Visiting Hughenden with your dog

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.

Hughenden 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 I take my dog?

Your dog can join you for a walk around the formal gardens, a picnic in the orchard, in the parkland and at the Stableyard Café for a treat. The only place where dogs aren’t allowed is inside the house itself.

There are four waymarked walks at Hughenden, ranging from a one-mile stroll to a four-mile hike through the beautiful beech woodlands that surround the estate. Visit the welcome kiosk when you arrive to find out more about the routes, and to pick up a doggy treat.

As a charity, we rely on donations and entry fees to care for Hughenden’s manor, garden and countryside, so please do purchase a ticket or scan your National Trust membership card when you arrive. This will enable us to continue to care for this special place for many years to come.

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

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.

Doggy guidelines

Hughenden welcomes thousands of visitors with their dogs each year and to ensure everyone can enjoy the estate, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Please keep dogs on a short lead at all times
• Please do not leave your dog unattended at any time during your visit
• While dogs are not allowed inside the house (excluding assistance dogs) they are very welcome in the stableyard area and the café. Water bowls are provided here and at the visitor welcome kiosk
• We do not have the resources to dispose of dog waste so please pick up after your dog and take your waste away with you
• Not everyone is comfortable with dogs so please keep them under control, particularly where small children are playing
• Dogs are welcome to be off-lead around the woodland and parkland. Please return them to a lead when walking in areas with cattle and sheep
• Please do not allow your dog to chase wildlife, and pay particular attention when your dog is on an extendable lead
• There is no shade or cover in the car park, so please do not leave your dog in the car, even with a window down.