Dog friendly beaches in Yorkshire

Dogs allowed: 1 October to 30 April

A classic Victorian beach front, the southern stretch of sand at Hornsea in East Riding welcomes your family’s best furry friend all year round. Hornsea South is a shingle and sand beach that links up with the larger stretch of shoreline to the north with its long promenade and attractive seafront gardens that hark back to its 19th-century seaside resort origins.

Hornsea is well-equipped with amenities – public toilets, convenient parking and food outlets are all on offer. The shoreline is popular for water sport enthusiasts, as well as for birdwatchers, and walkers who may be starting or ending their journey across the Trans Pennine Trail. The beach has a European Blue Flag award and comes with a Marine Conservation Society recommendation which makes it a great swimming spot for both you and the furry family member.

Dogs allowed: all year round

Fraisthorpe beach, also known as Auburn Sands, is the coastline of the village of Fraisthorpe in East Riding and is a long stretch of shore than runs all the way northwards to meet the beach at Bridlington. Park up at Auburn Farm for cheap and head down to this wild beach that runs on as far as the eye can see. Fraisthorpe is a heaven for spirited canines who are free to bound across the flat sandy shores to their heart’s delight all year round.

For the brave amongst us, and certainly the furry friend in tow, Fraisthorpe is also a popular beach for swimming, though doesn’t have a lifeguard service so do take care of the waves. If you’re in need of some sustenance after all the excitement of the shore, swing by the Cowshed Tea Shop which welcomes both you and your pooch to relax and take in the sea view whist enjoying a range of freshly baked goods and finest Yorkshire teas.

Dogs allowed: all year round

We’re all familiar with the famous shores of Whitby but follow the curving coast round to the northwest and you’ll come across this hidden treasure tucked into the cove at Kettleness. Kettleness is one for adventurous and agile pooches, and families with older children as it’s not the easiest beach to access, but well worth the scrabble down to the sand and rock shores. Kettleness Beach has no restrictions on dogs, so your pooches are free to roam and scramble amongst the craggy coves at any time of year. This remote and unusual beach links up with the Cleveland Way National Trail, a diverse and beautiful 110-mile route along the North Yorkshire Heritage Coast which is also well worth exploring with your best canine friend.

Kettleness is probably best known by fossil hunters, with both ammonites and even dinosaur bones to be found amongst the cliffs. There’s also a beautiful waterfall that your pooch will love to splash and play under whilst you admire the stunning natural beauty of the cliff face. Of all the dog-friendly beaches in Yorkshire, Kettleness comes up trumps for its unusual terrains and secluded location.

Dogs allowed: all year round

Another spot on the Cleveland Way, and slightly further round the coast to the north is the bay of Runswick, a real beauty spot of the Yorkshire shoreline. It’s also another beach which welcomes dogs all year round to pootle around the rock pools or run wild atop the cliffs. The bay is a popular location for canoeing and surfing and boasts some of the best waters for cod fishing in the region. Keep your eyes peeled for seals, too, which can be spotted at any time of year bobbing in the sea or relaxing on the rocks.

Head into the old fishing village of Runswick Bay with its chocolate-box cottages and quaint meandering streets that will leave you feeling as though you’ve stepped back in time. Other landmarks of its heritage include a small Methodist chapel built by the wives and daughters of the fisherman in the early 19th-century and the old RNLI lifeboat station.

Dogs allowed: all year round

Once one of the biggest fishing ports in the northeast, Staithes Beach is the meeting point of the North York Moors and the sea. The location is perhaps best known by young families for being the setting of CBBC’s Old Jack’s Boat, a charming series about a retired fisherman and his four-legged ship mate, Salty the dog. Staithe’s is a great spot for real life Saltys too, welcoming pooches all year round to frolic amongst rock pools and splash in the shores of one of the smallest but cosiest dog-friendly beaches in Yorkshire.

The village of Staithes offers a wide range of food outlets for the whole family and furry friend to feast in after working up an appetite in the sea air. The Captain Cook Inn, Cod & Lobster Seafood Restaurant and The Fox & Hounds Pub are all firm favourites for a meal with a four-legged friend in tow.