Dog Friendly Braunton: Saunton Takes Dogs All Year

Short answer: Saunton Sands, ten minutes away, allows dogs all year round — three miles of open sand and one of the best winter walks in the country. Braunton Burrows is vast, free and quiet even in August.

The year-round beach

This is the reason to base yourself in Braunton with a dog. Saunton Sands is ten minutes away, runs three miles, and allows dogs every day of the year — unlike Croyde and Woolacombe, which zone in summer.

It faces west, so the sunsets are the best in north Devon, and in winter you will have most of it to yourself.

Where to walk

• Braunton Burrows — the largest dune system in England and a UNESCO biosphere, with D-Day training structures still standing in it. Vast, free and quiet.
• Crow Point — a wild beach at the estuary mouth, reached by a £2.50 toll road with a coin-operated barrier. Bring change.
• Northam Burrows across the estuary — a huge open beach with a visitor centre and café. Dogs on leads.
• Baggy Point at Croyde, ten minutes west — a National Trust headland loop of about two and a half miles.
• The Tarka Trail — flat, paved and traffic-free, with no mud however wet it has been.

Beach dog rules in Devon change with the season — most restrictions run 1 May to 30 September and lift for the winter. The sign at the entrance is the authority, and neighbouring beaches can differ.

Where to eat with a dog

• The Williams Arms at Wrafton — a carvery served every day.
• The Duck Dive on Caen Street — the best-rated place to eat in Braunton, with big breakfasts.
• Beachside Grill at Saunton — right beside the sands, with a proper kitchen.
• The white lion on North Street — the village local, with a beer garden and live music.

In the dunes

Braunton Burrows is a nature reserve as well as a playground. Keep dogs under control around ground-nesting birds, especially in spring, and be aware it is easy to lose your bearings once you are in among the dunes.