‘A dog walk with a difference’: Wakehurst opens gardens to dogs

Visitors invited to enjoy Kew’s wild botanic garden with four-legged friends seven days a week from 27 February 2023

  • New offer developed in response to positive feedback from members and visitors 
  • Over 10 km of paths designated for dogs spanning majority of Wakehurst site 
  • New off-lead area opened especially for dogs to roam free 
  • Dog-free zones create space for school groups and visitors looking for quiet area 
  • New Wakehurst Canine Code guides visitors on the dos and don’ts for dogs 

From Monday 27 February 2023, Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will be opening its spectacular landscape to dogs.

Responding to overwhelmingly positive feedback following its recent dog walking trials, and the increase in households welcoming canine companions following the pandemic, the organisation hopes its expansive gardens will form a unique destination for invigorating dog walks in a truly spectacular natural setting.

For the first time, dogs and their owners can visit Wakehurst seven days a week and have the chance to walk the world from the heart of Sussex, exploring an incredible range of habitats across the 535-acre site. Over 10km of paths designated for dogs will wind through the gardens, traversing paths alongside towering woodland species from Australasia and North America, ravines of rhododendrons from eastern Himalaya, and the peaceful oasis of the Water Gardens filled with flourishing seasonal flowers.

Director of Wakehurst Ed Ikin says, At Wakehurst, we believe a stroll through our wild landscape forms a dog walk with a difference. With each visit, people walking their dogs will be contributing to Kew’s critical conservation work and pioneering science research undertaken to combat biodiversity loss.

A brand-new part of the gardens will be opened especially for dog walkers to give their four-legged friends the chance to go off-lead. Energetic pups can roam free in an area complete with a fenced perimeter to keep them secure, overlooking the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew’s ‘Noah’s Ark for plants’. This critical conservation project is a global collaboration where seeds are collected from around the world and banked in the flood, bomb and radiation-proof vaults at Wakehurst.

Facilities onsite include water bowls and dog waste bins, with complimentary biodegradable waste bags available at the Visitor Centre, in case a visitor has forgotten or run out of their own. Dogs are welcome at the Seeds Café and Stables Pantry, the perfect spot for drinks, snacks or a light lunch. The shop is also dog-friendly, stocked with a range of gifts, plants, books and homeware, plus a special collection of treats and accessories for furry friends.

Designated areas of the gardens will remain dog-free, allowing space for school groups, and ensuring that Wakehurst remains an inclusive place for all visitors. The paths and areas for dogs form part of Wakehurst’s new Canine Code, developed to ensure all visitors can enjoy their day at the botanic garden. The code outlines that Wakehurst welcomes up to two dogs per adult, that dogs must remain on a short lead (available to borrow at the Visitor Centre if needed), and that owners must clear up after their dog. The full Canine Code is available online or in a leaflet available to pick up on arrival.

Head of Visitor Experience & Commercial, Jamie Osborne, saysWe are thrilled to be opening our gardens to dogs. We have listened to feedback from our members and visitors who have encouraged us to take this step, and hope that this allows many of them to enjoy the gardens more frequently. We also look forward to welcoming people who may not have had the chance to visit previously, who now have the freedom to explore the wonders of Wakehurst with their four-legged friends. We hope dog owners will come to view Wakehurst as one of their go-to destinations, a place where they’re not only enjoying the most spectacular plants from around the world, but also contributing to our increasingly important conservation work and helping to protect the natural world for future generations.

Wakehurst will regularly monitor and review the success of the dog walking offer to ensure that both visitors and canine companions are well-catered, and its world-class collection of plants remains in good condition.

For more information on dog walking at Wakehurst, our Canine Code and the dog walking route, please visit our website: Dog walks at Wakehurst | Kew

 

ENDS

For more information, images and interviews please contact Frances Teehan, Strategic Communications Manager: f.teehan@kew.org  

 

Notes to Editors 

Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property. 

The National Trust was bequeathed the Mansion and grounds of Wakehurst in 1963. It was then entrusted to us here at Kew in 1965, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas. 

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.    

RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed 10,000 visitors with £1 tickets. 

At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity. 

 

Wakehurst ticket prices:

Adult: £14.95

Wakehurst & Kew members: Free

National Trust members: Free (car parking charges apply)

Young person (17-25 years): £7.50

Children (0-16 years): Free

Wakehurst tickets and prices | Kew