Visiting Montacute House with your dog

A black and white dog runs towards the camera off the lead along a grass lawn at Copt Hall Marshes in Essex, the owner can be seen behind in the distance. — Woman walking her dog | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Enjoy seasonal walks with your dog throughout the year at Montacute House, where there are plenty of dog-friendly routes around the garden and parkland. Here are a few top tips to keep in mind during 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 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.

Montacute House 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?

We welcome dogs in the garden, parkland and the courtyard located outside the café.

Where must dogs be on a lead?

If you're exploring the parkland, Ladies' Walk or St Michael's Hill, your dog will need to be kept on a short lead around sheep, and under close control or on a lead around cattle.

When walking around the garden, dogs should be kept on short leads and on the path. In the courtyard outside the café, dogs on leads are welcome.

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

Little dog sat with tongue out looking excited to try the tub of Scoop's Ice Cream for Dogs being held by a girl at Dunster Castle, Somerset — Little dog keeping an eye on an ice cream | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Where can't my dog go?

Only assistance dogs are allowed inside the house, the café and shop. If you are unsure about where you can go with your dog, please ask on arrival.

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.

The East front of Montacute house can be seen in the background with a large grassed area stretching in front of it and a black and white dog with a large stick in its mouth in the foreground. — Dog in the East Front at Montacute | © National Trust Images/Hilary Daniel

What facilities are available for my dog?

You'll find water bowls outside the shop and in the café courtyard. There's a dog bin at the end of West Drive, one at the entrance to the parkland from Back Lane and another just inside the gate at Odcombe Lodge.

Why not follow one of our walking routes next time you visit with your dog?