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Dog friendly beaches- East and North-East of England

Over the weekend we set out to find you dog friendly beaches around the South and Southwest of England. Whilst the sun is still shining, we now wanted to also bring you our recommendations for the East and North-East of England.

Kent

  • Abbots Cliff Beach. Pebble and shingle. Nearest town: Folkestone. This is a naturist beach!
  • Dumpton Gap Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Broadstairs. Despite the less than appealing name, it is a nice little beach! Includes lots of facilities.
  • Dungeness Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Lydd. Punctuated by two lighthouses and the hulking form of the Dungeness nuclear power station.
  • Epple Bay. Sandy. Nearest town: Margate. Be aware, as when the tide comes in the beach all but disappears!
  • Fulsam Rock Beach. Sand and rock. Nearest town: Margate. At high tide, there isn’t much of a beach just the promenade and slipway but makes a nice dog walk!
  • Hampton Pier – West Beach (Stud Hill). Sand and shingle. Nearest town: Whitstable. From the beach, there are views out over Thames Estuary!
  • Isle of Grain Beach. Sand and shingle. Nearest town: Rochester. Behind the beach are open fields criss-crossed with paths, perfect for dog walking. Also, a five-minute walk up the lane from the beach is the village of Grain where you will find a pub and shop.
  • Kingsgate Bay. Sandy. Nearest town: Broadstairs. Overlooking the southern end of the beach is Kingsgate Castle, built in the 1760’s for Lord Holland.
  • Lydden Spout Beach (Samphire Hoe). Sand and shingle. Nearest town: Dover. Situated under the famous White Cliffs of Dover!
  • Palm Bay. Sandy. Nearest town: Margate. A popular launch spot for jet skis, but also known as one of the best dog beaches in the area so expect other pooches for company.
  • Reculver Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Herne Bay. The remains of a 12th century church, with its two towers, known locally as ‘The Twin Sisters’, making a romantic backdrop and provides an excellent photo opportunity!
  • Samphire Hoe Beach. Pebble. Nearest town: Dover. A great spot for rock pooling, but not so much for swimming/paddling.
  • Sandwich Bay. Sand and Shingle. Nearest town: Sandwich. It currently costs £7 to get access by car, or you can purchase a yearly pass – both come with terms and conditions for entry.
  • Shakespear Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Dover. Accessing the beach can be considered a workout, as the most direct route is via more than 100 steps down.
  • Walmer Beach. Pebble. Nearest town: Deal. Behind the beach is the 16th century Walmer Castle, one of Henry VIII’s coastal defences!
  • Westbrook Bay. Sandy. Nearest town: Margate. Dogs must be kept on a lead between 10am-6pm between 1stMay-30th September.
  • Whitstable Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Whitstable. Whitstable Beach faces the West, meaning it is a great place to catch the sunset!

Reference: https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-east-england/kent/dogs-allowed

Norfolk

  • Brancaster Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Hunstanton. A great family spot, which is very popular for windsurfing, kite surfing and various buggies.
  • Caister Point Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Great Yarmouth. This beach is much quieter and less popular than other nearby beaches, so if you are looking for peace and quiet this is the place to go!
  • Cart Gap Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: North Walsham. Make sure to check out Smallsticks Café which has a selection of Hot and cold drinks, snacks, and meals. Dogs are allowed in the garden area only!
  • Cley Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Norwich. Dog walking is not allowed in the reserve, only on the shingle beach or on the trails to the north of the beach.
  • East Runton Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Cromer. You can glimpse Cromer’s pier in the distance, and you can walk there along the beach in around 10 minutes.
  • Gorleston Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Great Yarmouth. You cannot bring dogs to the main section of beach between 1 May and 30 September. However, dogs are allowed on the beach south of the tennis courts all year.
  • Great Yarmouth Beach (South). Sandy. Nearest town: Great Yarmouth. A generous stretch of sand between the Wellington Pier and the new outer Harbour at the mouth of the River Yare.
  • Happisburgh Beach. Sandy. Nearest beach: North Walsham. Home to the iconic red and white candy-striped lighthouse, which is the oldest working lighthouse in the UK dating back to 1791!
  • Heacham – North Beach (Stubborn Sands). Sandy. Nearest town: Hunstanton. A very popular beach with dog walkers and you can easily walk into Hunstanton along the promenade.
  • Holme next the sea Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Hunstanton. Dogs are allowed on the beach all year round. However, dogs need to be kept under control near the Holme Nature Reserve, particularly during the nesting season.
  • Horsey Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Great Yarmouth. Whilst dogs are allowed it is best not to bring them on the beach during the winter as they will disturb the seals.
  • Mundesley Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: North Walsham. Dogs are banned from the Promenade section of the beach between 1 May and 30 September. The rest of the beach is dog-friendly year-round.
  • Old Hunstanton Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Hunstanton. Another great spot to take in the sunset!
  • Trimingham Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Cromer. Although a little awkward to reach, this beach is very popular with dog walkers.
  • Waxham Beach (Waxham Sands). Sandy. Nearest town: North Walsham. Another beach great for seal spotting!
  • Wells / Holkham Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Wells next the Sea. There are no restrictions on Holkham beach at any time, but dogs are not allowed on the eastern end of Wells beach, in front of the beach huts.
  • Weybourne Beach. Pebble. Nearest town: Sheringham. This dog friendly beach is fairly easy to get to.
  • Winterton On Sea. Sandy. Nearest town: Great Yarmouth. Just inland from the beach is one of the first wind farms in the UK at Blood Hill. Whilst just offshore is another larger wind farm. All this should give a hint that it is often breezy along this stretch of coast so you might want to bring your windbreak.

Reference: https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-east-england/norfolk/dogs-allowed

Essex

  • Canvey Island – Thorney Bay. Sandy. Nearest town: Southend-On-Sea. To the rear of the beach is a large flat grassy area with a play park, ideal when the kids have had enough of making sand castles!
  • Irlam’s Beach (Earlham’s). Sandy. Nearest town: Harwich. A nice quiet spot to relax and take in the views across the sea towards the docks.
  • Mersea Stone Beach. Sand and shingle. Nearest town: Brightlingsea. On the eastern shore of the beach are the remains of a World War II pillbox.
  • Osea Island Beach. Shingle. Nearest town: Maldon. The island is reachable by a narrow causeway at low tide only.
  • St Osyth Beach. Sand and pebble. Nearest town: Brightlingsea. This beach is frequented by naturists and dog walkers.
  • The Naze Beach. Sandy. Nearest town: Walton-on-the-Naze. A spot that oozes both ancient and modern history.
  • West Mersea Beach. Sand and pebble. Nearest town: West Mersea. What keeps Mersea special is the fact it is an island connected to the mainland by a causeway which all but disappears on the highest tides.

Reference: https://www.thebeachguide.co.uk/south-east-england/essex/dogs-allowed

There is still time should you wish to make the most of this lovely weather, and head down to the beach with your four-legged friend. Make sure to tag us in your photos on social media and stay safe. You can find our summer and beach advice by heading over to our advice page. Looking to head to a beach in the South and South-West? We have got you covered here.