Visiting Parke with your dog

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.

Parke is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Parke?

During bird nesting season March 1 to July 31 we ask that dogs are kept on a short lead. At other times dogs are welcome under close control across the Parke estate.

Dogs can also be taken on a short lead into the Walled Garden. Dogs are welcome in the Long Room in Home Farm Café, accessible via the café side door.

There are great walks around the Parke estate that are ideal to explore with your dog all year round. You can take a walk along the river and return either along the disused railway track or the wooded hillside. You can also explore the expansive low parkland or the top fields by the orchard, though be aware of livestock grazing in these areas.

What facilities are available for dogs?

There are dog water bowls in the café courtyard.

There are a number of bins for dog waste across the estate: between the Parke entrance and cattle grid, by the car park opposite the orchard, near Home Farm Café, near the barn at the bottom of the main path to the river, at the east end of the disused railway line.

What do I need to be aware of?

During bird nesting season March 1 to July 31 we ask that dogs are kept on a short lead. Cattle and sheep are used for conservation grazing across the Parke estate, so we ask dog owners to keep their dog on a short lead all year around when in the same area as livestock. The Countryside Code recommends you let your dog off the lead if you feel threatened by livestock so that you can both reach safety more easily.

You are also advised not to leave your pet in the car, as the car park offers limited shade.

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