Head to Kilve beach, near the Quantock hills, for a coastal dog walk along the cliffs or dive down onto the pebbles and rocks of the beach to discover impressive fossils and learn a little about the history of the Somerset coast.
To the north of the Quantocks, this beach is ideal for dog lovers who want to see some interesting features of the Jurassic coast. Dogs are welcome all year round, perfect for your spring weekend getaway or your Easter holiday with all the family. Kilve is a Scientific Site of Interest so you’ll be sure to find lots of impressive fossils along the beach, but please don’t take any home with you. Wear some sturdy shoes and pack some water – you can walk for miles when the tide is out here. Filled with rockpools, you’ll spot plenty of life alongside the remnants of the creatures who used to roam here. Check the tides before you leave on your journey as when the sea is high this beach just isn’t the same.
To get to the car park, you turn at the post office in Kilve and follow a narrow lane. As the walls come in closer and the branches form an arch overhead, you’ll begin to wonder if you’re actually anywhere near the sea. And then it’ll open up into the pay and display car park for visitors to the beach and the surrounding areas. The only thing that makes you think you're near a beach is the signs, we thought we were miles from the coast when we were actually a few minutes' walk away.
Kilve is a stony beach so it’s better suited to larger dogs. If they need a good run, play fetch in the field that backs the beach and then head down to the sea to start your fossil hunt. We took Nigel the Labrador Retriever for a good run around. He loved playing fetch in amongst the puddles and easily navigated his way between the stones. Nigel ran for miles but kept coming back when we’d found fossils in the rocks. He was just as interested in them as we were.
The beach goes on for miles with rows and rows of stones to clamber between. There are nooks in the cliffs where you might discover larger patterns left behind in the layers of rock. Spring weather will (hopefully) bring blue skies so on a clear day look out for Wales across the Bristol channel.
Walk along the beach for as little or long as you like. Work up an appetite and then head back to the first field by the beach to wolf down a pre-packed picnic lunch sitting at the picnic benches overlooking the sea or, depending on the time of year, head to the Chantry Tea Gardens. You’ll find them just after the car park as you head away from the beach. Perfect for a spot of afternoon tea before heading back to your cosy holiday cottage.
Stay in one of our dog friendly cottages in the South and West for more fun and frolicks with your furry friends.
