What makes Saunton Sands so great for dogs?

• It’s a long, straight, stretch of sand.

• There’s plenty of space for everyone to claim a spot

• At low tide especially, this beach is enormous!

• The shallow waters are perfect for water dogs to run, splash and play, too

It is no secret that North Devon is absolutely packed full of beautiful beaches that are the ideal location to spend the day or take a walk. One of the popular choices has to be Saunton Sands, famous for appearing as the location in Robbie Williams hit song Angels.

Aside from being a much-loved beach by the man itself, surfers, families and dog walkers also call Saunton Sands their own and when the weather is warm and sunny, it can be a busy place to visit.

I know what some of you might be asking; “What about if you have a dog as a part of my family?”. Well, if you want to know more about taking your dog to Saunton Sands, then read on to hear about some of the basics that you are going to need to know if you are planning a walk on the beach.

All about Saunton Sands

One of the main reasons that Saunton Sands is such a popular beach for people visiting or living in North Devon, is simply down to the fact that it is a long, straight, stretch of sand, with plenty of space for everyone to claim a spot, especially at low tide this beach is enormous!

If this wasn’t enough it also boasts a long stretch of water, which makes it an ideal choice for surfers and families who want to be able to splash about in the water, or perhaps work on their surfing skills. Especially those who are new to surfing and need a calmer stretch of water to practice in. The shallow waters are perfect for water dogs to run, splash and play, too.

The waters at Saunton are shallow so safe for dogs to run around in.

Aside from this, there are other things that make Saunton Sands a great choice to spend some time at. It has a range of food outlets that you can buy hot and cold food from, you can also visit the beach shop if you need to buy any specific items.

There are also well maintained toilets that are available to be used, as well as disabled access toilets. Not only this but if you are looking for a disabled friendly beach, then Saunton Sands is known to be one of the only beaches in North Devon to have a Landeez all terrain wheelchair that can be used, this will allow someone with limited mobility to be able to enjoy everything that the beach has to offer, even heading down to the sea if they want.

When can I take my dog to Saunton Sands?

The great thing about Saunton Sands is that it is an entirely dog friendly beach. It doesn’t matter the time of year, your dog is allowed to join the rest of your family on this beach.

There’s plenty of space for everybody to enjoy.

The only thing that you need to keep in mind with Saunton Sands is that there is a zoning system that you do need to adhere to. This means that you need to keep your dog on its lead for the first 5 or so minutes of your walk down the beach, but after that they are allowed off their lead and can run around freely for the other 3.5 miles of the beach! You are also asked not to take dogs to the right of the slip way as you head down to the beach. But this is barely a sacrifice - the beach is so huge you wouldn’t want to be in the busiest part of it anyway.

If you want to avoid the busiest part of the beach then find the path from the car park which takes you over the dunes and further up the beach. If you have a nervous or reactive dog who doesn’t like crowds then this is a great idea to help them avoid stress and get them to the quieter bit faster and without having to avoid as many families, picnics and other distractions.

Saunton also has the most enormous sand dunes to walk and play on. which are called Braunton Burrows. You are asked to keep your dog on a lead within the fenced area but other than this you can walk freely around. The dunes are expansive and very beautiful and from the top you will have a wonderful view over the beach and, as the sun goes down, hopefully a beautiful sunset. You could try parking at the Braunton Burrows car park and having a longer walk to the beach over the dunes. At this end of the beach it is much quieter. I’ve been at this end before and i’ve been the only person there! It’s truly a magical place which has to be seen to be believed.

Watch out for cattle grazing on the dunes though. They are moved between different zones. A good place to get up-to-date information about their whereabouts is the Braunton Burrows Public Information facebook page.

As you can see, Saunton Sands is an ideal place to take your dog for a family day out or holiday. It is always worthwhile keeping in mind that there is a good chance that the beach will be busy at the main car park end and it will also have plenty of dogs on there. This means that if your dog is nervous or doesn't cope well with crowds, then you might want to visit at a time when the beach is likely to be quieter. Or simply walk up the beach for 10 minutes and it will much emptier. This beach really is so enormous, especially at low tide, that there is more than enough room for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Why not coincide your visit to Saunton Sands or Braunton Burrows with a photo shoot for your dog? It’s a dog paradise that they will love, the views are magnificent and it will be sure to be an experience you will all enjoy.

Don’t hesitate to drop me a message to discuss your needs. I can tailor any photo shoot to fit around you and your best friend.

