Visiting Kinver Edge 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.

Kinver Edge 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 at Kinver Edge?

Dogs are welcome at Kinver Edge. There are many miles of open walking country and free access all year round. There are three waymarked trails you can follow, taking in the features from hillfort to woodland, rock houses and open heath.

Dogs on leads are welcome into the gardens at the rock houses. There is plenty of seating outside the tea-room where you can take a break with your dog.

Where can't my dog go?

Dogs, apart from assistance dogs, are not allowed inside the tea-room or the rock houses. There are tether points nearby so you can pop inside.

What facilities are available for my dog?

There are water bowls outside the Rock Houses tea-room and dog waste bins in the countryside car parks.

What do I need to be aware of at Kinver Edge?

Whilst on many of the paths your dog can explore off lead, there are times of the year and certain areas of sensitive habitat where dogs need to be under close control or kept on a lead.

Every year, from March to July, the amazing wildlife that call Kinver Edge home begin to breed. It’s vitally important that you keep your dog on a lead during this period. You'll come across signs that tell you where you need to take the lead when you're out walking.

Longhorn cattle graze the heathland from May to September. They are generally docile animals but please keep dogs under close control if you come across the cows on your walk.

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