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Dogs on the beach

Can I take my dog on St Margaret’s Bay beach today?

The ban on part of St Margaret’s Bay beach runs 1 May to 30 September, so today, Tuesday 13 October, it is not in force. It starts again on 1 May 2027. Dogs must be on a lead all year on the promenade, car park and grass.

From Dover District Council's Public Spaces Protection Order (Dover District Council) 2025, which we read on 1 October 2026. Signs on the beach say where each stretch starts and ends.

Where the rules apply

  • St Margaret’s Bay beachNo dogs, 1 May to 30 September, from 09:00 to 18:00. The shore from the south-west end of the slipway south-west to Ness Point.The council's map of the order: “Beach the seashore extending southwest from the southwest end of the slipway to Ness Point”
    Map of St Margaret’s Bay beach: the stretch where dogs are banned 1 May to 30 September is hatched in brick, and the promenade, car park and grass, where dogs must be on a lead all year, has a dashed brick edge.
    No dogs in the seasonDogs on a leadContains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.
  • The promenade, car park and grassDogs on a lead, all year. The promenade, the car park and the grass above the beach.The council's map of the order: “St Margaret’s Bay Seafront Promenade, Car Park and Grassed Amenity Area”

The shaded areas on the maps are the council’s own lines.

The year at St Margaret’s Bay

From 1 May to 30 September (153 days) dogs are banned from St Margaret’s Bay beach, from 09:00 to 18:00.

For the other 212 days of the year no ban holds on that stretch.

Dogs must be on a lead all year on the promenade, car park and grass.

  • Along the coast, Deal: No ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.
  • Along the coast, Dover: No ban today; the summer ban starts again on 1 May 2027.

The order

Public Spaces Protection Order (Dover District Council) 2025, made by Dover District Council. In force from 29 July 2025 until 28 July 2028. We read it on 1 October 2026.

Other beaches along this coast are on the Kent beaches page.

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Can dogs go on St Margaret’s Bay beach? · Trekosa