Visiting Beningbrough with your dog

Visitors walking their dogs in the garden at Beningbrough Hall and Gardens, North Yorkshire — Visitors walking their dogs in the garden at Beningbrough Hall | © National Trust Images/Paul Harris

Dogs are welcome in most areas at Beningbrough including designated tables at the rear of the restaurant and the shop. Bring your furry friend along on a short lead and explore the gardens or parkland together. Here's how to make the most of your day out together.

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.

Beningbrough is a three pawprint rated place

Three pawprints shows the very best places you can visit for a day with your dog. You’ll be able to take your dog to most areas, including indoors for a cup of tea and a treat. There’ll be clearly signed dog zones and dog-friendly experiences. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

The majority of the formal gardens including the walled garden, the Mediterranean garden, pergola, south lawn, east and west formal gardens, double and south borders.
The shop
The designated tables at the bottom of the restaurant, the restaurant’s outdoor seating area and the brewhouse (when open)
The parkland paths

Please keep your dog on a short lead in the gardens and under close control in the parkland.

Where can’t my dog go?

The wilderness play area
The hall and Victorian laundry
Off the paths in the parkland

Please note this does not affect assistance dogs who can join you on every aspect of your visit.

A spaniel with a hearing dogs harness on walking on a lead next to a human inside a hall — Support dogs are welcome in all visitor areas | © National Trust / Joanne Parker

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

Historic black and white image of a man and woman and dog sat on the lawn in front of a grand doorway — Dogs have been welcomed at Beningbrough for decades | © National Trust Archives

Overhead shot showing countryside, gardens, hall, walled garden and tree lined avenue

Discover more at Beningbrough

Find out when Beningbrough is open, how to get here, things to see and do and more.

Plan your visit

We've partnered with natural pet food maker Forthglade so that you and your dog can get even more out of the special places we care for.

Visit website

View across a gravel garden with a low stone wall and lots of colour and texture from plants and grass

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Things to see in the garden at Beningbrough

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The parkland at Beningbrough

The 380 acres of parkland at Beningbrough offer the chance to stretch your legs and reconnect with nature, as well as being home to wildlife including birds, rare bats and the iridescent tansy beetle. Park for free in the visitor car park before heading out on one of the routes.