Dog Friendly Beaches In Kent, UK
As we enter the New Year, with longer days and better weather just in reach, it got me thinking about one of my favourite things to do with my dachshund - walks at the beach!
Kent’s position in the southeast corner of the UK means that there is plenty of coastline to visit - over 350 miles of coast, in fact. With very few beaches in the area being completely restricted to dogs, it makes a great choice for a day out with the dog. A large number of the beaches in the county do have some restrictions during the summer months, which is quite custom in other locations around the UK due to tourism in the summer, and is imposed by local councils. However over the winter and spring there are still plenty of opportunities to take advantage of these beaches, as well as the beaches in Kent that are dog friendly all year round.
While I have collated this information to the best of my knowledge and experience living in the county, it is always recommended to check signage at the time of visiting, as failing to abide by restrictions in some of these areas can carry fines from the council. This is also not an exhaustive list, so if your chosen beach isn’t listed, check with the relevant local council.
Dog Friendly Beaches in Kent With All Year Round Access
There are a handful of beaches in the county where there are no restrictions on walking your dog.
The Warren Beach, Folkestone
The Warren is one of my absolute favourite beaches in Kent to walk the dog. Contrary to the suggestion of some other articles online, there are no restrictions here for dogs, so you can walk the dog here all year round. As such, it’s a really popular spot for dog walkers and can get very busy at low tide and in good weather.
The Warren is a beach that sits between Folkestone’s Sunny Sands and Samphire Hoe, with views out towards the White Cliffs of Dover. It is also a protected SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and Nature Reserve due to its geological significance, with it being a location that is a prime spot for fossil hunting, as well as rich in wild flowers, insects and other wildlife. Woodland paths also snake along up the cliffs.
The beach itself is comprised of a mixture of sandy and shingle, and rock formations, with rock pools forming at low tide. At high tide, parts of the beach can easily get cut off, however you can still enjoy a walk here along the concrete promenade.
Samphire Hoe, Dover
The beach at Samphire Hoe, near Dover, is also dog friendly all year round, although dogs are only permitted if kept on a lead at all times.
Samphire Hoe is a 30-hectare nature reserve that was created by Eurotunnel at the time of the construction of the Channel Tunnel, as the site designated for the disposal of the waste created by the digging of the tunnel. It opened to the public in 1997. The site also houses the UK cooling plant for the Channel Tunnel. 75% of the site houses the nature reserve, with a mix of wildflowers growing on the artificially created banks beneath the cliffs.
The walk through the reserve takes you down to a small shingle beach area, where dogs are allowed on lead all year round.
Dungeness
Dungeness is a particularly striking location which is technically speaking a “desert” and the largest shingle bank in Europe, with the beach littered with wreckage of old fishing boats. Dogs are allowed all year round but must be kept under control due to the area having wildlife and also in respect for the properties along the beach, as these are private residences.
Other Dog Friendly Beaches
Some of the other beaches in Kent that have no restrictions on dogs at any time of year include:
West Beach (Whitstable)
Dumpton Gap (Broadstairs)
Kingsgate Bay (Broadstairs)
Sandwich Bay
Walmer
Isle of Grain (Rochester)
Fulsam Rock Beach (Margate)
Shakespeare Beach (Dover)
Dog Friendly Beaches With Seasonal Restrictions
The majority of beaches in Kent are seasonally dog friendly, with restrictions on access between the dates of 1st May and 30th September. This still gives us a number of months of the year where we are able to walk our dachshund on the beach, so I have included some of my favourite examples below.
Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh
A large area of the beaches along the coast at Folkestone, Sandgate and Hythe have restrictions on dogs between 1 May and 30 September and some restrictions for dogs on lead along the promenade. Some of these are only partial restrictions, with some dog friendly sections, so it is advisable to always check signage at the time of visiting. This includes:
Sunny Sands (Folkestone)
Mermaid Beach (Folkestone)
Sandgate
Hythe
Dymchurch
Greatstone
Littlestone
St Mary’s Bay
Deal and Dover
The restrictions are slightly wider on timings in the Dover district, where dogs are not permitted between 9am and 8pm during 1 May to 30 September. This includes:
Deal
Dover
St Margaret’s Bay
Thanet
There are a number of beaches in the Thanet district which have restrictions on dogs during the summer months.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach between 1 May and 30 September at the following locations:
Minnis Bay (Birchington)
Northern Seawall (Birchington)
Grenham Bay (Birchington)
Epple Bay (Birchington)
Margate Sands (Margate)
Viking Bay (Broadstairs)
Ramsgate Sands (Ramsgate)
Other beaches in the district permit dogs outside of peak hours, so if you fancy an early morning or late evening stroll on the beach you still can with your dog. Dogs are not allowed on the beach between 10am and 6pm from 1 May to 30 September at the following locations:
West Bay (Westgate on Sea)
St Mildred’s Bay (Westgate on Sea)
Botany Bay (Broadstairs)
Joss Bay (Broadstairs)
Stone Bay (Broadstairs)
At the following locations, dogs are permitted between the hours of 10am and 6pm, but only when kept on the lead:
Louisa Bay (Westgate on Sea)
Westbrook Bay (Westgate on Sea)
Walpole Bay (Cliftonville)
Canterbury & Whitstable
Like much of the rest of Kent, the following beaches have restrictions on dogs between 1 May and 30 September.
Herne Bay
Tankerton (Whitstable)
Beaches With Complete Restrictions
Thankfully, there are very few beaches in Kent where dogs are completely banned.
There is no access at all for dogs on the beach area of mudflats and saltmarsh at Pegwell Bay Country Park near Sandwich. This is to protect the bird life nesting in this area, as the Country Park is designated as a protected area under UK and EU law. Dogs are however permitted throughout the rest of the Country Park, provided they are kept under close control.
