Seven scenic dog-friendly beaches near Bridport

If you're looking for a dog-friendly break in Dorset, we've got you covered at Outbuildings. As well as country walks and historic towns on our doorstep, the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coastline is heaven for beach lovers, with miles of shoreline to explore.  

Drying off at Outbuildings

There’s a great selection of dog-friendly beaches in Dorset where your four-legged friend can chase a stick and splash in the waves to their heart’s content, including several within easy reach of us in Bridport. On some beaches dogs are welcome all year, and on others they can only visit off-season – perfect for a blustery winter walk followed by a cosy pub lunch.

We’ve rounded up seven of the top dog-friendly beaches near Bridport, with details of access, facilities and any seasonal dog restrictions. They start with those closest to Outbuildings and move further away, but nothing is more than a 30-minute drive from us. 

West Bay Beach – 3.7 miles away

One of the most popular dog-friendly beaches near Bridport is our beautiful local beach – West Bay. West Bay Beach is split into three different sections, and each has different rules on when dogs can visit.

East Beach and West Beach (named depending on which side of the West Bay pier they’re on) are open to dogs between 1 October and 30 April, with plenty of space for them to run around. East Beach is a sloping, shingle beach with striking 50-metre-tall sandstone cliffs, which famously featured as the backdrop for TV crime drama Broadchurch. And West Beach is a smaller, quieter beach popular with families for its safe, shallow paddling.

If you're visiting us in the summer, there's also a third beach where dogs are allowed year-round. You can find it at the end of West Beach, separated by a large rock groyne.

   East Beach - West Bay

Eype Beach – 4.5 miles away      

Eype Beach is less well-known than some of the other beaches along this stretch of Dorset coastline, making it a good place to escape the crowds in summer. This sand and pebble beach is backed by Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast at 627 feet.

It's a favourite with local dog owners, with dogs welcome on the beach year-round. You can also enjoy miles of walks along the South West Coast Path and stunning sunsets over Lyme Bay.

Eype Beach is accessed via cliffside steps and has a small car park with limited parking, so get there early to bag a spot in high season. The village of Eype is well worth a stroll around too, with its quaint 18th- and 19th-century thatched cottages. And the dog-friendly New Inn Pub – run by Palmer’s Brewery in Bridport – is an easy walk from the beach.

Eype Beach

Seatown Beach – 5.6 miles away

The small coastal hamlet of Seatown is home to a privately owned beach, surrounded by an unspoilt Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In the 18th century, this part of the Dorset coast was home to the notorious Chideock Gang of smugglers, who used Golden Cap as their lookout. Today you’re more likely to find beachcombers and fossil-hunters than smugglers. And in low season from 1 October to 30 April you can bring your dog along to the beach too.

Why not combine a run on the beach with lunch at the dog-friendly Anchor Inn gastropub, with its beachside beer garden? It's one of our favourite local spots for Sunday lunch or Friday night pizzas from their Seatown Slice boathouse. Parking is available next to the pub.      

Hive Beach – 5.2 miles away

Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock forms part of the spectacular 17-mile-long Chesil Beach, the largest shingle ridge in the world. As well as acres of shingle and sand, the area has a fascinating history, stretching all the way from the Bronze Age Bind Barrow to the WWII pill boxes which Allied forces used to train for D-Day.

Hive Beach is run by the National Trust, and although dogs aren't permitted on the main beach from 1 June to 30 September, they are welcome on the coast path on a short lead. 

The buzzing, dog-friendly Hive Beach Café specialises in local seafood and has an in-house micro bakery whipping up tasty treats. Don’t miss their hot chocolate, guaranteed to warm you up on a chilly morning. There's pay and display parking next to the beach – or it's free for National Trust members.

     Hive Beach

Cogden Beach – 5.8 miles away

If you're staying with us in the summer while Hive Beach is closed to dogs, head to Cogden Beach instead. This lesser-known beach is just a short distance from Hive Beach and dogs are welcome off-lead year-round. Cogden Beach is also run by the National Trust but has a wilder, more natural feel, with no facilities – so pack a picnic.

Cogden Beach is backed by farmland and reed beds dotted with pink and white wildflowers in spring. On a clear day you can see as far as Portland Bill to the east and Lyme Regis to the west. There's a lovely 2.2 mile Cogden Circular Walk which starts off inland before looping back along the South West Coast Path (just be careful of ground-nesting birds from March to July).

Charmouth Beach – 10 miles away

The seaside village of Charmouth is just a couple of miles outside Lyme Regis, and is where novelist Jane Austen spent the summer of 1803. Charmouth Beach is a magnet for fossil hunters, and you can get tips on how to find them and see some of the area's most impressive finds at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.

The beach is split into two separate sections by the River Char. Dogs are free to roam off-lead on the East Beach (which is on the Bridport side of the river) any time of year. But they can only go onto West Beach (the Lyme Regis side of the river) from 1 October to 30 April each year. The beach has plenty of car parking as well as toilets, a beach shop and café.

East Beach - West Bay