PHOTO SHOOTS FOR DOGS | OUTDOOR DOG PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Top tips for taking your dog to Exmouth beach

There is something amazing about being able to walk along a beach, no matter what the weather. It can be relaxing just simply being there, watching those waves crash against the shore. One thing that can make the entire experience even better is sharing it with your dog. Watching them running around, splashing in the water and just generally having an amazing time is a memory that you are going to treasure forever. 

The only trouble with this, particularly in areas such as East Devon, is that it can be hard to find a decent dog friendly beach that you can take a walk along. This is especially true during the summer months when certain restrictions are put in place across many of the most popular beaches in the UK. 

Archie enjoying jumping over the rocks at Exmouth beach

If you are looking to spend some quality time with your dog on the beach it’s always important to do some proper research, which we all know can take hours. This is why I’ve put together this post, which goes through all the key information about walking your dog on Exmouth beach. By doing the hard work for you, all you have left to do is work out the best time to go and enjoy the beach with your dog. 

Betsy and Boo posing on the sands - this was taken at a very low tide at Orcombe Point

Remember the timings 

The time of year can have a big impact on where you can walk your dog. Between the months of October (1st) and April (30th) you are able to walk with your dog freely along the Jurassic Coast of East Devon and the Exmouth area. Exmouth is the main beach in the area that gets a lot of sand, especially at low tide so to get the most out of your experience I would suggest planning for low tide, but there is sand most of the time and in the winter months you are free to walk all the way along the beach. At low tide Orcombe point at the eastern end of the beach opens up and this is where I like the most as it has more variety with the rocks (and fewer people) than the beach towards the town end. I find my tides book really helpful as it gives me the local tide times for the whole year. It’s only a few pounds so for forward planning I highly recommend it. 

Quattro having fun running through the shallow waters

Deefa and Toffee having fun on the sand at low tide

Walking dogs in the summer 

As soon as 1​st​ May comes around the exclusion zones for dogs on Exmouth beach kicks in. This means that a large stretch of the beach is now a dog free zone. Dogs are not allowed on the beach just before Orcombe Point right up to the Octagon in the west. This means that a large section of the beach is now dog-free and it will be much harder to walk your dog. The exclusion lasts until 30 September. For a map which shows the you the areas that dogs are excluded from see here - you’ll need to scroll down a few pages to get to the Exmouth map.

It is also important to remember that during the summer months, Exmouth beach can get very busy. With a smaller area marked out for dogs to walk on, this can mean that your dog is going to be in close proximity to lots of other dogs. Therefore, you should only take your dog for a walk on the beach if they are comfortable being around other dogs and people.

If you are concerned about having only a small area to walk on, then you could always go to the end of the beach by Orcombe Point when the tide is out. The beach area at this point is much larger, which means that you can let your dog have a proper run around. But still, when it’s busy parking can be an issue.

An alternative to the main beach is the area just west of the town in the estuary. At low tide this opens up to a very large expanse of sand (some of it muddy and boggy) and I’ve been here when it’s been very busy at the main beach but here it’s fairly quiet. So it’s a great alternative. You can park on The Royal Avenue or at the nearby Imperial Road short stay car park. You can take a walk on the sandy bits (aka The Duckpond) and then go along the Exe Estuary Trail.  If you are feeling intrepid you can also walk across the estuary to Starcross and back, but clearly you’d need to check the tides as you don’t want to get caught out by an incoming tide! I’ve not done that walk myself yet but I’ve been told it’s really nice (I don’t have pictures of this area, yet).

Parking

You should also keep in mind that parking can be limited by Exmouth beach, particularly in the summer. Therefore, you may find that it is more beneficial to you and your dog if you travel to the beach earlier in the morning or later in the the evening. That way you are much more likely to find yourself a parking space and will definitely have the opportunity to have fun on the beach with your dog. Plus it won’t be as hot. Having said this, I have always been able to park, I just might find myself walking along the promenade for a while before getting to the Orcombe Point end. Make sure you bring plenty of change. It’s not cheap to park here. You can also pay with a phone app so prepare for that too if you don’t have change.

Photo shoots for dogs at the beach

If you are just visiting Exmouth for a walk on the beach or if you are staying here for the long-term, then why not capture some fantastic images of your best friend to treasure forever? I can organise a photoshoot for your dog and work around your needs. See more information about my photo shoots.

Sunset at Exmouth beach - it’s a wonderful time for a walk on the beach and a photo shoot too!