Visiting Knightshayes with your dog

A smiling visitor walks a black and white dog at Knightshayes in autumn — Dogs are welcome at Knightshayes | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

All dogs are welcome at Knightshayes – big and small, fluffy and short haired – and their well-behaved owners too. Here you'll find all the information you’ll need before visiting Knightshayes with your dog. We want everyone to have an enjoyable visit, so it’s also important to be aware of other visitors as some people are uncomfortable around even the friendliest dogs.

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.

Knightshayes is a two pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby open spaces, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

Dogs are welcome on short leads throughout the parkland and Impey Walk. We also welcome dogs into our reception, plant centre, shop, cafe and second-hand bookshop. (Normal admission applies, members free).

Between November 2024 and February 2025, dogs are welcome on short leads in the Formal & Woodland Garden too.

Where can't my dog go?

Dogs are not allowed in the house, kitchen garden or Douglas Fir Walk at any time. However, assistance dogs are welcome throughout.

A white dog and a brown dog in the courtyard at Knightshayes — Dogs are welcome at Knightshayes | © National Trust Images/John Millar

What do I need to be aware of?

We want everyone to have a fantastic time when they visit Knightshayes with their canine companions. To make sure we can continue welcoming dogs, we ask that visitors adhere to the Canine Code.

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.

Watch for livestock

Much of the time there's livestock grazing in the fields and at those times please ensure dogs are on a lead. We ask that you take special care during lambing and adhere to signage.

When not in a field with livestock, dogs are permitted off the lead when in an enclosed field or the Impey woods. Otherwise, dogs are to be kept on a lead in the parkland by the house, driveway and stables.

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