If you’re planning a dog friendly Westonbirt Arboretum visit, you’ve picked one of the biggest days out the Cotswolds has to offer. This is the National Arboretum, 600 acres of trees from every corner of the globe, 17 miles of paths, and a proper treetop walkway to look down over the lot of it. It’s about 45 minutes south of Tewkesbury near Tetbury, and it’s the kind of place you can genuinely lose a whole day in, dog included.
We mention this one a bit differently to some of our other local guides, because Westonbirt happens to be a brilliant stop for anyone touring the Cotswolds in a motorhome or campervan too, not just a straightforward car trip. More on that below.
Why Dog Friendly Westonbirt Arboretum Is Worth the Trip
Westonbirt is split into a few distinct areas, and knowing them before you go makes for a much smoother visit. Silk Wood, the larger and wilder half of the site, is dog friendly and dogs can be off lead here as long as they’re under control and come back when called. – Remember your dog might be friendly but somebody may be there with a not so dog friendly dog for exposure training. The Old Arboretum, the more formal, curated half with the rarest and most delicate specimens, is a dog free zone apart from assistance dogs, which keeps things comfortable for visitors who’d rather not share the paths with a boisterous oncoming dog. The Downs, the central hub with the Welcome Building, restaurant, shop and treetop walkway, is dog friendly on lead.
That layout means everyone gets what they came for. Your dog gets a proper off lead run through Silk Wood’s quieter paths, and you still get the full arboretum experience without upsetting anyone who’s brought the family for a calm wander among the maples. It’s a sensible setup, and honestly one of the better thought out dog policies of any big attraction we send customers to.
Getting There and Parking
The postcode is GL8 8QS, and from Tewkesbury it’s a straightforward run of around 45 minutes, mostly A road via the A46 and A433, so there’s no need to thread through any Cotswold village centres to get there. That’s worth knowing whatever you’re driving, but it matters even more if you’re at the wheel of something bigger.
The main car park is large and well organised, with 21 accessible spaces close to the entrance. Motorhomes and campervans are genuinely welcome here, with no height or width restrictions on the site itself, though larger vehicles are directed to a separate coach and motorhome parking area just behind the main car park rather than squeezing into the standard bays. There’s no overnight parking allowed, so it’s a day visit rather than a stopover, but as a proper daytime stop it’s about as easy as touring vehicles get in this part of the Cotswolds. You can check current admission and parking details on the Forestry England Westonbirt page before you set off, since prices and opening times can shift seasonally.
Something to Do While You’re There
The obvious highlight is the Treetop Walkway, a 300 metre elevated path that lifts you up into the canopy for a totally different view of the arboretum than you get at ground level. Dogs are allowed up on lead, so there’s no need to take turns or leave anyone waiting at the bottom.
Beyond that, the sheer scale of the place means there’s a route for every kind of dog and every kind of day. A short loop around the Downs suits an older dog or a quick visit between errands, while a full circuit through Silk Wood and out towards the wilder edges of the estate will happily fill an afternoon for a dog that needs its steps in. Autumn is Westonbirt’s famous season, when the Japanese maples turn the whole place red and gold and it gets significantly busier, so if you’re after a quieter visit, spring and early summer are a lovely time to go instead.
What to Know Before You Go
A few practical points worth knowing before your dog friendly Westonbirt Arboretum trip. Water bowls are dotted around the Welcome Building, restaurant and central toilets, and there are poo bins at the main path junctions through Silk Wood, so the practical side of a visit is well catered for. During big seasonal events like the Christmas lights trail and any live music evenings, dogs other than assistance dogs aren’t permitted, so it’s worth checking the events calendar if you’re planning a visit around those dates. Underfoot it’s a mix of good gravel paths and grassy woodland tracks, easy going for most dogs, though it can get muddy in Silk Wood after heavy rain.
Before You Head Home: Topping Up at BTB Dog Supplies
However you spend your day at Westonbirt, whether that’s a full afternoon through Silk Wood or a shorter loop and a go on the treetop walkway, it’s an easy detour to build a stop at BTB Dog Supplies into your route home. We’re at Unit A, Newton Farm, Tewkesbury, GL20 7BE, right by Junction 9 of the M5 and directly opposite the Cotswold Designer Outlet.
If you’re touring the Cotswolds in a motorhome or campervan, this bit is especially for you. We’re not tucked away on a high street, and our site has no access restrictions for larger vehicles, it’s articulated lorry accessible, so pulling in for five minutes doesn’t mean the stress of squeezing a motorhome through a village centre or hunting for a space that fits. You can pull straight off the motorway, park with room to spare, and top up your dog’s food or grab a few treats before carrying on to the next stop on your trip, or before heading home if this is the last leg. Whether you feed raw, kibble or a mix of both, the team’s always happy to help, and we’re open six days a week if your route brings you past at an odd hour of the day.
We’re open Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm, closed Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, so it’s worth timing your journey if Westonbirt is on the itinerary. Either way, it’s a proper day out, and one of the easiest big Cotswold attractions to reach whatever you’re driving. 🐾
