A DORSET house has ranked fourth in a chart of the most dog-friendly National Trust properties in the UK.

Kingston Lacy House in Wimborne has landed fourth place as the most dog-friendly National Trust property in a new study by Petlandia to mark National Walking the Dog Day today.

Properties were ranked out of 100 and were given points depending on what features their offered to walkers and their four-legged friends.

Features included; allowing dogs; allowing dogs off-lead; allowing dogs in the gardens; allowing dogs in the woodlands; allowing dogs in the grounds; allowing dogs in the restaurant; allowing dogs in restaurant courtyards; if dog bins were provided; and if water was provided for dogs.

Kingston Lacy House scored 60 points out of 100 making it the fourth most dog-friendly National Trust property in the UK.

The House scored 10 points for allowing dogs, 10 points for allowing dogs in the park grounds, 10 points for allowing dogs in woodlands, 10 points for allowing dogs in the restaurant courtyards, 10 points for bins provided, and 10 points for water provided.

The House does not allow dogs off-lead, in the gardens or in the restaurant.

A representative behind the study said: “Here at Petlandia, we know how much people love their pets.

"Any dog-parent will tell you that a day-out with your dog is simply unbeatable.

"With National Walk your Dog day this weekend, we wanted to find the best days out for dog lovers everywhere, and with that in mind, we’ve compiled the best dog-friendly destinations for all the family.

"Perfect when you’ve got four more legs coming along with you."

Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster and was the family seat of the Bankes family who lived nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War.

The House was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1958 and the park and gardens are included in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at Grade II.

The house was passed on to the National Trust in 1982.

The most dog-friendly National Trust property was Sheffield Park in East Sussex.

The Park scored 100 points, closely followed by Erddig in Marchwiel, Wales, with 80 points, and Lyme in Disley, Stockport, with 70 points.

Earlier this month, the National Trust appointed a Dog Officer, in a bid to improve the dog friendliness of its locations.