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.