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Visiting Wray parkland and castle with your dog

A dog on lead is sitting on the grass beside its owners
Visit Wray with your dog | © Catriona Corrigan

With plenty of woodland and lakeshore paths, the Wray estate is the perfect place to step out with your dog. Find out where you can go with your pup, and take a look at some dog-friendly walking routes.

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.

Wray is a three pawprint rated place.

These places have water bowls, dog bins and dog-friendly walks. You’ll be able to take your dog into all areas including the food and beverage outlet and have a cup of tea with them inside and outside. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can I take my dog?

We love dogs at Wray and they are welcome on a lead on the wider estate and also in the gound floor rooms of the castle. The lakeshore path between Wray and Claife Viewing Station is a safe, car-free walk with lots of opportunities for pooches to paddle.

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
Visitors walking in the grounds at Wray Castle, Cumbria

Discover more at Wray

Find out when Wray is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.

Our partners

Forthglade

We've partnered with natural pet food maker Forthglade so that you and your dog can get even more out of the special places we care for.

Visit website 

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