A NATIONAL Trust stately home is relaxing its policy on dogs - for one day only.

Visitors will be allowed to take well-behaved dogs to BBC Antiques Roadshow event a Erddig in Wrexham

The show will be filming at Erddig, near Wrexham next Thursday, July 26.

Erddig offers plenty of opportunities for bounding, jumping, sniffing and splashing throughout the country park and attracts thousands of dog walkers a year.

Closer to the Grade 1 listed historic house and gardens with stables used by horses and donkeys, the team usually restricts access for dogs for conservation, safety and welfare reasons.

Since the event is likely to be very busy and a little too noisy for our stable residents, who will be out in the fields, general manager Jamie Watson has made the decision to open up the special event to well-behaved pooches.

He said: “We’ve had scores of enquiries about bringing dogs to the event and the BBC team asked whether we could relax the policy for one day.

“The donkeys and horses will be out in their fields and our whole garden team of staff and volunteers will be on hand, staying close to the most fragile and rare features in the garden, so we decided to allow dogs for this special event.”

The house has a long history of dogs, both working and as pets; a terrier called Grip is pictured sitting on the lap of housekeeper Jane Brown; there’s a dog at carpenter, Thomas Rogers’ feet in an oil painting; a dog features in Simon Yorke II’s and his sister Etheldred’s painting; and Philip Yorke III’s dog Trixie, a border collie, is featured in the portrait by Jacqueline D. Geldart commissioned by the National Trust when Erddig opened to the public.

There is even a dog yard as part of the outbuildings and more than two hundred items listed in the collection that relate to dogs including dog collars, paintings, photographs, toys and tapestry.

Fiona Bruce and the team of Antiques Roadshow experts are getting ready to welcome thousands of visitors to the event on Thursday.

Erddig offers:

* Water for drinking bowls.

* A dog waste bin just outside the tea garden on the path down to the cup and saucer.

* Treats in the Timber Yard for pooches that have behaved themselves.

Top tips for an enjoyable dog-friendly visit:

* Short leads - it is expected to be busy with lots of dogs and children. Please keep all dogs on a short lead and if your dog is not good with other dogs or lots of people, this might not be the event for your dog