Visiting Hatchlands Park with your dog

Visitors walking in bluebell woodland at Hatchlands Park, Surrey — Visitors walking in bluebell woodland at Hatchlands Park | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

At over 400 acres, the majority of which is dog-friendly, Hatchlands Park is an ideal venue to walk your four-legged friends. Encounter wagging tails on woodland trails and padding paws in wide open parkland.

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.

Hatchlands is a two pawprint rated place.

These places have water bowls, dog bins and dog-friendly walks. You’ll be able to take your dog into some areas, but not everywhere. If there’s a food and beverage outlet, you can have a cup of tea with them, probably outside. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go?

Dogs are welcome, under close control, in designated parkland areas including along all park walks. Dogs are also welcome outdoors in the courtyard and on-leads indoors in the cafés.

Livestock graze the parkland all year round. Different herds of both sheep and cattle can be found in differing areas of the park at different times of the year.

Please note

To stay informed about where livestock are grazing, please look out for the information signs at each field gate. It's essential that all dogs are kept on leads in fields containing livestock.

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

People and dogs at a table in the Coach House cafe at Hatchlands Park, Surrey — Two- and four-legged visitors in the Coach House cafe at Hatchlands Park, Surrey | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Where can’t my dog go?

Assistance dogs only are welcome the house, the more formal gardens close to the house and the children's natural adventure area. Please do not tie dogs up and leave them unattended outside these areas.

What do I need to be aware of at Hatchlands Park?

Please keep to designated dog areas indicated by the way-markers
Access to the parkland for dog walking is restricted to property opening times
Please only allow well-controlled dogs off their leads
Please do not allow your dog to worry the donkeys or livestock
It's essential that all dogs are kept on leads in fields containing livestock
Please be aware that sheep will be contained by electrified stock fencing
Should cattle start to approach you, we recommend you let your dog off the lead
Where there are calves, cattle may be very protective
Please always pick up after your dog – under no circumstances discard poop-scoop bags in the park

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.

Facilities available for my dog

You'll find water bowls dotted around the courtyard for refreshment on a hot day and there's indoor seating for pups and their humans in the Coach House Café.

Poop-scoop bags are available to pick up at reception, just ask for one. There is a poop-scoop bin close to reception and another just outside the cobbled courtyard.

Dog-friendly walks

The Long Walk

See the whole of Hatchlands in one walk. A circular walk follows the edge of the park through woodland and open parkland with distant views of the house and the wider Surrey countryside. Follow the pink arrows on waymarker posts.

The Wix Woods Walk

A circular walk cuts across the centre of the estate through woodland and open parkland, passing the children's adventure area and the cobbled courtyard. Follow the purple arrows on waymarker posts.

Download the Hatchlands Park guide for dog owners (PDF) for a full list of doggy dos and don’ts as well as a map of where they can and can't go, to ensure a happy and safe trip through the park.