15 Of The Best Dog Walks In Kent To Enjoy This Summer
Muddy paws and wagging tails are guaranteed on a break in Kent with the dog. Kent is known as the ‘Garden of England’, and a mighty fine backyard it is too – made up of rolling hills and shady woodland bordered by epic cliffs with fabulous beaches just beyond the gate.
For the dog walker and faithful companion, there are bundles of great spots in this fair corner of the South East, with plentiful places to play on the beach, chase sticks across the downs and traipse the rural trails. From coastal hikes to woodland walkies, here are 15 of the best dog walks in Kent.
St Margaret’s Bay to Deal
Starting at St Margaret’s Bay, this walk heads along the clifftops to Deal, where the English Channel meets the North Sea. Your four legged-friend may well be itching to get on to the sands and rocks at St Margaret’s beach, but don’t overdo it just yet as the route to Deal is around five miles.
Head up Bay Hill to pick up a stretch of the Saxon Shore Way. The route eastwards passes the Pines Calyx Gardens and St Margaret's Museum. Onwards is the Dover Patrol Monument and one of the best dog-friendly pubs in Kent, the Zetland Arms – paws here as the pub is right on Kingsdown beach where you can have a drink out front with a view over the sands. As the trail approaches Deal, the impressive Walmer Castle looms into view. Take a pit stop when you reach the end at Deal Pier before the return stroll to pick out any landmarks you missed on the outward journey.
Discover Kent with dog-friendly sites in Sandwich
The White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are one of the most iconic landmarks in Great Britain, and you can’t take a doggy holiday in Kent without saying you’ve walked the White Cliffs. If you’re travelling to England from the continent, point from the ferry and promise yourself you’ll be stretching your legs on top of them very soon.
There are lots of walks along the White Cliffs from up above and down below. For an easy stroll, a two-mile section of the coastal path leads from the National Trust visitor centre towards South Foreland Lighthouse. It’ll take about an hour at a leisurely pace with the promise of scones and cake at the end in Mrs Knott's Tea Room, which occupies the former lighthouse keeper’s cottage. You might want to keep your dog on the lead along the way though, as much of the cliff edge isn’t fenced.
Meopham Walk
This five-mile scenic walk starts at the village of East Malling and winds its way from Camer Park, once the site of a great house, through orchards and woodland to Meopham village and its landmark windmill. There are two dog-friendly pubs on Meopham Green where you can rest your haunches for a bite to eat before following the trail back to the beginning.
The Crab and Winkle Way
An eight-mile trail from Canterbury to Whitstable, this walking and cycle route follows the old railway that was affectionately known as the Crab and Winkle line as it carried passengers to the town famous for its seafood. The line starts at Canterbury West station and terminates at Whitstable harbour. Train buffs have lots of historic railway features to spot along the way.
A great dog walk, this mostly-traffic free route passes through Blean Woods, one of England’s largest areas of ancient woodland. The woods have a designated walking trail for dogs should you wish to veer off the mainline. For doggy and you, there’s also the tasty prospect of Whitstable’s famed oysters when you arrive at your destination. Make sure they’re cooked (but not smoked) to avoid a poorly pup tummy.
Plan your break at a dog-friendly campsite in Blean or Whitstable
Dungeness
Dungeness is a mysterious landscape of gravel dunes, tundra and the largest expanse of shingle in the UK. The Kent headland on the south end of Romney Marsh is the only area in Great Britain classified as a desert. This step into another world is a fabulous place for dogs because it’s so vast and open and there are walks leading in all directions with barely another soul in sight.
The brooding hulk of Dungeness nuclear power station is omnipresent as you hit the beach or take a stroll in the nature reserve. For a bite to eat, the Pilot Inn and the Britannia Inn, both on the headland, welcome dogs in their bar and beer garden.
Reserve your pitch at holiday sites that welcome dogs near Romney Marsh
Dumpton Gap
If doggy heaven has beaches, then they’re surely modelled on Dumpton Gap. Dogs are welcome all year round and can run to their heart’s content along the expansive sands.
There was a hermit who made his home in one of the caves at nearby Dumpton hamlet in the early 19th century. Dumpton must have suited the chap who lived out his days near the beach in solitude and prayer, though local legend suggests he was found drunk and lost near Ramsgate one day and never seen again.
When the tide is out at Dumpton Gap beach, you can walk all the way to Ramsgate along the sand. Just don’t wander aimlessly like the hermit, as the waters rush up rapidly and you could get cut off. If the tide is in, you and your pal can walk along the two-mile length of seawall as it runs between Broadstairs and Ramsgate.
