Information, Walks and Dog Friendly Attractions
Dawlish Town Centre, The Lawn & The Brook
Many of the businesses in the town centre are dog friendly, just look out for the ‘Dog Friendly Dawlish’ sticker in the windows of the shops – some even have treats on the counter.
Your dog might like to try a special dog friendly ice cream from The Local Scoop, the humans might also like to try the tasty ice cream and waffles too!
If you are walking your dog on The Lawn in the centre of town, you will notice that there are signs asking you to keep your dog on a short lead, this is because Dawlish is home to a large number of wild and exotic waterfowl; including geese and black swans and often their babies, who waddle around The Lawn and on The Brook.
A few large silt islands have formed in The Brook over the last year, following a big storm and major flooding event. Although it is tempting to walk on the island, we wouldn’t recommend it as it is not particularly stable.
Dawlish Sea Wall & Beaches
A walk from Dawlish to Dawlish Warren along the sea wall is really lovely, if the sea is relatively calm!
If you only wish to walk one way, then it is easily possible to catch either a train or a bus back to Dawlish Town Centre.
Although this sounds obvious, we would recommend keeping your dog on a lead whilst walking along the sea wall, near the railway lines and on the cliffs. Accidents of this type are sadly more frequent than you might expect.
Dawlish Town Beach, Boat Cove and Coryton Cove
Dogs are permitted along the seashore from the slipway adjacent to the Railway Station until 150 metres before Red Rock at Dawlish Warren.
Dogs are not permitted along the seashore from the slipway to Coryton Cove from 1 April to 30 September.
Coryton Cove is a secluded beach with beach huts, rock pools and a great kiosk with al fresco seating called ‘The Cove Café’ and is well worth a visit. The railway line runs along the back of the beach next to the cliff, which is a great place to watch the occasional passing steam train in the warmer months.
Dawlish Warren
Dogs are permitted:
- All year round on the section of the beach directly to the right of the lifeguard tower (tidal beach) and between groyne 3 and 9 on the main beach.
- Around the main resort and nature reserve all dogs must be kept on leads, no more than 2 metres in length, all year round.
Dogs are not permitted:
- From 1 April to 30 September between the lifeguard tower and groyne 3 on the beach.
- From 1 April to 30 September on a 230 metre section of the beach, west of Red Rock Café (follow seawall from Dawlish Warren – Dawlish).
- Past groyne 9 all year round.
If you have taken advantage of our complimentary Car Park permit, then you can also use this in a couple of the car parks at Dawlish Warren – see our separate car parking email for further information.
Dawlish Warren is a Nature Reserve with a long sandy beach, great views of Exmouth, nice pubs such as The Boat House, a children’s amusement park, arcade, shops and a golf course. Occasionally it is possible to see Seals lounging on boats and pontoons in the Exe Estuary from the Nature Reserve.
Circular Walk from Pilchard Cottage
One of our favourite scenic countryside & seaside circular walks from the front door which takes around 1.5 / 2 hours including a coffee and cake stop, is as follows;
Exit Pilchard Cottage to the left and walk along Regent Street and Old Town Street until you reach The Manor House (Dawlish Town Council Offices), walk through the car park and follow the path down to the river and cross to the other side. Pass through the children’s play park and exit onto Barton Villas, take a right and head towards St Gregory’s Church at the end of the road.
As you enter the Church grounds, have a look at the stump of an old stone column on your right, this is the remnant of a 1500 year old Saxon Cross.
Walk through the Graveyard and exit on your right behind the church onto the meadow and take the path to the left, leading towards the allotments. Along the way you can catch a glimpse of an old mill pond and several small ‘waterfalls’ known as ‘The Newhay’.
When you reach the allotments, take a left onto Aller Hill (be careful this is a well-used country lane with no pavements). Walk underneath the pretty castellated bridge (which belongs to Luscombe Castle, hidden further up the road) and continue on until you reach the ford (there is also a foot bridge). Enjoy the views as you are now surrounded by countryside and farm animals. Continue up the hill until you reach the crossroads with Holcombe Down Road / Oak Hill.
Take a left and walk downhill back into the direction of Dawlish Town Centre. Once again be very careful as this is a well-used lane with no pavements. About halfway down the hill on your right-hand side is John Nash Drive, walk along John Nash Drive for approximately 350 yards until you see the ‘Oaklands Woods’ sign.
