Visiting Ightham Mote 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 members’ handbook.

Ightham Mote 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 open spaces, depending on the season. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

Between September and February dogs are welcome on short leads in the garden but we ask that they are kept away from the play area. Outside these months, assistance dogs only are welcome in the garden.

Throughout the year it’s assistance dogs only in the indoor spaces, including the house, shop and indoor catering. However, the extensive woodland and estate is a great place to enjoy a stroll and a breath of fresh air, and with miles of paths to explore your four-legged friend won't get bored.

Ask for more information and a map showing you where you can go at visitor reception.

Eating with your furry friend

After a good walk you and your dog might need a drink. There's outdoor seating on the patio of the Mote Café, where you will find dog water bowls, as well as treats for your dog. There are also water bowls outside visitor reception and on the patio of the Mote Café.

What do I need to be aware of at Ightham Mote?

The estate is home to lots of wildlife, and livestock. We ask you to keep your dogs under control at all times and on a lead in the car park and near animals and other people.

Clearing up

In order to protect other visitors, dogs and the wildlife here, please clear up after your dog. You will find dog waste bins at the entrances to the estate from the car park. Please make use of these bins or bag your dog's waste and take it home with you.

We've always got a few spare dog waste bags at visitor reception, so if you find you've forgotten them, pop over and we'll be happy to give you a few to keep the estate clean and safe for others to enjoy.

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