Visiting Cliveden with your dog

Visitors exploring the estate trails in winter at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire. | © ©National Trust / Megan Taylor

With 375 acres of woodlands, riverbank and formal garden to be sniffed and explored, Cliveden offers a varied selection of dog-friendly walking trails.

Visiting with your dog over the festive period

From Thursday 20 November, Cliveden will extend its opening hours to offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy the estate’s festive atmosphere for a little longer.

Take a winter stroll through the gardens, admire the twinkling lights, and soak up the seasonal charm, with last entry at 5.30pm and the estate closing at 6pm every Thursday and Friday until 19 December.

Wrap up warmly and make the most of the enchanting evenings at Cliveden this Christmas. Please stick to the lit paths, remember to wrap up warm and bring a torch. For late nights ONLY, we will allow visitors with dogs to access all of the lit up areas. Please keep them on a short lead and be mindful of others as you explore the twinkling areas.

Dog walk at Cliveden with Clare Balding

Broadcaster and author Clare Balding invites you and your beloved dog to join her for a winter walk with the National Trust.

You can take part in this rare opportunity to walk and talk with Clare on Friday 16 January, and find out all about her life in broadcasting and her Sunday Times bestselling debut novel Pastures New. 

Tickets for the group dog walk with Clare are £45.00 per dog (and their human). As well as the walk and Q&A, this will include a signed and dedicated copy of the book, a hot drink and a snack, and natural dog treats from our partner, Forthglade.

Give the dog lover in your life a Christmas gift to remember. All proceeds from the event goes directly to Cliveden, to continue their conversation work. 

Book tickets

Pooch Passport

If you’re planning a visit with your dog or dogs, why not pick up a Pooch Passport on your next walk? Collect stamps from Cliveden and participating places on your days out and each full passport gains a special treat from our partners at Forthglade. Find out more about the Pooch Passport scheme and discover dog-friendly places to explore together.

The Pooch Passport runs from 1 September 2025 - 28 February 2026. If you're visiting places in England and Wales, once you’ve collected six stamps, your dog(s) can get a free packet of natural dog treats. When you collect twelve stamps from your visits together, they can get a free loyal explorer dog tag.

Assistance dogs and facilities available

Assistance dogs are welcome across the whole site.

Dogs are welcome outside the Conservatory Café in the outdoor seating areas, however only Assistance Dogs are allowed inside the café. We have listened to visitor feedback and we now have a new indoor seating area that is dog friendly. This is located at the Woodland Lounge which is on Green Drive in the Woodlands (directional signage is in place). Open Daily.

There are several dog poo bins installed across the Cliveden estate, including near the Walled Garden car park, overflow car park, by the river and near the Woodland Lounge. Please see the map for further details.

We also provide bowls for thirsty dogs to drink from at the refreshment kiosk outside the Conservatory Café, and in the Woodland car park. We have lots of doggy treats available at the Cliveden shop so be sure to stop by and pamper your pooch.

Our canine code

To help us ensure Cliveden can be enjoyed by all visitors and canine friends alike, please make sure that you:

Ensure that your four-legged friend doesn’t run up to other people – especially children
Take your dog waste home where possible or use one our bins marked on the map
Always carry a lead and ensure your dog is wearing a collar and identity tag
Keep an eye out for signs to guide you
Ensure your dog is on a lead inside the shop
Check your dog for ticks after a visit to Cliveden

Please also ensure that you don’t:

Leave your dog unattended or out of sight
Allow your dog to chase any wildlife
Take pictures of your dog among the flowers (no matter how adorable)
Bring more than four dogs along at a time – professional dog walking is not permitted.

What do I need to be aware of at Cliveden?

If you lose your dog on the estate please let a member of the Cliveden team know and we will do what we can to help reunite you.

Access for dogs at individual events may vary, so please check each event listing carefully and call or email us if you have any questions.

Dog at the Woodlands in February at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire | © Mary Balfour

Where can my dog go?

Please do not bring more than four dogs with you to Cliveden. Download or print the handy Cliveden dog walking guide to see a map of the areas you can go with your pooch. We ask you to observe the traffic light system in place.

Green zones (dogs allowed off leads)

Dogs are welcome off lead in the woodlands, provided they are under close control.

Amber zones (dogs allowed on short leads)

In the formal garden and in the areas of the estate north of the Main Drive and Spring Drive, dogs are welcome provided they are on short leads. This area includes the refreshment kiosk in the Walled Garden car park, which is dog friendly. Dogs on leads are also very welcome in the Cliveden shop.

Red zones (assistance dogs only)

Excluding assistance dogs, we ask that dogs are not brought into the water garden (including the Storybook Play Den), onto the parterre lawn, into the Conservatory Café or the chapel, or on guided tours of Cliveden House.

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

Take care around water

Please note that there are open bodies of water at Cliveden. We ask that you do not let your dog enter any of the ponds and fountains across the estate. If you allow your dog to swim in the river, please be aware of possible strong currents.