Top dog friendly days out in Norfolk you and your pup will love
Discover Norfolk's best dog friendly days out for every season
While the Norfolk coast is deservedly celebrated for its endless sandy beaches, Nelson’s County has all sorts of hidden gems up its sleeve to tempt staycationing dog owners. For example, did you know that your dog can join you on a tour of Norwich cathedral, or on a seal watching boat trip?
Norfolk is the perfect place to ‘slow you down and enjoy some jollificearshuns’ – that’s Broad Norfolk for ‘relax and enjoy some light hearted fun’. Here are our top dog friendly picks from around the county, for whatever it is you’d like to do.
Best Historic Site: Castle Acre Priory
Perched on the banks of the River Nar near Swaffham, Castle Acre Priory has a rich history stretching back for almost a thousand years. Once home to England’s first Cluniac order of monks, visitors today can explore the grounds with an audio tour (included in the price of entry), try their hand at an interactive exhibition about medieval building, or follow a children’s trail around the priory and nearby castle.
Dogs on leads can join you throughout the site, and if this isn’t enough to wear your dog out you can extend your visit with a 6 mile stroll around Castle Acre, South Acre and West Acre Common. Keep your eyes peeled for local residents including barn owls and little owls, as well as trout in the chalk stream.
Entry to the priory is charged for, but English Heritage members can visit for free.
Best Beach: Holkham Beach
If we had to choose our favourite dog friendly beach in Norfolk, it would without a doubt be the huge expanse of sand at Holkham Beach. Big skies and big sands are the order of the day here. A bit of a walk from the car park and without the amenities of other nearby beaches, the crowds are immediately thinned. Even on busy days, this enormous beach is vast enough that you’ll be always be able to find your own space.
From April to August, there are some restrictions on parts of the beach close to the nature reserve where dogs have to be kept on leads, but the rest of the beach is dog friendly all year round. You can also take your pooch to explore the pinewoods behind the beach via a network of well maintained paths.
Visitors during the first week of July get a special treat, as this is when the Household Cavalry bring their horses for their annual beach holiday every year. It’s a sight and a half to behold!
Best Family Day Out: Redwings Aylsham
Perfect for a morning or afternoon out, Redwings horse and donkey sanctuary near Aylsham is fun for all the family. Meet the residents and hear about their often sad histories, and see how they are now thriving in the care of the Redwings team. More than 70 horses, ponies and donkeys call Redwings home, including the infamous ‘Gangsters’ – a mischievous group of five Shetland ponies.
The sanctuary is free to visit with a café, gift shop and play area, with pram friendly paths suitable for visitors of all ages and abilities. Dogs on leads are welcome to join you on your visit as you explore the paddocks and stables – we’d recommend eating out on the café terrace, where you can watch the horses grazing peacefully in their fields as you enjoy your lunch.
Best Woodland: Thetford Forest
All dog owners know that woodland trails make for elite level dog walks. And they don’t get better than Thetford Forest, which straddles the Norfolk/Suffolk border and offers almost limitless potential walks.
One of the largest man made pine forests in the UK, the Forestry Commission keeps the trails here in great condition, and families can take part in activities like archery and adventure golf. With multiple car parks to choose from, all offering a slightly different flavour of adventure, there’s something for everyone.
Brandon Country Park has nature trails, a haunted mausoleum, play areas and cafés, while High Lodge is nestled in the heart of the forest with multiple waymarked walking trails to choose from. With more than 18,000 hectares of forest to explore by foot, bike or horseback, we’re sure that your dog will love whichever trail you pick.
Bike trails are separated from the walking trails for safety, so that’s one less thing to worry about if you opt for a steady stroll with your pooch.
Best for Wildlife: Blakeney Point
No trip to Norfolk is complete without a trip to see the famous seal colony at Blakeney Point – it’s one of the county’s ‘must visit’ destinations. One of British conservation’s greatest success stories, the number of seal pups born here has grown from 25 in 2001 to more than 4,000 in 2021. Both Common and Grey seals can be seen at Blakeney, with over 10,000 seals calling this stretch of the Norfolk Coast home.
It’s possible to walk to Blakeney Point from the nearby village of Cley, however, due to tides and dog restrictions on some parts of the spit to protect the seals, the best way to visit the seals is by boat.
