Visiting Ham House and Garden with your dog

A small dog on a lead on the grass — Come for a walk, at Ham House and Garden | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Your four-legged friends are welcome at Ham House and Garden all year round. Find out all you need to know about visiting with your dog.

Enjoy a stroll around the historic formal garden or explore Richmond's riverside trails, parks and woodland close by.

Then afterwards, why not stop off at the Orangery Café for a tasty treat or revitalising meal and enjoy some local produce with your favourite canine friends?

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.

Ham House and Garden is a two pawprint rated place.

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?

Well-behaved dogs are very welcome in all outside areas, inside the gift shop, and on the left-hand side of the Orangery Café. Only assistance dogs are welcome in the house itself.

To keep the lawns perfect for picnics and playing, please keep to the gravel paths where possible.

Please keep all dogs on a short lead.

Where can’t my dog go?

Dogs are not allowed in Petersham meadow on the wider estate during the summer months when the cows are grazing.

A small dog on a lead with autumn leaves on the ground at Croome, Worcestershire — Please keep your dog on the lead | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

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

Facilities for my dog

Dog waste bins are available on site. Short leads and spare dog waste bags are available at visitor reception. Ask the visitor reception team for doggy treats.

Tie-up points are available outside the toilets and shop while you pop in, but we ask that dogs are not unattended for more than a moment. If you wish to visit the house, ask a friend to stay with your dog. Staff and volunteers will not be able to keep an eye on your four-legged friend.

Local walks

We hope that you enjoy your walk around Ham House and Garden. Why not take advantage of some of the other beautiful walks in the local area before or after your teas and coffees?

Ask at visitor reception for a map of walks in the local area.

We very much look forward to welcoming you and your canine friends to Ham House and Garden soon.

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.