Beaches can be as much fun for our four legged friends as for kids and us big kids, so here is a rundown of the best beaches around the UK which allow dogs to run free.
St Bees on the west Cumbria coast is the start for Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk and offers both sandy and shingle beaches, along with rock pools and good wheelchair access, toilet facilities and a children’s play area. There is an RSPB nature reserve at one end, so dog owners are asked to keep their pets controlled at that end, but most of the mile long beach is perfect for walking and letting dogs run free.
Branscombe beach in Devon is accessed down a down to the shingle and pebble beach. The beach is close to many of the popular tourist destinations such as Beer and Seaton so there’s plenty to do when you’re not letting your canine friend run free. The beach includes toilet and refreshment facilities, as well as a magnificent cliff top walk.
Whitstable beach in Kent, South East England, is a pebbled beach with wooden dividers giving the beach an authentic olde-world appearance. The village has been described as “Straight out of a Dickins Novel” with it’s wooden buildings and shops selling oysters. The beach has a long drop down to the sea so is ideally suited for dogs that both like the sea and those who prefer to keep their paws dry. The Old Neptune is apparently a good place to try the locally caught oysters according to the locals.
Holkham beach in Norfolk is what many think of as the quintessential British beach with four miles of sandy beach stretching quite a way back from the sea. Small wooden dividers peek out of the sands and beach huts make this a picture postcard beach for both dogs and their owners. Fans of the film Shakespeare In Love will no doubt recognise the beach from the closing scenes when Gwyneth Paltrow walked down the beach. The beach also forms part of one of the largest nature reserves in the UK – Holkham National Nature Reserve.
Camber Sands sandy beach in East Sussex is one of the most famous beaches in the south east of England with a long stretch of sand flat dunes meaning the beach forms small temporary rock pools, ideal to let the kids explore the local wildlife while the dogs get to run up and down to the sea. The area also has some unique wildlife for the UK including the brown tail caterpillar and the ‘sea splurge’. One thing that helps Camber Sands make it into this list is the thought that has been put into helping dogs, such as dog zones and regular waste bins. There are also a number of holiday camps in Camber Sands.
Lepe beach in Hampshire features over a mile of beach, pine fringed cliffs and wild flower meadows with magnificent views over the Solent towards the Isle of Wight. The beach has plenty of room behind with grassy areas so you’re not just restricted to the beach with you and the pooch. There is also a children’s play area, picnic areas, toilets and ample parking. The beach also has historical significance, being the place where many troops embarked for the D-Day landings.
Mawgan Porth beach in Cornwall is west facing and offers a good alternative to the very popular and often crowded beaches of Newquay and Watergate Bay. You’re most likely to only be sharing the beach with a few surfers especially during the evening. The beach does tend to mostly disappear during the evenings when the tide is in, so this might be a good beach to combine with the nearby South West Coastal Path for a longer walk. However for pure peace and tranquillity, it’s hard to beat.
Danes Dyke is on the south side of the Flamborough Headland on the east coast of Yorkshire with around 3/4 mile of sandy beach and plenty of pebbles beyond that. The beach also features dramatic white cliffs on both sides, reminiscent of the south coast. The beach goes back a long way from the sea with a gentle slope making it one of the ideal for dog walkers.
Durdle Door beach in Dorset is probably one of the most famous and photographed beaches in the UK, and naturally is very popular with dog walkers. The sandy beach curves around the cliffs towards the natural arch formed in the cliffs by the waves over thousands of years. Lulworth and Lulworth Cove are close by and access is from the car park at the Durdle Door Holiday Park (please keep dogs on a lead until you reach the beach).
The final beach is at Formby on the Merseyside coast, between Liverpool and Southport. The area is popular with wildlife spotters and is home to a large colony of red squirrels. Dogs are welcome, but the National Trust who own part the beach ask that they are kept running freely at the Lifeboat Road end of the beach away from the squirrel populations.
If you know of any beaches we’ve missed that our four-pawed would appreciate, please add them in the comments section below.
Useful links:
Campsites around beaches
Hotels around Britains beaches
Self-catering cottages in the UK
Things to see and do around the UK
2 Comments
All the beaches, with the exception of Trevone Bay, near Padstow in North Cornwall are perfect for dogs, Harlyn Bay, Constantine Bay, Porthcothan Bay, Treyarnon Bay are all recommended.
Can I just point out that the tide does not always come in during the evening which appears to be the suggestion at Mawgan Porth.
Love Formby Beach, would also add a number of Anglesey Beaches such Rhosneigr, Benllech and Newborough – all have dog friendly sections.