Jason, Alfie and I have just returned from a few days on the
Yorkshire coast, which have been great. My
number one objective for the year was to get Alfie on the beach for the first
time, and we definitely did that.
It was so nice to be out and about in the sunshine and enjoy
the British summertime! I’ve never seen a dog so happy as Alfie, as he ran
around after his ball in the sand! We managed to encourage his swimming in the
sea too, but it did mean getting in up to our waists, which was a bit nippy at
times!
We found 3 really great dog friendly beaches in Scarborough,
Filey and Whitby,
and 2 great places to eat with him alongside us too.
If you visit Whitby Abbey (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/)
you are made to feel very welcome with your dog. We parked at the Abbey and
paid £6.40 each to get in, then we were able to wander through the grounds, and
into the museums with Alfie on a lead. We sat outside for a spot of lunch, then
took the 199 steps past the church into the seaside town. After an amble
through the busy streets, we stopped off at the dog beach for a run around.
Alfie got absolutely covered in sand here, as he was just skidding and rolling
around with joy!
We went to Ox Pasture
Hall (http://www.oxpasturehallhotel.com/)
for dinner and ate in the beautiful Bistro there. Alfie was very welcome to sit
alongside us as we dined. The food was great, and beautifully presented. I fell
in love with this place a little bit! Tasty and stylish grub, a big cool glass
of chilled Pinot Grigio and my Chocolate Lab at my feet! Perfect!
The best beach we found was Hunmanby
Bay, which is situated near Filey,
between Scarborough and Bridlington. You can
park for £2.50 for a whole day, and there’s plenty to do for a few hours. You
can walk the long length of the beach to find a variety of cafes and beach huts
for refreshments. There are plenty of dogs wandering around, but the beach is
so huge you’re not bumping in to each other. If you have a dog who is less
confident around other dogs, you can easily find your own private space to
enjoy. Alfie was in and out of the sea for hours, and had a really, really
great time there. So many things to sniff around, and plenty of waves to jump
in. I liked Hunmanby
Beach so much I would
definitely consider visiting there even for the day, just to see Alfie so
happy!
The other dog friendly beach we visited was North
Bay in Scarborough, which is
smaller, but still well worth a visit. There is a restaurant on the edge of the
beach called Blue Crush Bar & Restaurant (http://bluecrushbar.com/), which allows dogs inside with you
before 6pm. If you’re eating later than that (as we did), they can sit outside
with you on the seafront with stunning views. We weren’t sure what the food
would be like, but I have to say it was very good indeed, and really well
presented again.
If you’re looking for a day out with your pooch (if you’re
located near enough) or a few days break, I truly recommend the Yorkshire Coast.
Instagram: @Barkitty12
