Visiting Cliveden with your dog

A Cavapoo in the woodlands with snowdrops in spring at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire. | © Kirsty Laurenson-Gore

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

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.

Cliveden 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?

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.

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

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.

Small dog in the Woodlands at Cliveden in a bed of daffodils. — Small dog in the Woodlands at Cliveden, Buckinghamshire | © ©National Trust Kirsty Laurenson-Gore

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.

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.

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.

Facilities available for my dog

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.