In response to positive feedback from visitors, members and staff, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) will extend its ‘dog-friendly days’ trial at RHS Garden Rosemoor over the winter by a further six months.

This summer the Garden trialled three dedicated dog-friendly days a week, in response to a high volume of requests from visitors, and to reflect the high levels of dog ownership in Devon and the South West. A large proportion of tourists visiting North Devon bring their pets on holiday with them and of an estimated 12 million dogs in the UK, around 10% of them are estimated to reside in South West England.

The trial, allowing dog-owners to bring their pets to the garden every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday following a strict ‘paws on paths’ policy, was reviewed in September to assess the impact of dogs on the Garden, staff and visitors.

Whilst initially opinions were divided, the results from the six-month survey of visitors to the Garden (both with and without dogs, members and non-members) has proved the trial popular overall.

The garden has seen a marked increase in visitor numbers (both members and non-members) on these traditionally quieter days of the week since the trial began. Since the beginning of the trial in March, visitor numbers have increased by 11.1% on dog-friendly days, in comparison to an increase of 1.1% on non-dog days.

 

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. The trial enabled us to listen to what people are asking us for and their concerns. Whilst the response has been positive overall there were some questions raised about the impact on the Garden in wintertime and we felt that by extending the trial this would give us an overview of all the gardening seasons. We understand that whilst some people love dogs, others really value a space that is pet-free and this is why we have chosen designated dog days and restricted access to pathways and specific areas of the garden. Given RHS Garden Rosemoor has a wonderful 65 acres to explore, we are confident that we have plenty of space to provide an enjoyable experience for all.”  

The results of the visitor, members and staff surveys, including an analysis of online and customer feedback and Garden statistics, have been reviewed and the decision taken to extend the trial for a further six months to establish how much the Garden and visitors would be affected in the winter months.

The decision was made based on the data collected from the initial trial. The areas of access for dogs and the number of ‘paws on paths’ days have been reviewed in response to feedback from the Garden’s teams regarding the impact on their work and on certain areas of the garden.

  • From Monday 6 October until Wednesday 25 March 2026 RHS Garden Rosemoor will welcome dogs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday each week
  • As in the initial trial, dogs must follow a strict ‘paws on paths’ policy and will be allowed to explore the Formal Gardens, Stream Field, lakeside, arboretums, and woodlands with their owners. Children's play areas, The Garden Restaurant, Wisteria Tea Room, Education Centre, fruit and vegetable gardens, Potager garden and any lawns will remain dog-free. All dogs must be kept on short leads throughout their visit – short leads will be available on loan to those who arrive with long or extendable leads.
  • During winter dog walkers will have access to the Otter Café between October 2025 and March 2026

Richard Green, Director of Visitor Experience and Estates for the Royal Horticultural Society, says “It’s encouraging to see the positive feedback, an increase in visitors at RHS Rosemoor as well as minimal impact upon the Garden itself. Based upon ‘on-the-ground’ experiences from our Garden’s team we now have an opportunity to improve and refine our initial pilot and to consider if access in the winter, with more challenging weather conditions, will have the same positive outcome as the summer trial.” 

Assistance dogs will continue to have access every day and RHS Rosemoor’s current ‘no dogs in cars at any time' policy will remain firmly in place, to ensure the safety of pets. 

Feedback will be collected from all visitors to the gardens (with and without pets), RHS members, staff and volunteers throughout the next 6-month period to fully inform further decisions about the trial.