We had a rare Saturday with nothing
already arranged. The weather was good, so we decided to ignore the various chores waiting to be done at home, and go out for the day. We are members of English Heritage, and we consulted the guidebook for a suitable venue. We were members of another similar organisation, but defected to English Heritage as they welcome dogs. When I say they welcome dogs, I really mean they welcome dogs, as opposed to just tolerating them. The organisation we left has some site which claim to welcome dogs, but that translates to permitting them in the car park on a lead. Which is absolutely no good to me or most dog owners. With rising crime it's asking for trouble to leave your dog in a car in a distant car park, apart from the dangers of overheating.
We settled on Goodrich Castle, which is a beautiful ruined castle, with lots of history attached to it. Prerecorded guides are available to listen to as you explore the castle. When I asked if we'd be able to follow the recorded guide with the dogs, the kind lady in reception thought I meant would I cope with the guide as well as the dog! When I explained what I actually meant was would the dogs have access to all the areas we would, the answer was a resounding yes. Even the keep which contained a tiny stone spiral staircase was not off limits for dogs, although they "suggested" the dogs might be spooked by it. Having struggled up and down it myself, I can confirm that even the most bombproof dog would have balked at climbing the keep, and I doubt you could have carried as much as a Chihuahua up there.
We all had a fantastic day, and really appreciated that we were all welcome. And not just in the car park on a lead.
If you know of a venue or organisation that has made your dog welcome, do let us know, as other dog owners will be interested.
Take care,
Julie x