Visiting Upton House and Gardens 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 dog(s) arrive. To help with this, we've created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. 

Upton House and Gardens is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs on a lead. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go? 

We welcome well-behaved dogs on a short lead down the driveway, through the Woodland Walk and in the Plant Centre. Dogs are also welcome outside the Pavilion Café.

There are several countryside walks accessible from the main car park. Please note, these routes are not on National Trust Land. Please check on the day you visit what time the main car park will close.

Where can't my dog go? 

All indoor spaces including the main house, Pavion Café and Gift Shop. They are not able to go in any other areas of the garden apart from those listed above. Areas where dogs are not permitted are signposted. 

Facilities available for my dog 

There is a dog poo bin near the Visitor Reception on the path leading to the driveway and on the right hand side of the disabled parking bays to the right of the house. Please ask at Visitor Reception if you can't find it. Otherwise, please take it home with you. 

There are water bowls dotted around to keep your dog(s) hydrated.

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 avoids tripping up other visitors and 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