The Bark Park

FULL DISCLOSURE; We didn't go in the park. Three stars used to get peoples attention.We booked to visit, but didnt realise that the layby is right on a very busy road. Fine if you're two adults with a well behaved dog, but we have one traffic reactive dog (plus two others) , plus two very young children. We didn't feel safe getting everyone out of the van. We drove off.We were gutted as others have had great experiences here.

The entrance and the first half of the field is like a bog, completely sodden. The end has some nice trees and good smells for the dogs, and is luckily drier. However, the parking situation is awful - parking on a lay-by next to a very busy road frequently used by HGVs is dangerous, and is even more of an issue of you have dogs with you. The owners also expect you to have made your way through the mud back to the car, cleaned yourself and your dogs and left the site within 5 minutes, which is completely ridiculous. Overall, there are better enclosed fields in the area.

Lovely place- big enough so they can have a good run around, small enough so they can’t go out of sight! Great communications, easy booking. Def recommend.

Great idea, and great host/ website for booking. Unfortunately we took our dog and he ripped a claw out running over a stump in the ground. There’s a few stumps down the centre of the park that could easily trip up a dog (this isn’t in the wooded area, just within the grass). Have found alternative dog parks close by which are much bigger and flat grass with no stumps. Some dogs might be less clumsy than ours but still something to note.

My dog Ron loves it here! He has poor recall skills & reactivity, so we can only take him to private fields to be off lead. I love the different zones of the field, the little wooded area and the picnic table. It is such a lovely space that has been created.

This is a fantastic idea and I'm really looking forward to seeing how this expands. The price is very reasonable and being able to play and train a 7 month old Mal without the worry of other dogs is invaluable. We will be a regular visitor.

Our 5 month lab puppy loved visiting. It was so good to feel comfortable and confident in letting her race around and explore off lead while we're working on her recall. The terrain is varied and interesting and thought has gone in to creating a fun space for dogs. Even better that booking is easy and hassle free. We will be back!

Firstly, this is not a critical review, but an observational one that is probably applicable to small dog owners. We have a Miniature Dachshund who we rarely let off the lead - he's quite lively and could be irritating to larger dogs that he doesn't know (he's quite vocal!), so we're always wary of letting him off his extension lead. Sadly, his Doggy Day Care provision has ceased for now, so one day a week he was socialising and running free with his friends. We booked The Bark Park as a treat for him to run around and be free without our usual concerns.The car parking at The Bark Park isn't ideal, hence the 5 minute arrival/departure times and it's aligned with a very busy road, so ensure your dog doesn't bound out of your car on arrival! It is noted that there are plans for this to be improved.Access to the park is straightforward and works very well. A security code is sent to you an hour prior to your booking time. The field is of good size (especially for our little chap) and there is a box of toys, water bowls, logs, a tree or two, even boxes of herbs that your dog can chomp on.Whilst it was noted to wear suitable footwear, as the field is very muddy, we weren't expecting such a mud bath. Thick cloggy mud and only the edges and the far end of the field remain with any grass. This was particularly difficult for our Dachshund to run on, being so low to the ground and his little legs were getting stuck in the mud. We ended up playing 'doggy in the middle' with a treat at each end to get him running and effectively, he had that many treats, he probably weighed more going out that in!However, for £5, we cannot grumble and I said earlier, this is not a criticism. We will return, but at the end of Spring/early Summer, when hopefully there is more grass and less mud and then I can hopefully elevate my review to 5 stars.

What a great idea and you can instantly tell alot of thought has gone into this.My greyhound although very well behaved can run faster than the speed of light so has to stay on a lead.She loved Bark Park. Very much looking forward to returning with her and certainly will use regularly in the summer months.Pros - booking easy, communication excellent, access good, facility great!Cons - not much really maybe the busy road can be hair raising for some dogs. May if pos allow cars to drive straight into first part of the field before you encounter a gate ?But hardly a negative just an idea.5 stars easy ! Thank you Bark Park

Great place for taking our dogs in a safe space to run loose and play and learn.