Holland Park Woodland and Kyoto Garden Circular
London
Holland Park covers 22.5 hectares of former grounds around Cope Castle, later Holland House, a Jacobean mansion largely destroyed by wartime bombing and now standing as ruins used for an open-air theatre; dogs go on a lead here among the free-roaming peacocks that have the run of the park. This circular route of around 2.5km winds through the park's semi-wild woodland, one of the last fragments of the ancient forest that once covered much of this part of London, before passing the Dutch Garden's formal box hedging and skirting the Kyoto Garden, a Japanese garden gifted by the city of Kyoto in 1991 with a waterfall, koi pond and maple trees, which dogs cannot enter. The ground undulates gently through the woodland and is level around the formal gardens, all on well-made paths.
This is a dog friendly park but not a free-roaming one: the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea requires dogs to be kept on lead in the woodland and in the formal gardens, and dogs are not permitted in the Kyoto Garden at all. Part of the appeal, and the complication, is the park's free-roaming peacocks, which are used to visitors and will sometimes approach a dog on lead, so a calm, controllable dog matters more here than most London parks. There is no livestock and plenty of shade under the mature woodland canopy. The park has a cafe and toilets near the Ilchester Place entrance, and pay-by-phone parking is available on site, though spaces are limited and the area gets busy at weekends.
At a Glance
- Distance
- 2.5 km (1.6 miles)
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Duration
- 45 min
- Walk Type
- Woodland, Historic
- Route Type
- Circular
- Off Lead Potential
- Low
- Livestock Risk
- None
- Facilities
- Cafe and public toilets near the Ilchester Place entrance.
- Parking
- Pay-by-phone car park within the park, off Abbotsbury Road; limited spaces.
Dog Friendly Stays Nearby
Make a weekend of it. These are the closest dog friendly places to stay to Holland Park Woodland and Kyoto Garden Circular, each one checked for its dog policy before we listed it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Holland Park Woodland and Kyoto Garden Circular dog friendly?
Holland Park welcomes dogs throughout most of the park, including the semi-wild woodland and past the formal gardens, earning it a 6/10 on our dog-friendly rating. Dogs are required to stay on lead throughout, and they're not permitted inside the Kyoto Garden at all, so it's more of a structured outing than a free-roaming one — but still a lovely walk for the right dog.
Can dogs be off lead at Holland Park Woodland and Kyoto Garden Circular?
No — the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea requires dogs to be kept on lead at all times in both the woodland and the formal gardens. If you're hoping for an off-lead run, Holland Park isn't the place for it, but the 2.5km circular route is a pleasant and interesting on-lead walk through genuinely beautiful surroundings.
What should I know before visiting Holland Park Woodland and Kyoto Garden Circular with my dog?
The biggest thing to be aware of is the park's free-roaming peacocks — they're used to visitors and will sometimes walk right up to a dog, so a calm, controllable dog on lead is really important here. Dogs also cannot enter the Kyoto Garden itself, so you'll be admiring it from the perimeter. On the practical side, there's a cafe and toilets near the Ilchester Place entrance, and pay-by-phone parking is available within the park off Abbotsbury Road, though spaces are limited and it gets busy at weekends.
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