Visiting Florence Court with your dog

Our pawprint rating system 

The National Trust has a pawprint rating system to help you understand how dog friendly our properties are. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Florence Court is a two pawprint rated place. This means you will be able to take your dog into most areas, but not everywhere.

Where can I take my dog at Florence Court?

Dogs on leads are welcome on the estate, in the garden and in the main visitor courtyard area at Florence Court. Only guide dogs are permitted inside the house.

Pull on your walking boots and stride out on an adventure with your pooch, soak in the elevated views stretching across Fermanagh and beyond, or wander through the historic woodland on the estate. 

There are two great walks around the estate that are ideal to explore with your dog all year round. These take between one and three hours to complete. For more information, speak to a member of the visitor welcome team.

What facilities are available for dogs?

Drinking bowls for your dog are located at the visitor centre and in the stableyard area near the tea-room, there are bins in the car parks for dog waste.

Get your pooch passport

Dog owners are invited to pick up a free Pooch Passport for their pet this autumn at Florence Court.  

Each passport will contain space to receive a stamp from participating National Trust places, and with four stamps owners will receive treats from Forthglade’s National Trust natural pet food range. With eight stamps owners will be able to collect an exclusive National Trust dog snood.

You can pick up your pooch passport from the Visitor Centre, or the property office on days when the Visitor Centre is closed. 

Does my dog need to be kept on a lead?

Yes. Dogs are required to be on short leads in the walled garden and around farm animals in Florence Court's wider estate.  We understand that in a vast open space like this you may want to let your dog off lead but we ask that they are kept on a lead and under effective control during their visit.

Please speak to the visitor welcome team if you require any more information.

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