Worcestershire has the Malvern Hills, the Clent Hills, parkland at Croome and Hanbury and the Wyre Forest, and its districts set their own dog rules. We’ve given what we confirmed from official pages and said plainly where we couldn’t. For Bromsgrove and Redditch we found no usable official page, so check their sites.
Council rules
Wyre Forest District Council’s dog-control order (Order No. 3 of 2026) has been in force since 1 October 2026 for three years. You must pick up immediately and carry something to do it with. Dogs must be on a lead in Kidderminster Cemetery, QEII Jubilee Gardens in Bewdley, The Stackpool and Hurcott Pools and Hurcott Woods, and are excluded from signed fenced play areas. The limit is six dogs per person, and the fixed penalty is up to £100. Worcester City Council says its order covers the whole city, with signed exclusion areas, and a council page describes a four-dog limit per person, though we couldn’t confirm the current order’s limit or dates. A 2025 council page gives a £100 fixed penalty, though an earlier page said up to £70.
Wychavon’s page is a draft with no dates, and we couldn’t confirm whether the order is in force. It describes leads only on an officer’s direction, no limit on dog numbers and a ban from signed children’s play areas. Malvern Hills District Council’s page describes a lead on an officer’s request and a ban from fenced play areas, with no dates, dog limit or fine shown. We found no county-wide order.
Hills, parkland and forest
The Malvern Hills Trust asks for close control at all times and a lead wherever grazing animals are, and sheep and cattle graze year-round, often out of sight. We couldn’t confirm a blanket lead rule from the Trust’s pages, so follow its guidance and signs. The Clent Hills (National Trust) allow many areas off lead under close control, but a lead is required in the café courtyard, the Meadow and the Viewpoint path, and throughout lambing from March to May. At Croome, dogs are welcome across the parkland on a short lead because livestock graze, there’s no swimming in the lake or river, and only assistance dogs can go in the house and café. At Hanbury Hall, a short lead is needed at all times, with assistance dogs only in the Parterre, Formal Fruit Garden and Courtyard Kitchen.
Wyre Forest (Forestry England, Callow Hill, DY14 9XQ) allows dogs under control and has a dog wash, though we didn’t confirm its lead and nesting-season rules. The forest crosses into Shropshire. Hartlebury Common (DY13 9JB) has a 1.5km Heather Trail and a free car park, but its council page gives no dog rules. Habberley Valley near Kidderminster has a 2.5-mile circular walk with one steep climb and descent, and the leaflet asks for close control.
What we couldn’t confirm
We couldn’t confirm dog rules at Waseley Hills Country Park, which sits on the Birmingham edge, or Lickey Hills, which Birmingham City Council manages. We found nothing for Worcester’s riverside, Pitchcroft or the canals, nor for Redditch, Evesham, Pershore or Ombersley. Brockhampton, Croft Castle and Berrington are in Herefordshire.
Livestock and open hills can overwhelm some dogs, and a calming bite may help take the edge off. If your dog struggles to settle outdoors, that’s worth a chat with your vet. For everything else, see our Worcestershire dog services hub, and for a fenced space to let a reactive dog run, our secure dog fields in Worcestershire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many dogs can I walk in the Wyre Forest district?
Up to six per person under the district council’s order, in force from 1 October 2026 for three years.
Should my dog be on a lead on the Malvern Hills?
The Malvern Hills Trust asks for close control and a lead wherever grazing animals are. Livestock graze year-round, so keep a lead handy.
Can my dog swim at Croome?
No. The National Trust says no swimming in the lake or river at Croome.
Written by Georgiana & Figo, who has strong views on hillside sheep.
