The first time I brought Theo to Wimbledon Common as a young puppy, I remember laughing because she suddenly seemed less like a London dog and more like some tiny, well-behaved woodland creature who had Narnia’ed her way into the wild.

There are some places that never quite leave you.

Not in a dramatic way, not always with one big memory attached to them, but quietly, steadily, like they have worked their way into the shape of your life without asking permission. Epping Forest is one of those places for me.

There’s a particular kind of light you only get in Richmond Park.

It happens early, when the sun starts to lift behind the trees and the whole world seems to glow at the edges. I’ve photographed dogs here many times, and that sunrise backlight still stops me in my tracks. Dogs look almost haloed, coats lit from behind, ears edged in gold, their outlines crisp against the soft morning haze. It’s one of those moments where London briefly disappears, and you remember you’re standing in 2,500 acres of ancient landscape, with wild deer moving quietly in the distance.

There are places you visit once and immediately start recommending to every dog guardian you know. Esher Common is one of those places.

I’ve walked here in different seasons, with different dogs, and it has never once disappointed. Pine-scented woodland that feels almost transportive, wide heathland paths edged with heather, pockets of fern-covered ground that soften the light, and a sense of space that lets dogs just be dogs. It’s generous, calming, and quietly spectacular in that very Surrey way.

Dog owners in London always ask me as a photographer for new places to explore with their dogs. Today I would like to talk about…