Dog Friendly Beaches 2 hours or less from Sheffield
There’s nothing better than a day at the seaside when the weather is good. If your dog is anything like mine, they absolutely love zooming around in the sand, chasing their ball, and paddling in the sea. The beach is arguably Eddie’s happiest place (a tough contest for such an excitable dog!) but when you’re city dwellers like us Sheffielders, you need to do a little more research to make sure your dog is allowed at the beach you’re heading to, and for some beaches, there are only certain dates when they’ll be able to go on the sand.
So we’ve pulled together some of our favourite dog-friendly beaches that are roughly under 2 hours from Sheffield (calculated from Sheffield City Centre)
Dog Friendly Beaches Near Sheffield – All Year Round
1. Barmston Beach – Roughly 1 hour 40 mins from Sheffield
Sitting just under Barmston holiday park, south of Bridlington, Barmston Beach is a dog-friendly beach all year round. Formerly a blue flag beach, the weather, and erosion has made access to the beach a touch more difficult than it once was, however, the glorious wide sandy beach is a real haven for dog walkers.
2. Cayton Bay – Roughly 2 hours from Sheffield
Just south of Scarborough is secluded Cayton Bay. A usual haunt for Surfers, this area gets the full might of the North Sea. Cayton Bay is dog-friendly all year round though and as you can see from the photo is a lovely walk with your pooch. Apparently the north end of the bay is popular with naturists, despite Scarborough council putting up signs to say that it’s prohibited. Imagine that, being a naturist…next to the North Sea in the North East of England. Sounds like an extreme sport to me.
3. Fraisthorpe Beach – Roughly 1 hour 45 mins from Sheffield
A little to the north of Barmston Beach but south of Bridlington you’ll find the large flat stretch of Fraisthorpe Beach. Fraisthorpe is dog friendly all year round, and it being so flat and expansive it’s a popular area for dog walkers. This beach does also attract horse riders, so if your dog is scared by horses then do bear that in mind. You’ll find an old war pilbox on Fraisthorpe beach too, if you’re looking for a photo opportunity.
4. Hornsea South Beach – Roughly 1 hour 40 mins from Sheffield
The seaside town of Hornsea is a popular one on warm days, and Hornsea South Beach will allow dogs all year round. This being a seaside town, there’s a little more to do here than some of the beaches on this list, but as you can imagine it’s likely to be a little busier. Good parking is available, as well as toilets and places to eat. The beach, much like many in East Riding is expansive and sandy, a great dog walking beach.
5. Robin Hoods Bay – Roughly a little over 2 hours from Sheffield
Robin Hood’s Bay needs little introduction, if you’re from Sheffield the chances are you’ve probably been there at least once in your life. At just over 2 hours drive time, it’s quite far for a day trip but can be done if you set off nice and early. The beach is packed with natural beauty and you’ll know doubt fill your phone with photos. It’s dog friendly all year round and you can park up in the village and walk down to the beach. To get the most out of it, you’re better getting there for low tide as there is very little left when the tide comes in.
6. Skipsea Beach – Roughly 1 hour 40 mins from Sheffield
At a little over an hour and a half to get there, Skipsea is an easy access beach for Sheffielders. The beach itself is quite narrow in comparison to some on the list and has seen a lot of erosion over the years, so there are plenty of rocks on the sand. The local village has a pub and a post office, but i’m not sure if the pub is dog friendly – if you know, then let us know!
7. Wilsthorpe Beach – Roughly 1 hour 45 mins from Sheffield
Wilsthorpe beach is our personal favourite on the list. It’s a huge expanse of beach, it’s dog friendly all year round and it’s just 2 miles or so south of Bridlington. That means you can pop into Brid for some fish & chips, cockles or some donuts and head back to Wilsthorpe to reward your four-legged friend with a big run on the beach. It’s a obviously a popular beach with dog walkers, especially when they can;t use the beaches in Bridlington during high-season.
8. Fitties Beach, Humberston – Roughly 1 hour 40 mins from Sheffield
Humberston Fitties is arguably one of the best named beaches on the list. Located on the estuary of the river Humber, it’s a great spot to watch the boats heading out to sea. There isn’t much in the way of facilities nearby, so it’s probably a proper dog walking beach. The beach is relatively close to Cleethorpes and is the nearest dog walking beach when the main beaches in Cleethorpes are closed off to dogs during high season, so that means you can pop into Cleethorpes for some of Papas Fish & Chips after a nice walk.
9. Ingoldmells South – Roughly 2 hours from Sheffield
Ingoldmells is a seaside resort near Skegness, and while Skegness will attract the crowds on a sunny day and isn’t particularly dog friendly on the beach, Ingoldmells offers a stretch of sandy beach for you and your dog to enjoy all year round. The area benefits from coastal amenities such as cafes and toilets etc, and there is ample parking near by in a multistory car park.
Dog Friendly Beaches Near Sheffield – September to April
The following beaches allow dogs between September to around April time (usually Good Friday) dogs are banned on these beaches during high season.
10. Bridlington North & South Beach – Roughly 1 hour 45 mins from Sheffield
As with many of the beaches on the restricted list, these two beaches obviously sit in the popular seaside town of Bridlington, and as such during high-season the beaches are usually busy with families. If you manage to get there on a warm autumn or spring day though, you’ll be able to walk along the north beach and south beach and grab yourself some fish & chips to enjoy a proper day at the coast.
11. Filey – Roughly 2 hours from Sheffield
Filey is another classic seaside destination from any Sheffielder’s childhood. As you can see from the photo, it boasts a fantastic beach and nearby cliffs to walk along. Unfortunately as a busy seaside town, dogs are only allowed at certain times of year but it’s certainly worth a winter trip to Filey. Just wrap up warm, that North Sea air is bracing.
12. Scarborough North & South Beach – Roughly 2 hours from Sheffield
Scarborough is probably the furthest place on the list, but it’s worth the trip because it’s Scarborough! Both north and south beaches only allow dogs through the winter though, so be wary of that. There’s something for everyone in Scarborough, there’s a reason it’s one of the UK’s top visited seaside resorts. That being said, it can get very busy so make sure your dog is OK around others before choosing to go there.
13. Whitby – A little over 2 hours from Sheffield
We couldn’t have Scarborough and Robin Hood’s Bay on the list without adding Whitby. Whitby has a smaller beach where dogs are allowed all year round, but the main beach will have restrictions. The best bit about Whitby is that it’s not only a great spot for fish & chips, but there are also a lot of dog friendly pubs in the town. That means it’s a good spot for an overnight stay (there are a good few dog friendly hotels too!). Whitby can get very busy, and the town often hosts a number of event weekends that attract bigger crowds, so keep an eye on the event listings, your dog might not react kindly to vampires or steam punks.
14. Withernsea – Roughly 1 hour 50 mins from Sheffield
The little seaside town of Withernsea is popular for sailing windsurfing. The beaches stretch for miles and join up with other wonderful beaches on the east coast. There are restrictions at Withernsea for when dogs are allowed on the beach but it’s well worth a visit in the winter time when you’re able.
15. Cleethorpes – Roughly 1 hour 30 from Sheffield
I might be wrong, but I reckon Cleethorpes is probably the closest beach to Sheffield, it’s certainly the closest on this list. It’s worth going to Cleethorpes for Papas Fish & Chips alone, but during the winter months you can walk your dog along the beach there too. If you’re looking for a summer beach, head to Humberstone Fitties which is around a 10 minute drive from the centre of Cleethorpes.
All information in this blog was correct as of writing. If the rules at any of these beaches have since changed, please do get in touch and we will be sure to update the info.