Oaklands Wood is a nice little woodland to enjoy some time underneath the trees. There is an exit further along John Nash Drive, where you can continue on your walk towards the coast.
Opposite the exit is another piece of parkland, walk through here and exit the park at Coronation Avenue and cross Teignmouth Road. You should now be able to see the sea.
On your right there is a Public Footpath, leading into Lea Mount which is a sea cliff offering wonderful views across Dawlish, Exmouth and even as far as Portland on a clear day. From here take the foot path down towards Marine Parade, cross over the railway bridge and follow the sea wall around to the right to enjoy a nice coffee and cake at The Cove Café.
Afterwards, head along the sea wall back into town. Enjoy!
Local Walks That Can Be Accessed By Car
Dawlish Countryside Park
A lovely large parkland with a free to use enclosed compound for reactive dogs or dogs with poor recall.
Dawlish Countryside Park is a 65 acre public open space with wild countryside and walks, available to all. It is home to native species including wildflower grassland, scrub and woodland, and native wildlife, such as cirl bunting.
Explore the Park on an hour-long route taking in the panoramic views from the Ridge Path, the Island Viewpoint and The Lookout.
For a shorter stroll you can follow a more gentle route past the bird feeding station to the coffee curve seat with sea views. You can even make your own route around the many meadow paths, there's room to run and room to roam.
The Exe Estuary Trail
A lovely walk along the River Exe from Dawlish Warren to Exeter, you can choose to do as much or as little as you wish.
A shorter version of the walk would be Starcross to The Turf Locks pub, which takes around 1 hour each way. Along the way you will pass Powderham Castle and will likely see a lot of Deer. The River Exe provides temporary refuge to around 20,000 migrating birds, you’ll also see lots of boats moored up and perhaps even some Seals.
The ruins of Lidwell Chapel (Dawlish)
If you fancy a bit of an adventure that is off the beaten track and wrapped in mystery and local folklore, then you might like to try and visit Lidwell Castle, which sits on the hills behind Dawlish at Little Haldon.
Accessed by a footpath, descend the hill on foot until you reach the ruins of the 13th century Chapel, where the story goes that a monk once lured travellers into the chapel, laced their food with poison and threw their bodies down the well within the chapel grounds, keeping their valuables for himself.
Mamhead Obelisk Forest Walk
Mamhead is a perfect sanctuary for a dog walk, family stroll, or just to enjoy some peace.
Make up your own route or choose from two waymarked walks to be rewarded with breathtaking views over the Exe estuary and along to the Jurassic Coast. The trails at Mamhead are generally flat, wide, and surfaced.
There is a lovely food & drink kiosk in the car park called Teign Bean.
Ashcombe Estate
Walks in and around the Ashcombe Estate are very popular locally.
The Estate offers a number of Permissive Access walking areas.
‘Permissive Access’ means that members of the public are permitted by the Estate to walk in certain areas or footpaths within the privately owned land. Access is offered at ‘own risk’.
Variety of walks to choose from are; Little Haldon Heath, Castle Dyke (Bronze Age Fort) & Tower Plantation.
Haldon Forest
One of the most popular walking areas locally, is Haldon Forest with lots of different trails to choose from and a fantastic forest café.
Adventurous humans, can try the aerial assault course in the tree tops ‘Go Ape’
Teignmouth Back Beach
This is the beach that faces the river Teign. It is dog friendly all year round and is usually calm even in stormy conditions. Please don’t let your dog (or humans) swim anywhere near to the narrow channel at the mouth of the estuary (between Teignmouth and Shaldon) as the current is incredibly strong.
Teignmouth Beach
Dog friendly from East Cliff (Teign Bean Café area) towards Sprey Point and beyond to Holcombe. Lovely long beach, great for walking and my favourite sea glass hunting ground!
Shaldon Botanical Gardens
Set high above the banks of the River Teign is this pretty garden you can walk around with a wide variety of trees. Lovely views over the estuary towards the back beach at Teignmouth. A trail map is available from the Castle Folley within the grounds.
Ness Cove Beach, Shaldon
Dog Friendly year-round. Only accessible through a historic smugglers tunnel carved into the cliff.
Cockington, Torquay
A picture postcard village with thatched cottages, a large manor house, lakes and parkland. Behind the manor house you can watch crafts being made. The perfect place to enjoy a Devonshire Cream Tea.
