Visiting Sheffield Park with your dog

Visitors walking their dogs in Walk Wood at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex — There's plenty of space for you and your dog to stretch your legs | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

We love dogs at Sheffield Park and they are welcome in the garden (except Saturday mornings before 1pm), on the parkland, in Walk Wood, the shop and the Garden Room at the Coach House Café. There's more information below, including facilities for your dog and our Canine Code. Assistance dogs are welcome across Sheffield Park.

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.

Sheffield Park 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 keep dogs on leads

We kindly ask that you keep dogs on leads everywhere except for East Park. This includes the rest of the parkland due to grazing livestock.

Dogs are welcome in the garden on a short lead apart from Saturday mornings before 1pm.
Fixed leads only in the garden. Reception will be able to provide one for your visit.
Dogs are welcome on the parkland at any time. We kindly ask that you keep your dog on a lead, apart from in East Park.
Dogs are welcome in the Garden Room in the Coach House Café.
Assistance dogs are welcome at all times across the property.

A stroll in the woods

A quietly tucked away corner of the estate, open from early spring to October (weather dependent), Walk Wood is the ideal place to take the dogs for a stroll while getting away from it all.

Keep an eye out for sculptures created by local Sussex artist Keith Pettit to celebrate the opening of Walk Wood after a 15-year restoration plan.

A wander on the parkland

For a real stretch of the legs head out for a walk on the parkland. Choose to range free or follow the estate walk trail. The parkland is open from dawn until dusk and there is free entry for both National Trust members and non-members. Car parking is also free.

Head to East Park for off-lead walkies

For the more energetic doggie then East Park is the place for a walk off the lead. To reach it, turn left out of the car park and head down the Estate Road with the parkland on your right.

Once you are through the large gates by the weir feel free to let your dog off the lead. Maps are also available from reception.

Visitors and their dogs on leads at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex — Visitors and their dogs at Sheffield Park and Garden | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

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.

Where can't my dog go?

Assistance dogs only in the Coach House, other than the Garden Room, which can be accessed via the back of the building.

From January 2023, we will have dog-free time in the garden on Saturday mornings.

Dog free Saturday mornings

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

Facilities available for my dog

There are water bowls by visitor reception and outside the Coach House Café. If you need to pop in to grab a takeaway, we do have tie up points by all doors.

There are six dog bins on site. They can be found near the toilets, by the Shant, outside the Coach House and in three locations along the Estate Road by the Parkland.

Please see our map for details.

Doggy ice cream treats are available from the Coach House Café when open.