From the 17th of March 2025, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Garden Rosemoor will be trialling ‘paws on path’ for three days per week, for a period of six months. Dog-walking visitors will be welcome to bring (up to two) dogs into selected areas in the garden every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the trial period.
The trial is the result of an assessment of the volume of requests received for more dog-friendly access to the gardens as well as an evaluation of dog ownership in the area and of holiday visitors to the Southwest. There are an estimated 12 million dogs in the UK, of which around 10% are estimated to reside in Southwest England (Dogs Trust), and the region welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors with canine companions. The six-month trial will take place at RHS Rosemoor with no current plans at other RHS Gardens outside of their regular, planned ‘Walkie’ events.
Emma Thompson, Head of Site at RHS Rosemoor, says, “We want to be as accessible as possible and welcome people from all walks of life to our beautiful spaces. Given we receive so many requests about dog access throughout the year – RHS Rosemoor has seen the number of comments about dog access on social media increase threefold in the past year with over 70% of remarks in favour of more dog access at the garden – we really need to listen to what people are asking us for. We also understand that whilst some people love dogs, others really value the ability to visit a garden they know is pet-free. This is why we are only allowing dogs in on regularly scheduled, designated days and are restricting dog access on these days to pathways, so that both types of visitors can enjoy our gardens in peace. Given we have 65 acres to explore, we are confident that we have plenty of space to provide an enjoyable experience for all during this trial.”
Dogs will be allowed to explore selected areas only with their owners but will not be permitted in children’s play areas, eateries, the Education Centre, fruit and vegetable gardens, and any sensitive areas of the garden will remain dog-free.
Poo bags and water bowls will be offered on these days, and it will be a requirement that all dogs are kept on short leads throughout their ‘paws on path’ visit (short leads will be available on loan). Assistance dogs will continue to have access every day.
Trial feedback will be collected from all visitors to the gardens (with and without pets), RHS members and staff throughout the six-month period to fully inform any decision about the pilot’s success at the end of the trial period. Comments will be collected via an online survey which will also be made available in print at the garden on request.