National Trust - Crook Hall Gardens

National Trust – Crook Hall Gardens is a historic walled garden and medieval hall tucked just off Frankland Lane in Durham city centre. Dogs on short leads are welcome through the gardens and into the café and bookshop area, making it one of the few Durham attractions where your dog can join you for tea as well as the stroll. The gardens unfold through a series of quiet walled spaces, perfect for a calm sniff-and-amble session without leaving the city.

The café welcomes dogs on short leads, so you can settle in together over a coffee and a slice. The medieval hall itself is assistance dogs only, but most visitors come for the gardens and the chance to rest somewhere green.

Open daily from 10am to 5pm, Crook Hall is a genuinely practical stop if you're already in Durham with the dog and need somewhere to pause between cathedral and riverbank. There's pay-and-display parking on site, with Blue Badge spaces; National Trust members park free.