Wader

Dog rules on Wye Valley walks and attractions: Symonds Yat Rock, Tintern Abbey, the Wye Valley Walk and council PSPOs

Most Wye Valley sights welcome dogs on leads, but the details differ. Cadw castles and abbeys allow ground floors only, Goodrich Castle allows dogs indoors, and the Butterfly Zoo keeps pets out of the zoo and cafe. Councils on both sides of the border have dog PSPOs with exclusion zones and £100 fixed penalties.

  • Dogs mostly welcome, on leads
  • Not clear: 3
  • Checked 25 October 2026

At a glance

Cadw (Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle)
Dogs on short leads, ground floor levels only
Goodrich Castle (English Heritage)
Dogs on leads welcome throughout, including indoor spaces
Symonds Yat Rock (Forestry England)
Dogs allowed; keep them close, in sight and on official trails
Wye Valley Walk
Livestock on much of the route; lead advised around sheep and cattle; not all stiles dog-accessible
Herefordshire PSPO
From 27 March 2024 for three years; £100 fixed penalty (£50 if paid within 10 working days)
Monmouthshire PSPO
1 June 2024 – 31 May 2027; £100 fixed penalty
Forest of Dean District PSPOs
Only two, both in Newent (dogs on leads) – none at Symonds Yat

Not clear from the source

  • English Heritage's facilities page confirms dogs on leads throughout Goodrich Castle. We haven't verified extras such as water bowls or a dog toilet area.
  • Cadw says dogs are occasionally not allowed at some sites because of grazing sheep, as shown on the gate. It doesn't list which sites or dates.
  • The GOV.UK open access lead rule covers England. We haven't checked the Welsh equivalent for the Monmouthshire side for this page.

The short version

You can do most of the Wye Valley's big sights with a dog. Three rules catch people out:

  • Cadw sites (Tintern Abbey, Chepstow Castle): ground floors only, short lead. Only assistance dogs and police search dogs can go upstairs.
  • Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo: no pets in the zoo or cafe. Leaving a dog in the car isn't an option either. The centre says it calls animal welfare officers about animals left in cars.
  • Town play areas and pitches: in Monmouthshire especially, dozens of these are dog exclusion areas, and the fixed penalty is £100.

Symonds Yat Rock and the Forest of Dean (Forestry England)

Symonds Yat Rock is listed with "Dogs allowed". Forestry England's trail page says "Dogs are welcome to explore Symonds Yat Rock and the Forest of Dean." It also asks you to "Please keep dogs close by and in sight at all times to make sure they stay on official trails". Source: Symonds Yat Rock · Source: trails

Forestry England's Dog Code asks you to:

  • "Keep your dog close and in sight"
  • "prevent your dog from going up to (or chasing) people or animals"
  • "Always clean up your dog's poo"

The code also says "any public or household general waste bin is fine for bagged dog poo". It includes advice on Seasonal Canine Illness, which is worth reading if you're visiting in late summer or autumn. Source: Dog Code

The Wye Valley Walk

The official route site says dogs "should follow the line of the path and not be allowed to wander". It adds that "It's an offence to allow a dog to attack, worry or chase livestock". You'll meet sheep, cattle and horses on much of the route, so it advises:

  • keep your dog on a lead through sheep or cow enclosures and near farmyards
  • move quietly and calmly
  • walk around a herd rather than through it
  • if cattle threaten you, let go of the lead

It also warns: "Not all stiles will be accessible for dogs". Source: Wye Valley Walk FAQs

On open access land in England, the law is stricter. Your dog must be on a lead no longer than 2 metres between 1 March and 31 July, and at all times around livestock. Source: GOV.UK

Castles, abbeys and hills

  • Tintern Abbey (Cadw): "Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site." Cadw also warns that some wild plants may be poisonous, so don't let dogs eat vegetation. Source
  • Chepstow Castle (Cadw): the same wording on dogs and the same plant warning. Source
  • Cadw generally: dogs must be on a short lead at all times and owners must clean up. Dogs can go on ground floors only. Upper levels are for assistance dogs (trained by Assistance Dogs UK members) and police search dogs. Staff may refuse dogs that aren't under control. At some sites, dogs are occasionally not allowed because of grazing sheep, and this is shown on the gate. Source
  • Goodrich Castle (English Heritage): "Dogs on leads are welcome throughout the site, including indoor spaces." That's more generous than the Cadw sites downstream. Source
  • The Kymin, Monmouth (National Trust): "We ask that dogs remain on short leads", to protect the badgers, bats, wild boar and red wood ants that live there. Facilities are limited. Source

Other attractions

  • Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo and Visitor Centre, Symonds Yat West:
  • "Please don't bring any pet with you if you can make other arrangements".
  • Dogs on leads are welcome in the shops, the picnic areas and the Picnic Refuge.
  • The Butterfly Zoo, the Miniature Golf enclosures and the cafe "are not for pets".
  • You can't leave dogs unattended.
  • There are water bowls at reception, emergency poo bags, and a dog-dip by the footbridge.

Source - Old Station Tintern (MonLife): dogs are welcome in the tearooms and the picnic area, on a lead. The site's play area is a PSPO exclusion area. Source

Council dog rules (PSPOs)

Herefordshire Council (Ross-on-Wye, Goodrich, Symonds Yat West)

The PSPO "came into effect on 27 March 2024 for a period of three years". Under it, you must:

  • remove dog faeces
  • keep dogs on leads in memorial grounds, burial grounds, cemeteries and gardens of remembrance
  • put a dog on a lead when an authorised officer tells you to
  • keep dogs out of mapped exclusion zones

The Ross-on-Wye maps cover Beech Close, Deanhill Park, Frome Valley Way, Grammar School Close, Oak Tree Rise, Roman Way, Rope Walk Children's Play Area, Starling Road, Verschoyle Gardens and Walford Avenue. The sealed order sets a £100 fixed penalty, "reduced to £50 if paid within 10 working days". If it isn't paid, a court can impose a fine of up to level 3. Source · Sealed order

Monmouthshire County Council (Monmouth, Tintern, Chepstow, Trellech)

The PSPO runs from 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2027. It requires you to:

  • pick up after your dog
  • carry poo bags and show them if asked
  • put your dog on a lead (2 m max) if directed

There are 20 lead-only areas and 180 exclusion areas, mostly play areas, sports pitches and school grounds. The fixed penalty is £100. If it isn't paid, a court can impose a fine of up to level 3, which the council puts at "currently £1,000". Locally, the exclusion areas include the Old Station and Sylvan View play areas in Tintern, Chippenham Mead play area and pitches in Monmouth, and most of Chepstow's play areas. Monmouth and Chepstow cemeteries are lead only. Source: PSPO · Source: annex

Forest of Dean District Council (Symonds Yat East, Coleford side)

The council says there are "currently two Public Space Protection Orders in the Forest of Dean District". "Both are in Newent", at Newent Lake and Newent Recreation Grounds, and both require dogs on leads. Breaching them can mean a £100 fixed penalty, and the orders run until December 2027. There's no district PSPO around Symonds Yat, but Forestry England's own rules apply in the forest. Source

Wader's tip

Plan a castle day with the rules in mind. If your dog likes to come everywhere, Goodrich Castle is the best bet: dogs can go indoors there. At Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle, dogs stay on the ground floor, so one of you may have to skip the upper walkways.