Erddig dogs welcome project

One in four people own a dog in the UK and it’s estimated that more than half of visitors to National Trust places own dogs. Thousands of people visit Erddig country park every year, drawn by our vast, natural open spaces as they change through the seasons. 

We want to get the balance right so that everyone feels welcome, so we’re reviewing the challenges we often face around caring for the 1,200-acre estate and farmland. From clearing up dog poo and livestock worrying to exploring special areas where dogs can run free, we’re looking at every aspect of four-legged friends visiting our estate.

Feedback

In summer we reached out to visitors to get feedback on dogs at Erddig. 

Head Ranger, James Stein said:
“We ran several dog days at our countryside centre in Felin Puleston which were well attended. The issue of dogs is a bit like Marmite and we often feel stuck in the middle, so it was good to have those conversations with people.

“In reality, people don’t like badly behaved dogs and it’s the small minority that spoil it for everyone and that’s something that we need to address – it’s also something that impacts on our tenant farmers.”

Taking a lead

We’re introducing an ‘off-lead zone’ near Felin Puleston. After working with our tenant farmers, we have agreed our first off-lead zone launched on 1 February 2020. There’s clear signage and fencing with the river acting as a natural boundary to the area. 

In addition to this, dogs are free to explore all of our woodlands including Big Wood, Court Wood, Forest Wood, Coed Y Glyn Wood and Lewis Woods. However, we do ask dog owners to please be mindful of other visitors and to be aware that dogs must be kept under effective control at all times. This means that they must remain in sight and respond to voice commands while off lead. 

We also ask dog owners to please ensure that their dogs remain on a lead in all open spaces not clearly marked as a lead-free zone. This allows us to keep the Erddig estate as an open space for all visitors to enjoy while protecting the livestock and wildlife who also call Erddig home. 

By providing a dedicated area to enjoy lead free in addition to the many woodlands we have across our 1200 acre estate, we hope this is a balance which allows Erddig to remain a special place to be enjoyed by everyone.

Erddig dog wardens

We’ve been working with experts Acorn Kennels, who are contracted by Wrexham council and other organisations as dog wardens, to talk to our visitors about our plans and the importance of controlling their dogs around livestock, especially in lambing season. If you see them, do say hello, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can also contact our estate team on 01978 355314 or by emailing erddig@nationaltrust.org.uk

Dogs and the law

The law on dogs states:
It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, such as:
•    in a public place
•    in a private place, for example a neighbour’s house or garden
•    in the owner’s home
This is similar to our National Trust by-laws and the countryside code which we adhere to.