Visiting Heddon Valley with your dog

A dog holding a stick with owner in the background — Dogs walking in the Heddon Valley | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

The Heddon Valley is a three pawprint rated place, meaning dogs are welcome in most places, including our take-away café, The Pantry and the Hunter's Inn beer garden. We ask that dog be kept on leads throughout the year, to help protect wildlife that call the valley home.

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.

Heddon Valley 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 at Heddon Valley

Dogs are welcome to splash in the river and sea, but we may ask that they are kept on leads at certain times to protect the wildlife in the valley.

What facilities are available for dogs?

On your visit to Heddon Valley you will find water bowls outside the take-away cafe and visitor hub. Bins are located along the walk down to Heddon Mouth. Make sure to stop by the Pantry during the warmer months to pick up a doggy ice-cream for your furry friend.

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