Dogs on the beach
Dogs on Devon beaches
Where a council bans dogs from a beach, and when, taken from its own order. Each town below has the stretches in the order's words and today's answer.
Along the coast
- Westward Ho!No ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- ExmouthNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- Budleigh SaltertonNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- SidmouthNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- BeerNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- SeatonNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
From Torridge District Council's Control of Dogs Public Spaces Protection Order 2025, which runs until 20 May 2028. We read it on 1 October 2026. The same order bans dogs from every enclosed children's play area, which it does not list, so follow the signs.
From East Devon District Council's Controls on Seashores and Promenades Public Spaces Protection Order 2026, which runs until 10 March 2029. We read it on 1 October 2026.
North Devon's order also bans dogs from Combe Martin and Croyde Bay beaches in summer, South Hams' from Mouthwell Sands, South Sands and part of Bigbury, and Teignbridge and Torbay have beach byelaws of their own. We have not placed these yet, so those beaches are not listed here.
What the orders say here
Torridge District Council and East Devon District Council have put 6 stretches of beach off limits to dogs and 8 more on a lead, across 6 towns.
The season is 1 May to 30 September, all day.
Each answer is worked out on the day, in UK time, from the order's own dates, so a ban that has not started or has ended says so. Where we have not placed an order on a beach, the page says that, and never reads silence as permission.