Dog Playground to Be Opened at Chiswick House
Free facility for pooches is next to the café
The new dog playground in Chiswick House Gardens
May 18, 2024
A playground for dogs is set to be launched in the gardens of Chiswick House later this month.
The multi-stage course has been developed by the gardening team at Chiswick House & Gardens Trust near the Colicci café and children’s playground. It has been created from old timber, fallen trees and wood from across the 65-acre site and it will be opened on Thursday 30 May.
Featuring hurdles, tunnels, weaving paths, balance beams, stepping stones and recall podiums, it has been designed to change and develop with the seasons.
The team including arborists Will Harpur from Harpur Tree Surgery Ltd and Joe at The Rustic Tree Company, have used natural materials which will be replaced over time as wood with the gardens decays and new timber becomes available ensuring the sustainability of the playground.
At the edge of the free dog playground there will be seating for owners who will be encouraged to take pictures of their dogs and share on social media with the tag #ChiswickHouseDogs.
Rosie Fyles, Head of Gardens says, “It’s been an ambition of mine to combine the under-used spaces we have in a historic site like Chiswick and use the natural materials we have here to enable dogs and their humans to play while at the same time, providing new wildlife habitats. We are fascinated to see how the area develops with use.”
Georgina Sydenham looks after the Gardens’ 1600+ trees on site, “Working on this project for the last months has meant we have been able to think about how we use our timber from our day-to-day tree safety management creatively, for our visitors to make use of. What’s great is that as the timber wears and decays, the insects will move in too. We are increasing biodiversity while increasing the canine fun!”
Adam Gibbins, Owner of Dogtown, which is sponsoring the playground, says, “We’re delighted to be supporting the new dogs’ playground at Chiswick House & Gardens. As a sustainable project that will grow and evolve as time goes on, built with all dogs of whatever size and ability in mind, and focused on creating a space for some of our favourite family members to enjoy, it speaks to many of our values here at Dogtown.”
Jan Preece, Chair of the organising committee that runs the annual Chiswick House Dog Show, this year taking place on 22 September, says “CHGT has been home to the dog show for many years, and we know that the grounds – with its mixed environment of woods, lawns and undergrowth – is a haven for dogs and their owners. It’s a real bonus to see this new playground adding yet another dimension to what is already a great attraction for the dogs of West London.”
The gardens at Chiswick House & Gardens are open from 7am until dusk every day, all year round.
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