Goodrington Sands
If you are visiting Cockington, then a trip to Goodrington beach isn’t too far away. One half of the beach is dog friendly year round. You can also watch steam trains (several times daily in the summer) running along the back of the beach towards Kingswear (for Dartmouth).
Great Walks on Dartmoor
Shipley Bridge to Avon Dam
This is one of our favourite walks throughout the year, the river is fast flowing and there are plenty of little waterfalls and fords to see. There are public toilets in the car park and often has a great food van on site.
Lydford Gorge, White Lady Waterfall & The Devil’s Cauldron
Another one of our favourite walks is Lydford Gorge, it does take a while to drive there, but in our opinion well worth the journey. You need to be relatively fit and surefooted.
Only fully open between March – October, always check the website before travelling in case they have had to close for emergency repairs or maintenance.
Haytor
Haytor is one of the highest points on Dartmoor. Shaped like a giant’s foot (just the toes really) sticking out from the soil beneath, this granite tor is a highly recognisable landmark in the South Devon landscape. Whenever it snows on Dartmoor, Haytor is always the first place we (and everyone else) would head to with our sledges as children. Below Haytor you can walk around the old granite quarry and spot the old stone wagon tracks sunk into the grass.
Hound Tor Medieval Village
The extensive, atmospheric remains of this isolated village lie on the eastern edge of Dartmoor. The settlement consists of a cluster of 13th-century stone longhouses – in which the family lived at one end and the animals at the other – on land that was originally farmed in the Bronze Age.
Also, where we got to see an amazing display of the Northern Lights in May 2024!
Widdecombe-In-The-Moor
A gorgeous little village on the moor, home to one of our favourite dog friendly pubs on the moors, The Old Inn. If you like stone walls, flagstones, open fires and good food - this is the place for you!
Parke
Near Bovey Tracey on the edge of Dartmoor lies Parke, a great place to walk along the River Bovey. Make sure you also pop into the lovely little market town of Bovey Tracey whilst you are in the area.
Trenchford and Tottiford Reservior
A lovely walk around the lakes, set amongst forest, in the Teign Valley. Afterwards continue driving through the beautiful Teign Valley to Moretonhampstead for some lunch or a coffee and cake.
Dog Friendly Tourist Attractions
Powderham Castle
Our nearest castle which is open to the public is only a 15 minute drive (or bus journey) away from Dawlish. Home of the Earls of Devonshire, you can actually take your dog into the castle and walk around the extensive estate. Over the Christmas period, Powderham offer a fantastic evening light display in their grounds, you can also see the castle dressed for Christmas and enjoy some delicious food from the pop-up food stalls in the barn.
Teignmouth Grand Pier
Dogs are welcome to join in the arcade fun at Teignmouth Pier, which is 159 years old! They even sell Doggy ice cream.
Stuart Line Cruises (Exmouth)
Offering an extensive year-round timetable of coastal and river cruises from Exmouth, you can take your dog on most of their trips. During the warmer months it is sometimes possible to join a boat trip from Boat Cove in Dawlish, on the Dawlish Round Robin Cruise.
The quickest way to get to Exmouth is by train from Dawlish, in the summer months you can take a ferry from Starcross to Exmouth.
Bicton park Botanical Gardens (Budleigh Salterton)
Take a tranquil walk and meander through the arboretum among some of the most majestic trees in the country. The magnificent Palm house has a fantastic collection of palms and tropical plants. Discover the little house of shells, the romantic Hermitage, the secret garden, the lake, streams and woodlands.
The park has plenty for children too. There’s a miniature village, a large climbing camp and acres of informal gardens to explore and play in. There’s an educational nature trail where many birds can be seen feeding and heard singing, you can even learn to identify their calls. See the bigfoot maze, mini golf and a children’s football pitch. Bicton Gardens is very dog friendly but owners are asked to keep dogs on short leads. There is a dog friendly Orangery and dogs can also go on the Woodland Railway. Dogs are not allowed in the Children’s Play areas.
Bygones (St Marychurch, Torquay)
A museum with a Victorian street, Wartime exhibition, a 27 tonne steam engine, model railway, café and a lot more. A great wet weather activity for all the family.
Dog friendly, but to be kept on a lead.
Babbacombe Model Village, Torquay
A miniature world set amongst beautifully manicured gardens. Dogs are allowed in the outside areas only, which they say is about 90% of the attraction.
