Visiting Longshaw with your dog

A young boy and girl with their mother and the family dog on an outing in and around the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District, at a high view-point looking across open country. — A young boy and girl with their mother and the family dog on the Longshaw Estate in the Peak District | © National Trust Images/Joe Cornish

Dogs are welcome at Longshaw all year round and there are plenty of places to walk with your four-legged friend while you are here. To help all our visitors have an enjoyable time here, to protect wildlife and nature please keep your dog on a short lead, clean up after them and follow the guidance below.

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.

Longshaw is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to walk on a lead in the open spaces. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog and what facilities are available.

Where can my dog go at Longshaw?

Dogs on leads are welcome in all our outdoor spaces and in the outdoor seating areas of our café all year round. There is covered outdoor seating available at the café for those rainy dog walks, or for a bit of shade on sunnier days.

There are plenty of wonderful places to walk with your dog on the Longshaw Estate, with numerous family trails to explore, woodland walks and wide-open countryside to explore across the moors.

Take the Lead

Please take notice of the signs around the countryside and keep your dog on a short lead. Ground nesting birds are often hiding just off the footpaths and are easily spooked. Livestock and deer can also be grazing in some areas in and around Longshaw.

Where can’t my dog go?

Assistance dogs only are allowed in the Longshaw café, and all National Trust toilets.

Well behaved dogs are normally allowed in the kitchen garden. Please make sure they're not disturbing the beds as this produce is used in the café. On days where there is a lot of staff and volunteer activity in the garden, your dog may be asked to wait outside while you explore the space.

What facilities are available for dogs?

There are water bowls around the welcome hub and café at Longshaw.

You'll also find a range of dog friendly treats including ice-cream available from the café and Welcome Building.

There are waste bins which accept dog waste around the main welcome hub at Longshaw.

What do I need to be aware of?

The Longshaw Estate and the surrounding area is set in beautiful countryside in the Peak District National Park, where farm animals and deer graze. The whole area is important for other wildlife such as birds, reptiles, and insects too, as well as for nature conservation generally. We ask visitors to keep dogs on short leads to protect livestock, wildlife, and the dogs themselves.

However, if you are around livestock and there is an issue of personal safety please drop the lead. The Welcome Team can give you more advice on this on the day of your visit.

During ground-nesting bird season, from March to August, it is particularly important to keep your dog on a short lead when visiting Longshaw, Burbage and the Eastern Moors.

You are also advised not to leave your pet in the car as temperatures can quickly rise on sunny days.

Please speak to our welcome team for more information.

Close-up view of a brown and white dog, held on a lead, with fallen leaves on the ground, at Clent Hills, Worcestershire — A dog enjoying a woodland walk | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

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.