Dogs on the beach
Dogs on Kent 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
- WhitstableNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- Herne BayNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- DealNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- St Margaret’s BayNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- DoverNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- FolkestoneNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- SandgateNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- HytheNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- DymchurchNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- St Mary’s BayNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
- LittlestoneNo ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
From Canterbury City Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (Control of Dogs) 2024, which runs until 9 May 2027. We read it on 1 October 2026.
From Dover District Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (Dover District Council) 2025, which runs until 28 July 2028. We read it on 1 October 2026.
From Folkestone & Hythe District Council's Dog Control Public Spaces Protection Order 2025, which runs until 31 July 2028. We read it on 1 October 2026.
Thanet's order also bans dogs from beaches at Margate, Westgate, Birchington, Broadstairs and Ramsgate in summer, and Swale's from three beaches on Sheppey. We have not placed these yet, so those beaches are not listed here.
What the orders say here
Canterbury City Council, Dover District Council and Folkestone & Hythe District Council have put 12 stretches of beach off limits to dogs and 15 more on a lead, across 11 towns.
The season is 1 May to 30 September, and 3 bans hold only at set hours of the 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.