Short answer: Devon's summer beach dog restrictions typically run from 1 May to 30 September, lifting for the whole winter. Read the sign at the beach entrance — it is the authority, and zoning varies between neighbouring beaches.
Summer dog restrictions on Devon beaches typically run from 1 May to 30 September, with the whole of October to April unrestricted. That is the pattern across most of the county's managed beaches.
But the detail varies beach by beach, and neighbouring beaches under different councils can have different rules on the same stretch of sand. The sign at the entrance is the authority — not a website, including this one.
Putsborough sits at the southern end of the same three miles of sand as Woolacombe and has its own car park and its own signage. Woolacombe zones its beach in summer, restricting the busy central section while allowing dogs at the ends.
If you are walking the full three miles between the two at low tide, you may cross more than one set of rules. Check the signs at whichever end you start.
This is the part worth planning around. From 1 October the restrictions lift and three miles of flat sand becomes one of the best winter dog beaches in the country — empty, with easy parking and no zoning to worry about.
Oddicombe at Torquay does not allow dogs at any time of year, even though the cliff railway down to it carries them. Worth knowing before you make the trip.
Ring the relevant council or look at their beach page before driving. Dog rules are reviewed each spring and the dates occasionally shift.
See the full Woolacombe guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Woolacombe →