The UK’s glorious gardens come alive with colour in springtime. And what’s more, they make perfect playgrounds for dog-friendly days out. Here are our top ten gardens to visit with your pooch this spring.
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, nr Penzance, Cornwall
Best for: Art lovers
Amidst this wonderful mix of wide-open spaces, woodland and sub-tropical plants and art installations inspired by nature, you and your hound can wend beneath towering canopies and climb grassy knolls to witness stunning views over Mounts Bay. As well as unique features such as the underground elliptical chamber and camera obscura, there’s also a paw-friendly café serving homemade cake and local produce. It’s a perfect place to visit while on holiday with your dog in Cornwall.
Batsford Arboretum, Gloucestershire
Best for: Towering trees
Pad through carpets of early spring colour and crane your neck to see the towering canopies of Giant Redwoods and Western Red Cedars. In springtime, the snowdrops and daffodils give way to bluebells and wildflowers, and cherry blossom bursts overhead. With 56 acres to explore, Batsford is a brilliant place to get back to nature and marvel at botanical treasures with your hound at your heels. There are wonderful dog-friendly places to stay nearby in Moreton-in-Marsh and throughout the Cotswolds.
Brockhole, Windermere, Cumbria
Best for: Lakeside activities
Stroll along the shores of Lake Windermere and join in an array of dog-friendly and family-friendly activities immersed in nature. Originally built as a holiday home for a wealthy silk merchant, a stroll through Brockhole’s shoreside meadows blooming with snowdrops and bluebells will reward you with spectacular views of the lakes and fells. Step out and explore the surrounding AONB, fuel up in the dog-friendly cafés, or join in a plethora of activities including paddleboarding and boat trips. Windermere is a wonderful dog-friendly holiday destination in the heart of the Lake District.
Castle Drogo, Dartmoor
Best for: Rhododendrons off the beaten track
Set foot off the beaten track in Dartmoor, and discover a vast woodland garden ablaze with rhododendrons in springtime. The highest garden looked after by the National Trust, it’s worth seeking out these castle grounds for a doggy day out in a green oasis littered with hardy specimens designed to survive the altitude. There are cottages nearby in Chagford and some wonderful dog-friendly retreats across Devon, for day trips to this beautiful garden.
Trelissick, Nr Truro, Cornwall
Best for: Dog walks
While dogs aren’t permitted into the formal gardens at Trelissick, its miles of woodland trails make it the perfect destination for the wellie brigades and wild spring walks with your hound. Scamper down the steep-sided valley, from waterside meadows to a crescent of beach, and along shady paths skirting the River Fal. Once you’ve looped through woodland and back to the start, a well-earned treat for dogs and their owners awaits at the café in Crofter’s Courtyard. Stay nearby in Feock, Falmouth or other dog-friendly places to stay on the Cornish coast.
Cae Hir Garden, Lampeter, Ceredigion
Best for: Cream tea and wildflowers
A private garden that’s become famous for blending the wild and cultivated, Cae Hir’s six acres is a botanical paradise in the foothills of the Cambrian Mountains. Switch off your phone and enjoy the simplicity of paw-prints and footprints through wildflowers, wild gardens and native species abuzz with wildlife. The family behind this unique blend of wild design also serve up home-baked cakes and cream teas, as well as locally-roasted coffee. There’s a great choice of dog-friendly holiday homes in Ceredigion, in the nearby Welsh countryside and along the coast.
Capel Manor Gardens, Nr Enfield
Best for: Garden life in the city
Proof that you don’t have to stray from the city to explore nature with your dog, this 30-acre garden is situated in the heart of North London. With a maze, a mini zoo and an enchanted Fairy Forest, there’s plenty to explore. Spring’s highlights include the potted dwarf bulbs in the Alpine House, to the traditional 17th-century gardens where The Rambling Rector blooms creamy, white with a musky scent. For dog-friendly places to stay in this area, try Loughton or a little further away in the Kent countryside.
Sherborne Castle and Gardens, Dorset
Best for: Spectacular spring bulbs
Take a dog walk in the footsteps of Sir Walter Raleigh, in the grounds of the home he built more than 400 years ago. Ramble through spectacular carpets of spring bulbs, in one of Capability Brown’s first garden commissions, boasting stunning views and colourful spring trails around the 50-acre lake to Raleigh’s Seat, The Cascade and a Fossil House. There are some wonderful dog-friendly retreats in Sherborne and throughout the holiday haven of Dorset.
Hodnet Hall Gardens, Market Drayton, Shropshire
Best for: Brilliant bluebells
Meander through 60 acres of woodland abloom with brilliant displays of bluebells in spring. Accompanied by a medley of magnolias, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons, as well as a jungle-like water garden and an abundance of wildlife, spring walkies with the dog are a kaleidoscope of colour; after which you can enjoy home-cooked local fare in the former stable block. This is a wonderful area for holidays with a four-legged friend. Check out the dog-friendly cottages in Shropshire for your next visit.
Valley Gardens, Nr Windsor, Berkshire
Best for: Sunrise and sunset strolls
Twist through the trails of this enchanted woodland on the shores of Virginia Water. The 25-minute walk from the car park to the garden entrance will wow you with its spring colour and canopies, even before you enter the riot of rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias and camellias. With 250 acres ablaze in every season, the lakeside walks, wild forests and open fields offer unrivalled territory for dog walks in and around the valley gardens. Part of Windsor Great Park, there are many other places to walk the dog nearby plus some amazing pet-friendly places to stay throughout Surrey and Berkshire.
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Book A Dog-Friendly Cottage This Spring
Feeling inspired to visit some of the UK’s top dog-friendly gardens this spring? Check out our collection of dog-friendly accommodation across the UK and Ireland in stunning locations close to these natural playgrounds abloom with colour.
