Visiting Plas Newydd with your dog

A close up of a panting dog sat down and being stroked by its owners, taken in the garden at Hanbury Hall and Gardens, Worcestershire — Dog with family at side | © National Trust Images/John Millar

Tails will be wagging with excitement as we welcome more dogs than ever to the garden and grounds of Plas Newydd, Anglesey. Take a walk alongside the Menai Strait with your four-legged friend or wander into the garden and woodland to enjoy some fresh air. On a clear day, you’ll be able to see the mountain range of Snowdonia across the waters of the Strait.

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.

Plas Newydd 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.

What is accessible for dogs at Plas Newydd?

Plas Newydd pooches are free to visit almost all areas of our gardens and grounds. These areas include outside the mansion, the Rhododendron Garden and the Camellia Dell. Go further afield to the Coronation Meadow and the Arboretum through to Church Wood.

What do I need to be aware of at Plas Newydd?

Please keep your dog on a short lead. If you have an extendable lead, please keep it short during your visit.

Where can't I take my dog?

Only assistance dogs are able to enter the house. The Terraced Garden is also not accessible to dogs. Due to the precise planting in this area, it is kept as a paw-free zone.

A visitor and their dog walk on a path in the distance between some woodland and a fenced field at Plas Newydd, Anglesey, North Wales — Dog walking around Plas Newydd | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

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

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 — You can both enjoy a treat! | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Refreshments for you and your dog

The Old Dairy Café located up by the Visitor Centre is dog-friendly, so you don’t have to sit out in the rain. There are designated dog tables for your four legged friends in the cafe. Dogs are also welcome in the shop.

Dog water bowls are available outside the Visitor Centre, Old Dairy Café and Sunroom Kiosk.

Dog bins

Please clean up after your dog and dispose of any 'waste' in the red dog bins provided. Bins are located at the Visitor Centre, the entrance to Church Wood and just behind the fuchsias opposite the Terrace Garden.

A map showing the locations of the bins can be found here. This can be downloaded to your phone or tablet.