Dog walker in Hackney.

The parks

London Fields is compact and lively, and a loop of it fits neatly into a 20-minute walk. Hackney Downs is flatter and quieter, with a long avenue of trees for an unhurried circuit. Victoria Park is the big one, with its lakes and wide lawns, and it suits a full hour when your dog needs to properly stretch their legs.

The canal and the marshes

The Regent's Canal towpath cuts across the south of the borough past Broadway Market, and the Lea towpath and Hackney Marshes open up the north east. The marshes are mostly football pitches and open grass, so a lead-on walk around the edges is a long, quiet stretch away from the traffic on Mare Street.

Why it suits Seekies

A lot of Hackney is flats in converted terraces and new blocks, with shared or no gardens, and a lot of owners work irregular hours. Walks here vary a lot by dog. A young dog needs the marshes and an older one needs a gentle loop of the Downs, and our walkers pick from the brief you set, not from a fixed route.

A typical walk

A typical half hour from a flat near Mare Street: through the back streets to London Fields, a loop past the lido and the cricket pitch, down to the canal by Broadway Market for a short stretch of towpath, and back up Martello Street before the market gets busy.