Walking your dog at Bathampton Meadows

Our pawprint rating system

We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged friend arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Bathampton Meadows is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs and walk in the open green spaces, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Walking your dog at Bathampton Meadows

Dogs are welcome throughout Bathampton Meadows which is made up of three distinct areas. Large open green fields can be found towards Kensington Meadows, with a walkway that passes under the A46 dual carriageway and across a road to join the farmlands near Batheaston. A path runs alongside the grazed fields and the river Avon. This path is shared with walkers and cyclists.

There are bins for dog waste located at both ends of the meadows.

Keeping the space safe

Part of Bathampton Meadows is grazed by sheep throughout the year. Whilst this area is fenced off, dog walkers are reminded to be aware of the farmland and keep dogs on leads near animals. The path when entering from Batheaston is a shared cycle-way so please be mindful of these different users on the path. Keeping dogs on a lead can avoid startling cyclists. Cyclists are reminded to use a bell to warn of approach when coming from behind.

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

• Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
• Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
• Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
• Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is: ​

• Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
• Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
• Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent
• Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one