Visiting South Milton Sands with your dog

Our pawprint rating system

We’ve been working on making it easier for you to find out how dog-friendly your visit will be before you and your four-legged-friend arrive. To help with this, we’ve created a new pawprint rating system and given all the places in our care a rating. You can find this information in the National Trust’s member’s handbook.

South Milton Sands is a one pawprint rated place.

Dogs are welcome here, but facilities are limited. They’ll be able to stretch their legs in the car park and walk in the nearby spaces. Read on to discover exactly where you can take your dog.

Where can my dog go at South Milton Sands?

Dogs kept under close control are allowed on all the walks around South Milton Sands. Dogs are welcome at the Beachhouse Café (owned by not managed by the National Trust) and a water bowl is available.

What do I need to be aware of?

South Milton Sands and the surrounding area is home to lots of wildlife and livestock, so we ask owners to keep their dogs under close control and follow any guidance about putting dogs on leads.

You are also advised not to leave your pet in the car as the car park offers limited shade.

To help keep South Milton Sands beautiful for everyone, we ask visitors to bag their dog waste and either take it home or put it in the dog waste bin which is located at the far end of the beach at the top of the steps.

The Canine Code

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

• Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.
• Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.
• Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.
• Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

Keeping control of your dog

Our definition of close or effective control is: ​

• Being able to recall your dogs in any situation at the first call
• Being able to clearly see your dog at all times (not just knowing they have gone into the undergrowth or over the crest of the hill). In practice, this means keeping them on a footpath if the surrounding vegetation is too dense for your dog to be visible
• Not allowing them to approach other visitors without their consent
• Having a lead with you to use if you encounter livestock or wildlife, or if you are asked to use one