Visiting Antony with a 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 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.

Antony House and Garden is a one paw rated place.

Only assistance dogs are permitted in the house and garden. We understand some families may bring their dogs with them, but facilites are very limited. They'll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby open spaces. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

Well behaved dogs on a short lead are welcome in some areas of the garden. When visiting the garden, please keep paws to the gravel and stone paths ensuring they are kept on a short-lead at all times. When you arrive, ask a member of the team for a copy of our dogs map which highlights paths you can and can't go.

Within the gardens, only assistance dogs are allowed on the grass and within the Summer Garden. This is to allow us to protect the delicate flowers and hedging in these areas. Assistance dogs are welcome to explore all areas of Antony.

Dogs are welcome to stretch their legs in the car park and the open access areas nearby. A popular dog walking route follows the main driveway (Ferry Lane) down to Jupiter Point with an opportunity for views of the Lynher River on route. There are also many public footpaths near the top of the main drive.

What facilities are there for dogs?

As we are only able to welcome assistance dogs in the house and garden, facilities for dogs are very limited.

There are no dog bins in the garden at Antony, however there are dog bins available on Ferry Lane just outside our car park entrances. Please do not place dog waste into our general waste bins, especially within our toilets.

Please take your dog waste home with you. Alternatively dog bins can be found a short drive away at Thanckes Park, Torpoint or at Wacker Quay.

Dogs in the garden trial at Antony

At Antony, as part of a wider trial in the South West, we're welcoming dogs in the garden on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 22 - 31 October.

We ask that all dogs are kept on a short lead. If you need to swap your lead, our Welcome team have a stock of short fixed leads available to borrow.

In the garden, we ask for paws to remain on the gravel and stone paths. You can collect a map showing the designated routes when you arrive. We appreciate how much families love our lawns to play, so we ask for dogs not to be taken onto any of the grass areas within the garden. The Summer Garden is also a dog-free area to protect the delicate flowers and hedging within this area of the garden.

Assistance and support dogs are welcome in all areas of Antony.

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