Visiting Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate with your dog

A visitor walks thier dog along a wet path — Dogs are welcome all year round on the Sherborne Park Estate | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

There are miles of walks to enjoy with your dog across the Sherborne Park Estate, whatever the weather. However, there are some areas where dogs are restricted and where we ask you to be mindful of wildlife and grazing animals. Read on to find out where you can explore with your four-legged friend.

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.

Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate 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, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Lodge Park and Sherborne Park Estate?

Dogs are welcome on outdoor walks around the wider estate, with several way-marked trails to follow of different lengths. Sherborne is a working estate, so please stay on the paths and keep your dog on leads under close control to avoid harm to wildlife or grazing animals.

Assistance dogs only are welcome into the building of Lodge Park.

What facilities are available for dogs?

Dog poo bins are located near the car parks and along the roads at the Sherborne Park Estate. There are no dog poo bins at Lodge Park, so please clear up after your dog and take it away with you.

What do I need to be aware of?

The Sherborne Park Estate is a working estate with livestock grazing throughout. Please keep your dog on a short lead around livestock and under close control.

The land around Lodge Park is only accessible during open days and is grazed by livestock throughout the year. Assitance dogs only are welcome in the building, but all dogs are welcome in the landscape as long as they're on leads.

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