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Tattersall Farm

Are dogs allowed at Tattersall Farm in Haverhill?

Tattersall Farm, at 542 North Broadway, is a former Tattersall family dairy farm left to Haverhill in 1999 and looked after by a trust that guards it closely. Its wooded neighbor, John's Woods, sits up the road at 755 North Broadway. This page untangles the two dog rules, describes both properties, and points to the nearest Haverhill trails where a leashed dog needs no letter.

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Last reviewed October 10, 2026 · by the Dogtown team · rules checked for fall 2026

The rule

The city requires the Trust's written permission, and the Trust says no dogs at the farm

Haverhill's conservation-area rules treat Tattersall Farm and John's Woods differently from every other city conservation area. Elsewhere, a leashed dog with its waste picked up is welcome. Here the rule adds one sentence: dog walking at Tattersall Farm and John's Woods requires prior written permission from the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust. Horse riding needs the same written permission, and access outside the standard hours, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, is granted in writing by the Trust as well.

The Trust's own website is plainer. Its trails page carries a notice headed No Dogs Allowed: dogs are not allowed at the farm because of the conservation work under way there, and John's Woods, north of the farm, is described as dog friendly. Read the two together and the practical answer is clear. Do not bring a dog to the farm. For John's Woods, ask the Trust in writing before your first walk, since the city's rule still asks for permission there.

  • Tattersall Farm: the Trust's website says no dogs
  • John's Woods: called dog friendly, but the city rule asks for written permission
  • With permission: leash on, waste removed, out of the water
  • Hunting, trapping and firearms are banned on both properties

Asking

How to ask the Trust, and what a permitted walk looks like

Neither the city nor the Trust publishes a dog permit form or a fee, so there is no formal process to describe. The Trust lists a mailing address, Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust, PO Box 456, Haverhill, MA 01831, and an online contact form. Say which property you mean, how often you would walk and that your dog is licensed and leashed, then keep the written reply with you on the walk. If the answer is no, take it as final.

With a yes for John's Woods, the city's general rules still apply: the dog stays on a leash under your control, the waste leaves with you, and dogs keep out of water bodies and off their ice. Two Tattersall lines matter for dog owners too. Throwing balls, Frisbees or other recreational projectiles is prohibited at both properties, so fetch is out, and kite flying needs the Trust's written permission.

  1. 01

    Decide which property you mean: the farm or John's Woods

  2. 02

    Write to the Trust at PO Box 456, Haverhill, MA 01831, or use its contact form

  3. 03

    Wait for a written answer before you bring the dog

  4. 04

    Carry the permission with you on the walk

  5. 05

    Leash up in the gravel lot and keep the leash on

  6. 06

    Carry the waste out and keep your dog out of Fishin' Brook

The land

The farm has 150 acres and 2.02 miles of trail; John's Woods adds a 1.1-mile wetland path

The city's Tattersall Farm page gives 542 North Broadway, 150 acres and 2.02 miles of trails, with a large gravel parking area beside the farmhouse. The Trust traces the farm to 1757 and the Haseltine family, then to Christopher and Annie Tattersall, who bought it in 1898. It was a working dairy farm for much of the 20th century, and Mary Alice Tattersall, the last of the family, entrusted it to the city in 1999. Fields, some still farmed, cover most of it, and a red oak about 14 feet 7 inches around stands in the woods to the south.

John's Woods is the wilder half. The city lists it at 755 North Broadway with a graveled parking area, 66 acres and a 1.1-mile trail of easy to moderate difficulty through forested wetland and across Fishin' Brook, where native brook trout grow to only 3 or 4 inches. The foundations of a schoolhouse that operated around 1860 to 1870 lie east of the parking lot, and those of the Chase family house to the west. The city's page lists dog walking among the uses, which is exactly why the permission question matters.

Instead

For a walk without a letter: Winnekenni Park and Brandy Brow Forest

If you want a Haverhill walk with your dog this week, the city's other conservation areas need no permission. Winnekenni Park, the city's largest, has 9.42 miles of trails around Kenoza Lake, with its main entrance at 347 Kenoza Avenue, and Brandy Brow Forest covers about 450 acres north of Route 110. Both follow the standard rules: a leash, waste removed, no dogs in the water or on the ice, and the hours from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Our pages on each cover the details.

One difference matters in the fall. Brandy Brow is open to licensed hunting in season, while Winnekenni, like Tattersall Farm and John's Woods, bans hunting altogether. From October to December that makes Winnekenni the calmer choice. After a wet walk on either, a bath and brush at our Gloucester studio is $55 to $95 by size and books online without an evaluation; Haverhill is outside the Pup Van towns, so it is a trip you plan.

  • Winnekenni Park: leashed dogs, no hunting, 9.42 miles of trail
  • Brandy Brow Forest: leashed dogs, hunting allowed in season
  • Both: open half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset
  • Both: no dogs in the water or on the ice

At Dogtown

After a permitted walk

A bath and brush by size in our Gloucester studio, booked online with no evaluation.

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Asked and answered

Questions people ask about this

Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.

Can I walk my dog at Tattersall Farm?
Not without the Trust, and in practice not at the farm. Haverhill's rules require prior written permission from the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust for dog walking at Tattersall Farm and John's Woods, and the Trust's trails page says dogs are not allowed at the farm because of its conservation work. Leave the dog at home for a farm visit.
Are dogs allowed in John's Woods?
The Trust's website calls John's Woods dog friendly, and the city's page lists dog walking among its uses. The city's conservation rules still say dog walking there requires prior written permission from the Trust, so write first. With permission, keep your dog leashed, carry the waste out and keep it out of Fishin' Brook.
How do I get written permission from the Tattersall Farm trust?
Write to the Tattersall Farm Charitable Foundation Trust at PO Box 456, Haverhill, MA 01831, or use the contact form on its website. Neither the city nor the Trust publishes a dog permit form or fee, so explain which property you mean and how you would walk, and wait for a written reply before you bring your dog.
Can I play fetch at Tattersall Farm or John's Woods?
No. Haverhill's conservation rules prohibit throwing balls, Frisbees or other recreational projectiles at Tattersall Farm and John's Woods, and kite flying needs the Trust's written permission. Smoking is banned at the farm as well. For a game of fetch, a fenced dog park is a better choice than either property.
Where can I walk a dog in Haverhill without permission?
At the city's other conservation areas, such as Winnekenni Park and Brandy Brow Forest, under the standard rules: a leash, waste collected and removed, no dogs in the water or on the ice, and hours from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Brandy Brow allows hunting in season; Winnekenni does not.

More questions? Read the full FAQ

Sources

Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.

Keep reading

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