Poole and Bournemouth Eye

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Dogs on Poole Beaches

Dogs are not permitted on the main beaches between 1st May & 30th September except for two areas of beach one to the west of Sandbanks promenade and the other on the eastern side of Branksome Chine where they are welcome all year round.

At Sandbanks the dog friendly area is the stretch of beach between the west of Sandbanks promenade and the Sandbanks ferry terminal. This area of dog friendly beach can be accessed either by parking at the main Sandbanks beach car park and then walking to the right along the promenade (your dog must be on a lead along the prom) or when spaces are available by parking in the small car park on the left hand side of the Sandbanks ferry terminal - just follow the signs for the ferry and then turn to the left just past the parade of shops.

Once parked follow the road back past the shops for a few minutes until you reach the footpath on the right which leads straight to the dog walking beach. Dog waste bins are available at the beach entrance at the end of the footpath. Although dogs are welcomed on this section of the beach strong currents mean that it is not particularly safe for swimming so don't be tempted to throw the ball too far!

Branksome Chine Beach

Golden sands and a gently sloping beach make Branksome chine a safe beach for children and swimming. Branksome Chine beach is easily accessible from Sandbourne Road in Branksome Park with disabled parking, toilets and refreshments available.

Part of Branksome chine beach is dog friendly, this is the area from the Eastern side of the Beach Office to the Poole/Bournemouth boundary.

Canford Cliffs Chine Beach

Canford Cliffs Chine Beach also has golden sand and is gently sloping making it another safe beach for children. Alas there is no car park at this beach and road side spaces fill up quickly at peak times. Along the promenade there are excellent facilities including refreshments and a disabled toilet but the beach access from nearby roads is only by steep steps down from the cliff top.

Hamworthy Park Beach

Hamworthy Park beach is situated in Lulworth Avenue about a mile from Poole town centre, the beach is sandy but not golden but it does offer good views of the Purbeck coastline. Its facilities include refreshments during the Summer months and disabled parking & toilets.

 

Lake Drive Beach (Lake Pier Beach)

Also in Hamworthy this beach offers a mix of sand and shingle above the tide line but is quite muddy at low tide. Lake Drive beach also adjoins a small nature reserve and Special Site of Scientific Interest Hamworthy Common. Also known as Ham Common the area is a mix of shrub and heath land with a good sized lake, the lake is a disused gravel pit and is not safe for swimming but does attract a good variety of birds and other wildlife.

This is probably one of the best beaches in Poole for dog walkers especially towards high tide as there are some nice circular walks up through the common and back along the beach.

Sandbanks Beach & Peninsular

Sandbanks beach has won several awards including the European 'Blue Flag' and Tidy Britain Group 'Seaside Award'. Sandbanks beach is made up of fine golden sands and is gently sloping so safe for children. There are numerous facilities on offer including windsurfing, pedalos, canoeing and volleyball. At the Shore road end of the beach there is both sailing and windsurfing tuition available. Close to the beach there are hotels and restaurants, while refreshments are also available on the beach itself. There is ample parking including disabled spaces although queues are likely at peak times.

A good section of the beach at Sandbanks is dog friendly but don't allow your dog to go out too far as there are some strong currents along this part. Dogs are allowed on the stretch of beach that runs from the western end to Haven Point (by the Sandbanks chain ferry).

Shore Road Beach

Shore road is situated on the opposite side of the narrow peninsular that makes up Sandbanks. Although in general it is another excellent safe beach for children swimming is not allowed when the red flags are flying, this beach has plenty of facilities on offer including disabled parking and toilets, showers, refreshments and first aid.