There's a particular kind of quiet that settles over Virginia Water first thing in the morning, before the joggers and the cyclists arrive — just mist sitting low over the water, and the sound of a hundred different birds deciding it's time to wake up. It's one of my favourite places to start a dog's day, and honestly, I think they'd agree.
Every dog walks this lake differently. Some make a beeline for the water's edge and don't move until every last smell along the shoreline has been properly investigated. Others are all business on the way out — nose down, tail up, covering ground — and only really relax on the way back, once the walk itself has done its job. There's no wrong way to do it, which I think is exactly why they love it here.
The path around the lake changes completely with the seasons, and that's part of the magic of walking the same route again and again. Autumn turns the whole path into something crunchy and irresistible underfoot. Spring brings a burst of smells so overwhelming that some dogs practically vibrate with the effort of deciding what to sniff first. Even on a grey, ordinary Tuesday, there's always something new for a dog's nose to find that a human would walk straight past.
What I love most, though, is watching a dog who's had a stressful morning slowly unwind over the course of a walk here. The lake has a way of doing that — for dogs and, if I'm honest, for me too.
— Sammy 🐾