Babbacombe Cliff Railway
Built in 1926, the Babbacombe Cliff Railway has shuttled hundreds of thousands of holiday makers to and from Oddicombe Beach in over 90 years of service. Surrounded by stunning scenery, the Cliff Railway provides a vital and non-exhausting way for locals and holiday makers alike to soak up the peaceful atmosphere and take in the spectacular views as they travel to and from the water’s edge.
Paignton Pier
The Pier is a magnet for young visitors who enjoy a jaw-dropping choice of rides, games and amusements for all ages. For older visitors the pier offers wonderful views over the bay towards Torquay and Brixham.
South Devon Railway (Buckfastleigh)
South Devon Railway is a seven mile former Great Western Railway branch line, built in 1872, which runs along the stunning valley of the River Dart between Buckfastleigh and Totnes. Running steam trains with heritage rolling stock and offer a wonderful all-day, all-weather attraction for families and people of all ages.
From the end of November and into December, you can join a special ‘Polar Express’ themed rail trip.
Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company
Based on the glorious South Devon coastline, enjoy your days out in Devon on the steam trains, boat trips and paddle steamer. The only attraction in Devon that lets you enjoy the delights of Torquay, Paignton, Brixham, Dartmouth and the River Dart, Kingswear and Totnes on your day out!
Dogs are welcome for a small additional charge, except on the ‘Train of Lights’ Christmas service, where only registered guide dogs are permitted.
House of Marbles
This experience is only worth doing if you have a calm dog, as you will be walking around a shop full of glass! The House of Marbles is free to enter and is a really interesting indoor attraction to visit, you can watch glass blowing, look around the lovely shop, visit the games garden, brass rubbing, special events and much more. Dogs are allowed everywhere except in the main dining room, however you can sit in the conservatory if you wish to dine there.
National Trust Properties
We have a lovely selection of National Trust properties in Devon, most properties allow dogs on leads in the gardens but not inside the houses. So if you wish to visit these properties you will likely have to take it in turns to visit inside.
Some of our favourite local properties are; Greenway, Coleton Fishacre, Dartmouth Castle, Killerton House and Castle Drogo.
Canonteign Falls (Dartmoor)
Canonteign Falls is a stunning natural attraction in the heart of Devon. Visit for peaceful walks among the waterfalls and lakes and family fun in the gardens and playgrounds. Escape the crowds and experience the highest waterfall in Dartmoor National Park.
Becky Falls (Dartmoor)
In a landscape carved out in the last Ice Age over 12,000 years ago, the Becky Falls waterfall sits at the heart of the park in a stunning boulder strewn valley. The waterfall itself is 70ft high and over 35ft wide in parts where the Becka Brook runs between the huge granite boulders and onward down the Bovey valley. Although the main falls are spectacular there are many smaller falls along the length of the brook for you to enjoy. The waterfall is entirely natural and is especially stunning after recent rain fall.
Berry Pomeroy Castle
After lying abandoned for a hundred years, the picturesque Berry Pomeroy Castle became a magnet for artists and sightseers in the late 18th-century. Visitors came to marvel at the ruins and speculate about their supposedly sinister history. Its romantic atmosphere fostered tales of hauntings and ghostly apparitions, and some of these stories are retold today through the audio tour.
Totnes Castle
Watching over the scenic River Dart, Totnes Castle stands high above the town of Totnes in Devon. The castle was built 900 years ago during the Norman Conquest, almost certainly by one of William the Conqueror's commanders. It is a motte-and-bailey castle, with a later stone keep, giving sweeping views across Dartmoor.
Seaton Tramway
Seaton Tramway operates narrow gauge heritage trams between Seaton, Colyford and Colyton in East Devon’s glorious Axe Valley, travelling alongside the River Axe estuary through two nature reserves and giving an unrivalled view of the abundant wading bird life.
The Donkey Sanctuary (Sidmouth)
This free-to-visit, award-winning attraction has something special to offer. Explore everything the sanctuary has to offer, from award-winning gardens and scenic coastal path walks to engaging exhibits. This is a working farm and many of the walkways are grass, so please dress appropriately and bring suitable footwear for the weather.
Dogs are welcome at the sanctuary, but they must be kept on a lead at all times.
Crealy Theme Park, Exeter
Crealy Theme Park & Resort is an award-winning family Theme Park, located in Devon - home to over 60 rides & attractions, live shows, seasonal events & animals!
Dogs are not allowed in the theme park (except guide dogs) however they do offer a limited kennel facility within their grounds. Please contact them in advance to discuss in more detail.