Visiting Grange Barn with your dog

The exterior of Grange Barn in sunshine, Essex — Grange Barn in the sunshine | © National Trust Images/John Miller

Dogs on leads are welcome at Grange Barn. Whether you are a regular local dog walker, or a visitor from further afield, please read this article to make your visit as enjoyable as possible, not only for you and your dog, but also non-threatening for the wildlife that call this place home.

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.

Grange Barn is a one pawprint rated place.

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

What you can expect at Grange Barn

Water and drinking bowl at the entrance to the barn
Dog bin outside the entrance to the site
The Essex Way is located just outside the entrance to the site
Route map

Where can I take my dog?

Dogs on leads are allowed in the grounds and the barn.

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