Dog walking bans on beaches now in force across the UK
The restrictions run from May to September and local regulations could mean hefty fines.
The dog bans are there to protect water quality and keep beaches safe and clean for visitors, but some pet owners may be unaware of them.
Chris Maxted, director of retractable dog gate supplier Dog-G8, shares the regions with beaches still available for dogs and how to check local regulations to avoid fines of up to £1,000.
What are seasonal beach bans?
"Seasonal dog bans on UK beaches are a practical measure to protect water quality and maintain the Blue Flag status that many coastal areas value,' Mr Maxted explained.
"Dog excrement and urine can have a significant impact on water quality, making it unsuitable for swimming.
"Public Spaces Protection Orders allow councils to enforce beach bans during peak seasons to reduce contamination from dog fouling.
"These rules aim to create a safer and cleaner environment for everyone, while making sure coastal waters remain suitable for bathing."
Where could I be fined?
"It's important for dog owners to check before visiting beaches, as the rules can vary significantly,' Mr Maxted said.
"Many beaches allow dogs from October 1 to April 30 but enforce restrictions from May to September under Public Space Protection Orders.
"Some areas will implement complete bans, while others impose partial bans, such as requiring dogs to be kept on leads or limiting them to promenades.
"Ignoring these rules can result in a £100 on-the-spot fine or, if escalated to court, a fine of up to £1,000."
To find out which beaches are open all year round and dog-friendly, it's best to check your local council website.
Regions with dog-friendly beaches
Devon: 79
Cornwall: 60
Northumberland: 37
Dorset: 37
Cumbria: 24
Yorkshire: 24
Norfolk: 21
Kent: 19
East Sussex: 18
Isle of Wight: 15
County Durham: 12
Merseyside: 11
West Sussex: 11
Suffolk: 9
Essex: 8
Lancashire: 8
Lincolnshire: 5
Hampshire: 4
Tyne and Wear: 3
Gloucestershire: 1
Isles of Scilly: 1
Recommended reading:
"Across England, many counties offer a variety of dog-friendly beaches all year round, with Devon leading the way with 79 locations,' Mr Maxted added.
"This gives dog owners plenty of opportunities to enjoy the coast with their pets without the worry of seasonal restrictions."
Guide dogs are allowed on beaches all year round but only when working, in a harness and controlled by a lead.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
I make £10,000 each summer renting my house to rich tourists – I live with my daughter in a caravan in mum's garden
LIKE many mums, I'm already planning the summer holidays in Cornwall. I'm budgeting carefully to make my money stretch as far as possible but unlike many of my mates, I'm not just watching the pennies this summer - I'm making them, too. 6 So as my daughter Mabel and I splashing about at Jubilee Pool in Penzance, watch a kids' show at the Minack Theatre and wander around the Eden Project, we'll be earning while we're relaxing. I'm renting our family home in Cornwall to tourists, so we can earn an extra £10k over the peak summer months. To make it work, Mabel, 7, and I are swapping our house for a caravan at my parents' farm in north Cornwall. People tell me that I'm mad to give up our comfy home to live in a less-than-glam caravan for six weeks with a small child. PRECIOUS TIME But while they're glued to laptops or forking out for childcare, I'll be bringing in enough money to cut back my working hours and spend more precious time with my daughter. I'd much rather give up my sofa and Wi-Fi than work flat-out all summer, feeling like I'm failing my boss and my child. My daughter and I live in a standard three-bedroom house at the edge of Cornwall's Roseland Peninsula. It's not in one of the posh tourist hotspots like St Mawes or Portloe, where the seafront rentals go for between £4k and £8k a week. But it's definitely close enough to the sea to tempt holidaymakers looking for a more affordable base. A 10-minute drive gets you to the fairytale-like Caerhays Castle or the long stretch of sand at Carne Beach and Pendower. The seaside town of Newlyn in Cornwall has been dubbed as one of the 'coolest' places to relocate 6 Go a little further, around 20 minutes, and you've got the Lost Gardens of Heligan and Mevagissey's working harbour and quaint shops. I've teamed up with a friend who owns several holiday cottages nearby. Her properties get snapped up early, mostly by returning guests, so when someone misses out, she recommends my house. Holiday costs in Cornwall have shot up since lockdown, and many people are pleased to find somewhere peaceful for well under half the price of a typical seafront stay. Getting the house up to scratch for paying guests is the most labour-intensive bit. I charge £2,000 per week and pay my friend a 10 percent commission, which works out at around £200 a week. In return, I get lovely, respectful guests and none of the marketing and admin stress. Our bookings for this summer are confirmed, and Mabel and I will be making the most of the great outdoors by July. Anyone can rent their property out - you just