Gadebridge Park’s new dog wash is a small civic pleasure

Dacorum has installed a self-service dog wash at Gadebridge Park, the sort of amenity that sounds like a press-office trinket until you own a muddy spaniel.

Gadebridge is already the borough’s default gathering lawn. Adding a wash next to the river walks is a small piece of design empathy: people will keep coming with dogs, and the park will stay cleaner if they can rinse before they drive home.

It will be a success if it works in February, not just in the August photos. We will check.