Visiting Attingham with your dog

Dog walking in off-lead area, at Attingham Park. — Dog walking in autumn | © ©National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

Dogs lived alongside the Berwick family who left the Attingham Estate to the National Trust. Continuing the tradition, thousands of the half a million people who visit Attingham every year bring their four-legged friends to enjoy walking in the outdoors. Here are some top tips for you and your dog to make the most of your visit.

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 pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust members’ handbook.

Attingham Park is a three pawprint rated place.

Three pawprints shows the very best places you can visit for a day with your dog. There are clearly signed dog zones and dog-friendly experiences. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

Dogs are welcome to explore the grounds at Attingham, but please keep your dog on a lead in all of the outdoor spaces, other than in the designated off-lead area.

The paddock in the middle of the Mile Walk has re-opened as a walking and dog off-lead area during the winter months, by kind permission of the tenant farmer.

Look out for signs that indicate a ‘short-lead area’ – these are places that can get very busy and we ask that you keep your four-legged friend close by in those areas for the safety and enjoyment of all visitors.

A dog policy leaflet including a map can also be downloaded.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the deer herd

Unfortunately, we have detected bTB in the deer herd at Attingham and are working closely with the Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency and Defra to work up a management plan to eliminate the bTB infection in the herd.

We have been advised it is safe to continue to allow visitors, staff, volunteers and their dogs to visit the Deer Park. As always, dogs need to be on a lead when in the Deer Park.

Find out more about our work to eliminate the bTB infection in Attingham Park's deer herd

Where can't my dog go?

Only assistance dogs are allowed in the indoor spaces including the mansion, shop and café.

You can pick up a 'Visiting Attingham with your dog' leaflet from Visitor Reception on arrival. It contains useful information and a handy map, showing waste bins and walking routes.

Facilities for dog walkers

There are 10 dog waste bins located around the site. Please clear up after your dog and use these bins to dispose of the waste. Paw friendly toilets can be found at the Brewhouse near the Mansion, in the Walled Garden and in the Field of Play.

There are '10-minute dog tie-up points' in the Stables Courtyard where you can tie your dog up for a maximum of 10 minutes while you pop into the Carriage House Café, the second-hand bookshop, Stables Shop and toilets. Assistance dogs are welcome inside the café, shop, second-hand bookshop and toilets.

Dogs welcome at Attingham Park, Shropshire | © National Trust Images / Annapurna Mellor

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