Secure, private dog fields have taken off across the UK, but Derbyshire turned out to be a genuinely hard county to research for this category. We dug twice as deep as usual here, and this is what actually held up.
Field of Freedom, Chesterfield
Run by Rose Cottage Doggy Daycare at Crow Lane, Chesterfield, S41 7UE. This is a real, press-covered business — it featured on Channel 5’s “Dogs Behaving Badly,” where the host used the field’s secure fencing to train dogs, and it has its own dedicated page on the operator’s website.
- Booking: enquiry-only. There’s no separate online booking or published hourly price for the field on its own — the “book here” option is reserved for existing daycare clients, and new visitors need to go through an enquiry form or call 01246 938111.
- Reviews: Trustpilot shows a 3.6 out of 5 average from 6 reviews — a small sample, but one reviewer does confirm she visited and used “the field we booked” and found it secure and spacious.
- Source: rosecottagedoggydaycare.co.uk (note: the business shows signs of migrating to a new site, doglanduk.co.uk — worth checking both before you ring).
Mucky Pup Company field, Dronfield
Two former football pitches at The Akademy Ltd, Callywhite Lane, Dronfield, converted into secure dog exercise fields.
- Open 8am to 9pm daily, with staggered 50-minute sessions and a 10-minute changeover between bookings, up to 2 vehicles/6 dogs per slot, 4 reserved parking spaces.
- Important caveat: this is a temporary facility — planning permission runs for 2 years only, after which the fencing, paths and bins are due to be removed and the site reverts to sports use. Confirm it’s still operating and check current pricing before you make a special trip.
- Source: Derbyshire Times coverage of the planning approval and opening.
Just over the border: Jerry Green Dog Rescue, Blidworth
This is actually the most solidly verified option we found in the whole search, even though it sits just over the Nottinghamshire border — a registered dog rescue charity running paddock hire between Blidworth and Rainworth, close to Mansfield, roughly 10-15 miles from Chesterfield, Alfreton and Ripley.
- Price: £12 an hour for one dog plus £2 per extra dog (up to 5 dogs), or £6 for a 30-minute slot.
- Hours: 10:30am to 2:30pm daily.
- Booking: by phone or email, confirmed within 3 working hours (01623 792886).
- Source: jerrygreendogs.org.uk
What we deliberately left out
One aggregator site listed around 15 more plausible-sounding Derbyshire field names (Happy Hounds Freedom Field in Ilkeston, Broomhill Farm in Chesterfield, SecurePaws Derby, and others). We checked each one individually, twice — none has an independent website, Facebook page, Google listing or any other trace, and the aggregator itself tags every one of them as “pending,” meaning it doesn’t claim they’re confirmed, open businesses either. We’re not listing any of them as real places you can visit. A handful of other Derbyshire sites only ever reached the planning-permission stage (Calow, Smalley, Langley Mill) with no evidence any of them actually opened.
If you’ve used any of the fields above, or know of one we’ve missed, we’d genuinely like to hear about it so we can keep this page accurate. In the meantime, a few calming treats from Calmshops can take the edge off a first visit somewhere new and unfamiliar.
FAQs
Is there a secure dog field in Derbyshire?
Two candidates exist inside the county: Field of Freedom in Chesterfield (phone/enquiry booking only, thin review history) and a temporary facility at The Akademy in Dronfield (confirmed open, but on a 2-year planning permission and worth confirming is still running). The strongest verified option overall is just over the Nottinghamshire border — Jerry Green Dog Rescue’s paddock in Blidworth, near Mansfield.
How much does paddock hire cost near Derbyshire?
Jerry Green Dog Rescue’s Blidworth paddock, roughly 10-15 miles from Chesterfield and Alfreton, charges £12 an hour for one dog plus £2 per extra dog, or £6 for a 30-minute slot.
Is the Dronfield secure dog field a permanent facility?
No. It has planning permission for 2 years only, after which the site is due to revert to its previous use as football pitches. Confirm it’s still operating before visiting.