need to ensure you have fire doors fitted and check the terms of your house insurance and mortgage. In London and some other places, you're limited to a maximum of 90 days rental. Most people I speak to assume that the hardest part is living in a caravan. But honestly, getting the house up to scratch for paying guests is the most labour-intensive bit. It's no small task, so I do odd jobs here and there. Though it's only May, I'm already repainting scuffed walls and doors, booked a plumber to replace the shower, and filled the flower beds with marigolds and petunias. In all, I'll spend around £1,000 on repairs that probably need doing anyway. It's the thought of guests arriving that motivates me to get them done, instead of endlessly putting them off. As for our own summer living quarters, the 20-year-old caravan isn't exactly boutique. 6 It's been sitting, mostly disused, between an outhouse and polytunnel at the bottom of my parents' garden for years. But it's got everything you need for an outdoorsy summer. There's electricity, a toilet and sink in the outhouse. And I've kitted it out with a kettle, microwave, a second-hand fridge-freezer and a cheap double electric hob. We're bringing bunting, solar-powered fairy lights, an inflatable paddling pool and a fire pit for marshmallow toasting. HOLIDAY HACK I love to give the place a proper holiday vibe, even if there's no fancy hot-tub or Instagrammable outdoor pizza oven. We'll venture into my parents' house to make the most of the shower and bath, but even though mum asked us to live with them for the holidays, our different approaches to parenting make this nearly impossible. A caravan seems like a healthy compromise, as we all get our own space, yet they will be close by on the farm. Plus, my mum is happy to help with Mabel a couple of days a week, so I can keep my freelance business going. Every Saturday, I'll make the one-hour drive back to the house to clean, wash the sheets and towels and tackle any urgent maintenance issues. Last year, I took a month off work and also paid off a chunk off the mortgage with the extra cash. I first tried this money-making trick back in 2011, when I was a grad student in Devon living on a £14k a year grant. Each summer, I'd rent out my waterfront flat for up to a week at a time, while working at residential summer schools and sleeping in student halls. Instead of spending the extra money, I saved it up and eventually used it to put down a deposit on a second property in Cornwall. But now I'm a single parent and mortgage interest rates are high, I've found myself relying on this holiday hack for the last few summers. Last year, I took a month off work and also paid off a chunk off the mortgage with the extra cash. It's not always smooth sailing as caravan life does have its challenges, especially when it rains. Come September, we'll be grateful not to dash outside to use the loo in a downpour. I would love to put the cash towards a summer spent abroad one day, in a place with guaranteed sunshine. For now, a rustic British summer with my little one will do just fine. 6
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Met Office thunderstorm warning forecasts disruption
A warning for thunderstorms has been issued across parts of England and Wales including Devon and Met Office said the warning would be active between 09:00 and 18:00 BST on Saturday and cover an area from England's south coast to the Midlands along with parts of South warning said heavy showers and thunderstorms could lead to some disruption to transport and affect journey times by car, train and said the conditions were expected for much of Saturday before fading from the west during the mid to late afternoon. The warning covers the whole of Devon and spreads into East Cornwall including Bude, Launceston and Met Office said more persistent rain and showers would arrive in the South West on Friday evening before heading to the east forecast added it would become windy in the South West by dawn on Saturday. 'Additional hazards' The Met Office said 10-15mm (1-1.5cm) of rain could fall in less than an hour while some areas could have 30-40mm (3-4cm) of rainfall over several hours with "successive showers and thunderstorms".It added the stormy conditions which might include hail could cause short-term loss of power and damage to buildings from lightning strikes."Frequent lightning, hail and strong, gusty winds will be additional hazards," the Met Office said.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘The hotel had a dog spa': readers' favourite dog-friendly holidays
