New Year's Day in Braunton: Saunton Takes Dogs All Year

Short answer: Saunton Sands is ten minutes away, three miles long, and allows dogs every day of the year — including 1 January. Braunton Burrows is the largest dune system in England and genuinely atmospheric when empty.

The walk

Saunton Sands

Three miles of open sand, dog friendly year-round, and one of the best winter beach walks in the country. It faces west, so if the sun shows itself you get the light as well.

Braunton Burrows

The largest dune system in England and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with concrete D-Day training structures still standing in it. Vast and free. It is also easy to lose your bearings once among the dunes, so keep track of where you came in.

The flat one

The Tarka Trail runs through — paved, traffic-free and with no mud whatever the weather has done.

The swim

Saunton is the obvious water here — wide, with plenty of room to spread out, and a surf community that is in it year-round.

New Year's Day swims on this coast are organised by lifeboat crews, surf clubs and pubs rather than councils, and most are announced in the last fortnight of December on local Facebook pages. Check there rather than expecting a listing.

If you are getting in: the sea is colder on 1 January than at any point in the summer, cold water shock is the real risk rather than the temperature itself, and it is worth going in with people rather than alone. Walk in, do not dive, and get warm clothes on quickly afterwards.

Where to warm up

• The Williams Arms at Wrafton — a carvery served every day in normal weeks, with its own car park.
• The Duck Dive on Caen Street — the best-rated place to eat in Braunton.
• Beachside Grill at Saunton — right beside the sands with a proper kitchen.
• The white lion on North Street — the village local.

Almost everywhere opens later than usual on New Year's Day, and some places do not open at all. Ring in the morning rather than assuming.

One thing to check

The Crow Point toll road takes £2.50 in coins at a barrier and closes at times. Do not plan a 1 January drive out there without checking it is open and without change in the car.