Dog Friendly Sussex
The Best Places in Sussex to Visit with your Pup
We pride ourselves on providing comfortable, dog-friendly cottages for our customers, as we know just how important having the option to bring your pets along to enjoy your holiday with you is. With all the amenities you require, including large open gardens for your pup to frolic in, our Dog-Friendly Sussex Cottages are bound to get tails wagging. But what about venturing out? We asked our lovely local team for their top recommendations of where to take your four-legged friend for a great day out in Sussex.
Hastings Country Park
As the largest open public space in the region, Hastings Country Park has lots for you and your dog to explore. Pastoral fields, clifftop hills and woodland that opens out onto the coastline all greet you here and make for some mighty views. Wildlife is here in abundance too. From migrating birds to dormice, stoats and weasels, to bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea just over the cliff’s edges, there is no shortage of cute creatures to try and spot here. Dogs are welcome anywhere in the park as long as they are on their very best behaviour!
Petworth Park
As the name suggests, Petworth Park is one of Sussex’s best dog-friendly spots. Walking in the Deer Park is super easy, as dogs are allowed to roam free and there are over 700 hundred acres of parkland for them to discover. If you pay to get into the house and gardens, you can also walk your dog in the Pleasure Garden, designed by the iconic 18th-century gardener Capability Brown. The Pleasure Park is dotted with quintessentially Georgian sculptures and miniature buildings and is beautiful, particularly in the autumn months when the garden bursts into a bouquet of jewel tones. Spaniels were the favourite dog of the 3rd Earl of Ergemot who once lived here, so it's no surprise that Petworth continues to welcome dogs into its grounds.
Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens
Located in Horsham, Leonardslee Gardens is often regarded as one of the finest landscape gardens and woodlands in England. The Gardens reopened after a ten-year hiatus in 2019 and have been thriving ever since. Our local team love to visit here with their dogs and with 240 acres of land to explore, Leonardslee is the perfect place to stretch legs (all four of them). Highlights include the Rock Garden, which was created by the famous Pulham and Sons, the Wall of Life Sculpture trail (which you need to buy a ticket for) and the small colony of willougbys that live here after they were brought here in 1889.
Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
An absolute must for wildlife fanatics, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is truly a gem in Sussex’s landscape. There are 4,355 species of plants and animals that call the reserve home for you to see, although ticking off all of them might be quite the feat! But the reserve is a great place to walk your dog and the Discovery Centre, where you can learn more about the conservation work that happens here, is also super dog-friendly and they even provide dog water bowls for your parched pooch. If you also feel in need of refreshment, there is a lovely cafe in the centre too.
The Sussex Coast
A member of our local team confirmed that “The majority of beaches in Sussex are dog friendly. I’ve lived here the majority of my life and have two dogs and not once have I found any that I couldn’t take my dogs on”. However, they also noted that “I wouldn’t recommend dogs be taken to Brighton in the summer as it is just so busy, but Hove beach is a great alternative”. With that said, Sussex is surely a wonderful choice if your dog loves to be beside the sea! Head to our coastal guide to read more about some of Sussex’s best beaches.
