Visiting Boarstall Tower with your dog

The exterior of Boarstall Tower in Buckinghamshire, showing a 14th century gatehouse with two turreted towers — Boarstall Tower exteriors | © National Trust Images

Assistance dogs are welcome throughout Boarstall Tower but no other dogs are allowed.

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.

Boarstall Tower is rated assistance dogs only.

This means, unless your dog helps to facilitate your visit, please leave them at home or in another safe place during your visit.

Where can my dog go at Boarstall Tower?

Only assistance dogs are allowed to access the property and grounds at Boarstall Tower. Assistance and support dogs are welcome in all areas. Please help by making sure they're wearing their hi-vis harness at all 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

Nearby National Trust places to walk your dog

While dog walking at Boarstall Tower is restricted, our National Trust neighbours welcome well-behaved dogs.

Stowe Gardens

Nearby in Buckingham, this 250-acre landscape garden welcomes dogs on leads all year round. With lakes, temples, wildflower meadows, and open green spaces, this is the perfect place to take your dog. A three pawprint rated site.

Boarstall Duck Decoy

Just a short drive away from Boarstall Tower, this hidden woodland has a thriving natural habitat for all kinds of wildlife. Open on Sundays and Bank holidays during the summer season. A two pawprint rated site.

Claydon House

Nearby Claydon House welcome dogs throughout the courtyard and on public rights. A one pawprint rated site.

Buckingham Chantry Chapel

A quaint, historic chapel in the middle of Buckingham now home to a second-hand bookshop and community space. A great spot to sit awhile with you four-legged friends. A two pawprint rated site.