Recently, Cornwall Council lifted the season-long dog ban on many of the county's beaches, restricting it to just July and August rather than the six months or so it had been previously. The council publishes a list of beaches, with all restrictions listed, that it's important to check before heading out (there are still 11 beaches where dogs are banned between 10am and 6pm, and there are three protected wildlife areas where they are banned at all times). One of the best beaches, we think, is at Gunwalloe where visitors can stay at the National Trust holiday cottage right by the beach and the cafe has water bowls for dogs. Church Cove is restricted for dog owners in July and August but Dollar Cove next door is dog-friendly at all times. The coast path runs right along the beaches and takes you over to Poldhu or Porthleven, so there are plenty of options for Astley Guardian Travel readers' tips Every week we ask our readers for recommendations from their travels. A selection of tips will be featured online and may appear in print. To enter the latest competition visit the readers' tips homepage - The four-star hotel Inn on the Square (doubles from £100 B&B) in Keswick is very dog-friendly. It provides a dog spa – very useful after a lovely walk in the fells – dog beds, and tips on green spaces for dogs to do their business. Keswick is a beautiful town with fantastic pubs on gorgeous Derwentwater. The hotel charges a nightly supplement of £25 a dog. Up to two dogs can stay in your North Firbank Cottage (from £700 a week, sleeps four) in the Culzean Castle and Country Park Estate near Maybole is a delightful cottage with two sizeable secure gardens for your dog. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is on a short private road that leads only to a couple of rentable cottages. A few minutes' walk in one direction is the estate's public car park, lake, cafe and children's adventure park, while a few minutes' in the other is the huge sandy Maidens beach (dogs welcome all year) with views of Arran and Ailsa Craig. Included in the price are miles of footpaths in the Culzean Estate and admission to the castle (but no dogs inside).David Gilmore The Isle of Man has miles of lead-free walking around the sandy beaches at the top of the island. There are 18 preserved national glens all suitable for off-lead walking – with clean rivers to splash in – and several have a lovely beach at the end. Dash around Gansey Bay beach (dogs welcome all year) in the south, then sit with your well-behaved dog in the bar of the Shore Hotel overlooking the East Ruston Cottages in north-east Norfolk are totally devoted to dogs, providing everything you need for you and your dog. All cottages take at least three dogs. The cottage we stayed in earlier this year had a dog shower and toys, towels, treats and even a birthday card for our border collie. It was lovely for us as well. The company will even provide dog sitters if needed. Margaret Dennis Ynys Môn (Anglesey) is the sort of place where you wake to gulls not traffic. We booked a cottage above Red Wharf Bay then spent each tide-out morning striding sand to Traeth Lligwy, dogs off lead (there are no dog restrictions there) and noses full of salt. Lunch meant fish and chips outside the Ship Inn where water bowls appear before menus. For rainy days there is the dog-friendly cafe at the Oriel Môn museum and arts centre or woodland walks in Newborough Forest where red squirrels flit overhead. Every evening our spaniel snored beside the log burner while we planned tomorrow's ideal beach. Pamela Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Explore ancient oak woodlands and secret beaches at The Little Retreat in Lawrenny (domes sleeping four from £120 a night), Pembrokeshire. Nestled in the walled garden of a 12th-century castle, these luxury domes are fully dog-friendly and overlook the Daugleddau estuary – perfect for wild swims and kayak adventures. Nearby, stroll to hidden coves or visit Carew Castle's dog-welcoming (on the lead) grounds. It's a wildly peaceful escape packed with history, beauty and We really enjoyed a visit to the De Vere at Cotswolds Water Park with our dog. Our ground floor room had doors opening out on to a wide wetland panorama and a boardwalk to pootle along with the dog. The usual extras (beds etc) are provided, you can take your dog to breakfast and use the spa. Nearby towns such as Cirencester are fantastic for dogs, and the biggest hit of all was the Cotswold Wildlife Park nearby, a superb dog-friendly (dogs must be kept on a lead) animal park and We spent our childhood summers at Rita's chalets in Portsalon in County Donegal. The accommodation was basic and cheap. There was no heating, TV or shower but they allowed Sandy, our faithful dog, to stay every year. We still go back but the accommodation, now called the Pier Apartments (from €310 for two nights, two apartments, sleep 5 each) has been massively upgraded. But some things have stayed the same. The harbour is still full of kids jumping into the sea from the pier. The views are as spectacular as ever, and dog-friendly Ballymastocker beach is still the best in the world. And Sandy has been replaced by The Isle of Mull is the most dog-friendly island I've ever had the pleasure of visiting. George the labrador was welcomed with open arms on the ferry crossing from Oban – where they even had a special dog seating area with bowls of water and treats available. All the beaches are breathtaking, and dogs can roam off-lead to their hearts' content. We even managed to take him on the tiny foot ferry over to The Boathouse restaurant on Ulva, where he made best friends with celebrity pooch Grampa, owned by the well-known interior designer Banjo Sedgwick
