here often work in the City or around London Bridge. A reliable midday walk, with a walker who knows the building's quirks from your notes, makes a long day easy for your dog.

A typical walk

A typical half hour from a warehouse flat near Bermondsey Street: through Leathermarket Gardens, along the cobbles to Shad Thames, a stretch of the Thames Path by Butler's Wharf with Tower Bridge behind you, and back through the side streets, avoiding Tooley Street at its busiest.