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Visiting Greys Court with your dog

Visitors walking in the parkland with their dog at Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
Visit Greys Court with your dog | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Greys Court is an ideal place to stretch your legs with your dog. Find out where you can walk your dog and how to help everyone have an enjoyable visit. We have dog-friendly indoor seating available in the tearoom and your four-legged friends are welcome in the shop.

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.

Greys Court has a pawprint rating of two, which means dogs are welcome. We have water bowls, dog bins and dog-friendly walks. You’ll be able to take your dog into some areas, but not everywhere. You can have a cup of tea with your four-legged friend inside and outside of the tearoom, and dogs are welcome in the shop. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Pooch Passport at Greys Court

Pick up your free Pooch Passport at participating properties, including Greys Court, and explore some of our top rated places for days out with dogs. Visit six different participating places between 1 September 2023 and 29 February 2024 to collect your free treat. Click here for terms and conditions.

Where can my dog go at Greys Court?

Dogs are welcome on a lead on the estate walks and across much of the site at Greys Court. Greys Court is a working farm with livestock often in the fields, so dogs must remain on a lead at all times. This is to make sure they don’t chase other animals and allows other visitors with more reactive dogs or those less confident around dogs feel comfortable walking in the parkland at Greys Court.

The Cowshed tea-room has outdoor seating with water bowls. There is also indoor seating available for visitors with dogs. To access please use the door on the right side and look for the markings on the floor for guidance. We suggest you have at least two people in your group so one of you can take a seat with the dog, while the other orders your food and drink at the servery.

Your dogs are welcome in the shop where there are Forthglade treats and dog walking essentials available to purchase.

Assistance dogs are welcome in the house and the walled garden.

Where can't my dog go at Greys Court?

Only assistance dogs are allowed into the house, the servery area of the tearoom, children's play area, and in the walled garden.

Facilities available for my dog

The dog waste bin is located by Visitor Reception. Please bear this in mind when planning your walks.

You'll find water available in a dog bowl at Visitor Reception and outside the Cowshed tearoom.

Dog friendly picnic spots

You’re welcome to bring your canine companion to any outdoor picnic table on the estate, including the picnic tables by visitor reception and the carpark. The top lawn is a lovely picnic spot when visiting Greys Court with your dog, and it has benches available.

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 in the garden at Greys Court, Oxfordshire

Discover more at Greys Court

Find out when Greys Court 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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