National trust throws dogs a stick to prevent damage to buildings

‘Wee poles will encourage dogs to relieve themselves at the same point, limiting effect of urine on plants’

THE National Trust is planning to install “wee poles” at its sites to prevent dogs from urinating on historic buildings and trees.

A “small handful of sites”, including Shugborough Estate in Stafford and Attingham Park in Shropshire, will have the 3ft wooden posts placed in their grounds as part of a trial.

Large amounts of dog urine can “increase the acidity of the soil and affect plants and the surrounding environment”, the trust said.

The urine will soak into “permeable gravel” underneath the 3ft oak poles rather than remaining on the surface. An adjacent sign will also be attached near the poles explaining their use to visitors, the charity disclosed.

Pheromones released by the urine encourage other dogs to relieve themselves at the same point.

The trust is facing growing calls from its members, 43 per cent of whom own dogs, according to recent polling, to allow their pets to roam free in and around its properties.

The charity says it is trying to strike a balance between members who want sites to be dog-free and those who want their animals to have unfettered access.

It follows the huge numbers of pets bought during pandemic lockdowns. An estimated 3.2 million pets were bought between the start of the pandemic and March 2021, according to figures from the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association. Half of the owners were aged 16 to 34.

With the exception of assistance dogs, the trust has banned the animals from nearly all historic houses as it fears they may foul or damage furnishings.

The sole exception is Dinefwr in Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales, as experts said they would cause “no negative impact on the collections or fabric of the building”. There are no plans to extend the exception, the trust said.

Other experiments being trialled by the trust, as part of its “Dogs Welcome” project, include “dog washes, dog trailers, dog fields” and “dog-friendly trails”, the charity disclosed.

The trust provides cafe facilities specifically for visitors with dogs at the Central Bark cafe at Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and Pawter’s Lodge cafe at Ickworth Estate in Sussex.

Project manager Ceinwen Paynton said: “We know lots of our members have dogs and we want them to be able to get out and enjoy themselves.

“We’re currently looking at a range of solutions to help balance access for dogs with measures to look after the environment.”