Visiting Dolaucothi with your dog

Visitors walking through the sheltered valley at Lockeridge Dene and Piggledene, near Marlborough, Wiltshire — Go exploring with your dog at Dolaucothi, Wales | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Your whole visit at Dolaucothi is a dog-friendly one; from tours of the Roman mine to the miles of footpaths to explore across the estate, there are some fantastic locations for you and your dog to discover.

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.

Dolaucothi 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 at Dolaucothi?

Dogs are welcome everywhere at Dolaucothi, from the Roman mine to the wider estate. For their safety, dogs are not permitted on the Mining Through The Ages or Level Tour into dark Victorian mines.

Visitors walking their dogs in the garden at Sizergh, Cumbria — Dogs are welcome at Dolaucothi | © National Trust Images/John Millar

If you’ve pre-booked your visit to take part in a tour of the Roman mine, you’re welcome to bring your dog with you. We ask that all dogs taken on the tour and exploring the mine yard are kept on short leads. The tour itself is up steps, over uneven ground and through woodlands.

For their safety, dogs are not permitted on the Mining Through The Ages or Level Tour into dark Victorian mines.

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

We have water available at the mine yard for the dogs and there are shaded areas that they can rest. The dog poo bin can be found in the main car park as you arrive on site, a short walk from the mine yard itself.

There is a dog poo bin in the woodland car park if you’re setting off for a walk around the estate. There are shaded areas within the car park if you’re stopping for a picnic.

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