Visiting Sidmouth countryside 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 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’s member’s handbook.

Sidmouth countryside is a one 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 spaces. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go in Sidmouth countryside?

Dogs kept under close control are allowed on all the walks around Sidmouth countryside.

What do I need to be aware of?

Sidmouth and the surrounding area is home to lots of wildlife and livestock, so we ask owners to keep their dogs under close control and follow any guidance about putting dogs on leads.

There is a dog waste bin opposite the visitor welcome sign in Salcombe Hill car park.

Please look out for seasonal signs advising you where livestock is present.

Canine Code

To make sure that everyone has an enjoyable day, please follow our Canine Code:

• Take the lead: help reduce the chance of your dog disturbing ground nesting birds and livestock by keeping them on a short lead. Remember, if you’re approached by cattle, the safest thing to do is let your dog go and call them back when safe to do so
• Scoop that poop: bag it and take it home with you to keep your favourite places beautiful
• Paws for thought: look out for information signs (and take extra care on cliff paths)
• Are you in the right area? Sometimes we might ask you to walk somewhere else to help us protect you, the places we look after and the wildlife that lives there. Keep an eye out for signs and be extra careful on coastal and clifftop paths.
• Be on the ball: not everyone loves dogs, so keep them close by

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is:

• Being able to recall your dogs in any situations 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 practise, 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, our if you are asked to use one