Visiting Fell Foot 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.

Fell Foot 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 I take my dog?

Dogs are very welcome in every part of the park, apart from the children’s play area. With lakeshore strolls, a splash in the water and a whole meadow to explore there's plenty of space to roam. It’s a great place to walk the dog with chance to relax in the Boathouse café with a hot drink, lite bite or cake afterwards. On those hot sunny days, you can cool down with an icecream from the parlour. We also have special dog icecream.

Please remember to keep your dog on a lead in the parkland, along the lakeshore paths and in the café. If you'd like to walk your dog off-lead, you can do so in the south meadow provided cattle are not grazing there.

Are dogs allowed in the lake?

Yes, dogs are allowed in the water off-lead, but please keep a close eye on them during busy periods, such as in the summer. Remember to look out for blue-green algae, which often blooms in Windermere and can be potentially fatal to dogs. More information can be found on the Lake District National Park's website

When water levels are particularly high, the lakeshore path can flood, concealing hidden drops and creating dangerous undercurrents, so please stay away from the water’s edge at these times.

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