John Bean Boat Trips run year round and welcome furry friends on board – just be mindful of the seals and other passengers. Trips last for about an hour and include commentary about the seals and local history. Bring your binoculars to get a close up look and watch out for other wildlife including oyster catchers, pink footed geese, marsh harriers and more.
Best National Trust: Blickling Estate
Local legend has it that the Jacobean mansion of Blickling Hall is haunted by none other than Anne Boleyn, the second wife of the notorious king Henry VIII, who was supposedly born here (although whether or not this is true is debated).
Today, the property is looked after by the National Trust, and while the house and gardens are off limits to visitors with four paws, you can still enjoy the woodland and parkland walks which cover nearly 1,000 acres. This includes routes visiting the mausoleum pyramid and bluebell woods, as well as our favourite, the lakeside walk.
This one hour amble is gentle on the legs and offers wonderful views back towards the hall. Make sure to call in at the Muddy Boots café at the end of your walk for a hot drink or a slice of cake (or both). Dogs can join you inside the café (which also stocks doggy ice cream), and dogs can tag along when you visit the second hand bookshop and estate barn too.
Best Broad: Salhouse Broad
The Broads National Park is made up of more than 60 broads, and one of the most popular for visitors and locals alike is Salhouse Broad. This 40 acre broad has woodland trails, a beach area and of course, plenty of opportunities to get out on the water with your pup.
Bring your SUP, kayak or canoe to enjoy a paddle in these sheltered waters, which are an ideal spot for beginners to get their bearings (launch fees apply). If you’re feeling confident, you can paddle to the nearby villages of Horning and Ranworth on a day trip: look out for wildlife including marsh harriers as you pass through the reedbeds.
You don’t have to get out on the water though, with ample walking trails along the waterfront and in the woods to enjoy with your dog. In spring, the woods are a great place to find bluebells and the rare swallowtail butterfly, but Salhouse is wonderful to visit all year round.
Best Landscaped Gardens: Sheringham Park
Any notions of Norfolk being completely flat will be swiftly expelled by a walk at Sheringham Park in North Norfolk. This most beautiful of National Trust parklands is best visited in late spring and early summer, when the park’s 80 or so different species of rhododendrons and azaleas put on a riotous display of vibrant colours.
With four different way-marked walking trails to choose from, ranging from 1 to 4 miles long, there’s a walk to suit everyone. Our top pick is the 2 mile Repton’s Walk, named after the landscape gardener who designed the parkland here, which takes in the best of the floral trails as well as offering a glimpse of the Norfolk coastline.
Dogs must be kept on leads at certain times of year due to ground nesting birds, but they are always welcome to join you in the Courtyard Café to enjoy that National Trust staple, an afternoon tea. But are you putting the jam or cream on first?
Best Cultural: Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral is not to be missed if you visit the Fine City. Norwich actually has two cathedrals – but it’s the Anglican cathedral which welcomes visitors with four paws.
Constructed over the course of a century and located in Tombland, the heart of historic Norwich, the cathedral is the most complete Norman cathedral in England. It’s free to visit, or you can choose to leave a donation in one of the boxes. Families can pick up a free Explorer Backpack to help children engage with the cathedral, including binoculars, a compass and a magnifying glass, as well as a special trail to follow: children who complete the trail will receive a free gift when they return their backpacks at the end of their visit.
Those binoculars might come in handy for the whole family – don’t forget to look up at the cathedral spire, which is home to the cathedral’s resident pair of peregrine falcons. Dogs can join you throughout the cathedral and its grounds, but they are not allowed inside the café. They will also need to be prepared to run into Budge the cathedral cat, who is often found snoozing in a pew or on a cushion in the Choir – you can follow him on Instagram @budgeofnoriwch.
Best Estate: Sandringham
Walk in the footsteps of five generations of the Royal Family with a trip to the Sandringham Estate. Originally purchased in 1862 during the reign of Queen Victoria, George V was especially fond of Sandringham, referring to it as ‘Dear old Sandringham, the place I love better than anywhere else in the world’.
While dogs are not allowed in the house or gardens, they are welcome to join you on the waymarked walking trails which criss-cross the 20,000 acre wider estate, as well as the courtyard area, shop and designated parts of the onsite restaurant.
The trails are well maintained and offer a variety of settings, from woodland wanders to nature trails. Open every day, Sandringham is a great place to watch the seasons change, with bluebells in spring and autumn leaves towards the end of the year.
