Dogs are very welcome in Oakley Wood and it’s a wonderful place to walk your dog. But please be a responsible and considerate dog owner. Be sure to clean up any dog mess—there are bins at several of the entrances where dog mess can be disposed of.
Please also take care to keep your dog under proper control and do not allow it to cause a nuisance to other visitors or those living near to the wood. Several of our neighbours keep livestock, and there has sadly been an incident recently in which livestock has been killed by a dog. A dog not under proper control also poses a threat to wildlife in the wood, and a danger to the surrounding roads.
We hope you and your dog enjoy your visit to Oakley Wood!
I have just visited Oakley Wood for the first time to look for and photograph fungi. I found a good number but the visit was spoiled by the huge amount of dog mess. It is everywhere, and I am not exaggerating! In spite of taking care I managed to step in 2 lots within half an hour. Obviously your request above is generally ignored, as is the notice threatening a fine of up to £1000 for not clearing up. If you want to photograph flowers or fungi you often need to kneel down; do so at your peril here! If I go again I shall take a change of shoes and clothing as well as some wet wipes. If anyone takes small children they would not want them to run free round her. What a shame!
Agreed about the dog mess, it’s the worst I have ever seen! This place is very special, being able to come to honour our loved ones and being able to enjoy a walk nearby to them is truely wonderful. Terrible shame about it being a toilet for dogs, it’s impossible not to stand in quite a few piles as you walk, its everywhere. Please try to tackle this issue, maybe more trail cams dotted around to capture the culprits? People are more likely to pick up if they know they are being watched. Otherwise wonderful place to visit.
I’ve just visited with my children to spot fungi. We’ve now renamed it Dog Poo Woods. You can’t step anywhere near the edges of the paths at all as there is dog mess everywhere, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s disgusting. It’s such a shame as it’s a beautiful place to visit, but being mindful of dog mess rather than the surroundings wasn’t really what I had in mind!
I can only echo the above comments. The area north of the crematorium is especially bad. I don’t know anywhere around here that is anything like as disgusting. One walker had half a dozen off-lead dogs. The dogs also frighten off the wildlife especially birds, and make the pools uninhabitable for amphibians. Off-lead dogs (maybe any dogs) are not appropriate in a nature reserve. There also seem to be fewer fungi since the conifer felling and the path widening