Visiting with your dog

Where can my dog go?

Due to its layout, and the historic value of the building, only assistance dogs are allowed inside the Great Tower.  

Dogs on leads are welcome to accompany you around the castle grounds and on our wider site. Our wider site (the ‘meadow’) is next to our car park. It is bordered to the east by the river Bain, to the south by our boundary with Tattersall Lakes Country Park, and to the north by the Horncastle Canal.

What do I need to be aware of?

It’s worth checking if there are any events on the day of your visit as this is likely to mean the site will be extra busy. In the autumn bird scarers in neighbouring fields can sometimes be heard and have been known to unsettle some dogs.  The Castle is very close to RAF Coningsby, a training station for Typhoon pilots, and the noise from the jets (mainly on weekdays) can be very loud.

Facilities for my dog

If your dog is getting thirsty, a water bowl is located at the entrance to our visitor reception building. 

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with the following Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone enjoys their visit to the Castle:

• Keep them close: use a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and waterfowl.
• Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the bags home with you.
• Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking.
• 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.

In addition, our definition of close or effective control is: ​

• Being able to recall your dog at the first call (in any situation)
• Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into undergrowth). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible