Bringing your dog to Blickling Estate

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.

Blickling is a three pawprint rated place.

Three pawprints shows the very best places you can visit for a day with your dog. You’ll be able to take your dog to most areas, including indoors for a cup of tea and a treat. There’ll be clearly signed dog zones and dog-friendly experiences. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Blickling Estate?

Dogs are welcome in the parkland, woodland and on rights of way across the wider estate, please keep you dog under close control at all times. Dogs on short leads are welcome in the farmyard, the bookshop, on the front drive, in the estate barn and in Muddy Boots café. If you've forgotten your lead you can borrow one from the welcome team in the barn.

Look out for signs which will tell you when we have livestock in the fields and when your dog will need to be kept on a lead.

Help us to protect nature by using the dog bins provided in the car parks and the farmyard.

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

Please look out for our signs; they’re there to let you know when we have livestock in the fields or if there's sensitive wildlife. For your enjoyment and the safety of your dog, we ask that you keep them on a lead in our car parks, on the front drive, on the lake walk (our most popular and busiest route) and where there is livestock. If your dog is well trained and comes back when called, they can explore off-lead unless signs tell you otherwise.

Don’t forget, the Countryside Code is a great companion to any walk in the great outdoors.

Where can’t my dog go?

Only assistance dogs are allowed in the house, garden and east wing shop, Stables café, the Loft and RAF Oulton Museum.

What do I need to be aware of at Blickling Estate?

Ticks and Lyme disease

Ticks are tiny, spider-like creatures found in woodland and heath areas. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks.

Can I run with my dog at organised events?

If you're taking part in parkrun or Trust10 runs at Blickling, please ensure you have your dog on a fixed 1.8m (or less) lead. Runners with dogs are advised to stay to the sides or back of the participant field. We are no longer recommending that CCX/waist leads are used when running in any group situation to avoid the higher incidence of trips and falls to the runner and those around them.

As a dog owner, you are responsible for making sure the lead and harness ensures the safety and health of your dog and other runners, and should consult a vet before starting a new exercise regime with your four-legged friend.

Facilities available for my dog

What better way to finish your walkies than with a treat! Head to the dog-friendly Muddy Boots café, where you can purchase hot and cold drinks as well as light snacks. You'll also find a variety of doggy treats and ice cream – perfect on those hot summer days!

Dog bins are provided in the car parks and the farmyard.

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.