Visiting Trengwainton with your dog

Woman walking dog in parkland — Walking your dog | © National Trust/James Dobson

We know that family and friends come in all varieties, including the furry kind, so dogs on leads are very welcome at Trengwainton Garden. The exception is during the Winter Lights when it's assistance dogs only due to the combination of dim lighting and narrow paths. Find out everything you need to know for a visit with your dog, including the facilities available, and where to pause for a snack.

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.

Trengwainton Garden is a two pawprint rated place.

Two pawprint rating: These places have water bowls, dog bins and dog-friendly walks. You’ll be able to take your dog into some areas, but not everywhere. If there’s a food and beverage outlet, you can have a cup of tea with them, probably outside. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Trengwainton?

There’s 25 acres of garden where you can walk with your dog, so plenty of sights for you and smells for them, to provide interest. You can also take your dog into the shop and in the garden of the café.

Where can my dog not go?

Inside the café building, assistance dogs only are welcome. It’s the same for the second-hand bookshop in the former head gardener’s cottage because this is such a small space. Both these buildings have areas outside where you can tie your dog alongside a water bowl while you pop inside.

What facilities are available for dogs?

There are water bowls outside the reception, café and bookshop. Good doggies can sometimes find themselves greeted with a free dog treat from our Welcome teams and we often have biscuits in the waiting area outside the bookshop.

Dog waste bins can be found near the visitor toilets in the main car park and on the Meadow in the centre of the garden.

Forgot your poo bags? We’ve biodegradable ones for sale in the shop.

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.