Visiting Tredegar House with your dog

Child walking their dog in autumn at Tredegar House, Newport, Wales | © ©National Trust Images/Aled Llywelyn

We've always loved dogs at Tredegar House, from Lord Tredegar's beloved Skye terrier, Peeps, to our four-legged members of the team. There’s always a warm welcome for your dog and you, and we’re working hard to find different ways to welcome dogs here on site at Tredegar.

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.

Tredegar House is a three pawprint rated place.

Three pawprints shows the very best places you can visit for a day with your dog. You’ll be able to take your dog to most areas, including indoors for a cup of tea and a treat. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at Tredegar House?

Dogs have lived here as part of the Morgan family for many years - you're sure to spot a wagging tail in most of the later family photos.

From 1 July, for your dog's safety and for everyone's enjoyment of Tredegar House, we're asking for dogs to be kept on a short lead until you reach the 20 acre off-lead area in the parkland where you can continue to enjoy the fantastic open space that we have to offer.

The car park and shared vehicle and pedestrian areas on site are very busy. For your dog's safety, keep them on a short lead in these areas, including the grassed and gravelled overflow car parks.

Look out for signs in the parkland showing where the 20 acre off-lead area is.

In the off-lead area, please be considerate of other park users. Do not allow your dog to jump up on people or other dogs and keep them away from wildlife. We ask that dogs are well behaved and that they must have good recall if off lead.

As has always been the case, dogs are required to be on a short lead in the formal gardens, and only assistance dogs are permitted in the mansion house and play area.

You'll find dog-friendly tables indoors in the Brewhouse Cafe. Please keep dogs off the tables and serving counter. Dogs must be kept on a short lead in the Brewhouse Cafe and in the courtyard.

Dog bowls and water are available outside the Brewhouse Cafe, Visitor Welcome, and the Second-hand Bookshop.

Visitors walking their dogs in the garden at Sizergh, Cumbria — We love seeing happy dogs at Tredegar | © National Trust Images/John Millar

Help us stay dog-friendly at Tredegar House

We love dogs, but it's always good to remember that not everybody does. Please follow our canine code and help us stay dog-friendly whilst considering all our visitors’ needs.

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.

Drawing of a map of Tredegar parland with orange shaded area showing off-lead area for dogs — Map showing the 20 acre off-lead area in the parkland | © National Trust

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 with two Jack Russell dogs at Flatford, Suffolk — Help everyone enjoy their visit to Tredegar House | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Professional dog walkers at Tredegar House

If you're walking dogs professionally, you must have valid public liability insurance and one of our free dog-walking permits. Email tredegar@nationaltrust.org.uk for more information.