Browse dog-friendly campsites near Sandwich
Pluckley Walk
Not one for scaredy-dogs this one… the Pluckley Walk is a four-mile circular route that takes you through the fields and orchards surrounding the most haunted village in England according to the Guinness Book of Records. Ghostly goings-on are reported in the local pubs – and if you’re fond of a fright, you can stroll at sundown to find out if the nearby ‘screaming woods’ live up to their name.
The Pluckley Walk was created to mark the 20th anniversary of the original Darling Buds of May, the TV series that captured hearts for its portrayal of rural Kent. This is an easy stroll with mainly gentle slopes and is best done in spring when the apple blossom is out. You can extend your walk to climb up to the Greensand Ridge where there are lovely views across the Kentish Weald.
Kingsgate Bay
Kingsgate Bay is a splendid sandy dog-friendly beach between Margate and Broadstairs. Surrounded by chalk white cliffs that hide perhaps the best sea caves to sniff out in Kent, it’s an astonishing place to visit. When the tide is out you can pass through the chalk sea arch for circular walks to the neighbouring beaches of Joss Bay and Botany Bay and back.
The bay is notable for the castle that towers above it. Started in 1760 as a stately holiday retreat, the madcap gothic sprawl has been labelled through history as ‘fantastical’, ‘childish’ and ‘ostentatiously rude’ – because, frankly, no one really knows how to describe it. If curious locations like this are your thing, then take a look at Kent’s unusual places to stay for a memorable holiday.
If you visit Kingsgate Bay beach during the stillness of sunset, and your dog’s ears prick up, keep watch as ghostly apparitions have been spotted making their way through the dunes, back and forth to the follies, towers, temples and chapels of the castle grounds.
Make a break of it at these dog-friendly campsites near Whitstable
Reculver Country Park
Reculver Country Park is on the Kent coast a few miles east of Herne Bay. It’s a brilliant place to take your dog as it combines walks through the park with a bracing stride along the clifftops, topped off by a splash on the shingle beach to finish. An early-morning walk around Reculver Park makes a splendid stroll with skylarks singing, the sun streaming through the trees and nothing but you, the swish of the sea and the sound of paddling paws.
Search the best dog-friendly holiday parks near Herne Bay and Birchington
Teston River Walk
The three-mile Teston River Walk loops along the banks of the River Medway with lollops aplenty through woodland, grazed meadows and grassland. Look out for otters along the river; kingfishers are often spotted here too.
The waterside trail passes under the 14th-century ragstone Teston Bridge. You can take a longer walk along the river to Teston Lock to watch pleasure boats navigating the watercourse where working barges once carried goods between Maidstone and Tonbridge. The shorter route wanders through Teston Bridge Country Park where dogs are free to roam – but you’re asked to keep them on a leash near the play area and when approaching cattle in the fields.
Find dog-friendly stays in Maidstone and around Tonbridge
Palm Bay
Palm Bay is a stretch of sandy beach not far from the centre of Margate. It’s also a particularly dog-friendly spot that rarely gets busy so there’s plenty of space to throw a ball and play some frisbee so your chum can let off steam.
Once you’ve both tired of zoomies up and down the sand, at low tide you can walk round to the neighbouring Botany Bay. For a longer dog walk, the Thanet Coast Path passes Palm Bay on its 20-mile wander from Reculver to Pegwell Bay. Pick up a section if you want a shorter stroll to stretch everyone’s legs.
Sandwich Bay
Sandwich Bay is such a long shingle beach that you’re sure to find a section all to yourself. Dogs are welcome all year round. To reach Sandwich Bay by car, you have to pay a toll as the road to the car park crosses a private estate. That doesn’t make for the cheapest doggy excursion… and frankly a hike with the hound is a better way to see this coastline anyway.
Instead, park at Sandwich Bay Quay and pick up the river walk, which will take you to part of the Saxon Shore Way. The signposted trail goes past the legendary Royal St George’s Golf course before heading down to the sea at Sandwich Bay.
On the route back is the bird observatory run by the local trust; from here you can watch the wildfowl and wading birds attracted to this area (popping the dog on the leash is a good idea to prevent a game of bird-chase developing). A walk through the fields then leads back to the historic town of Sandwich, from where you can follow the old fortified wall to return to the quayside.
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Oldbury Hill and Styants Wood
Oldbury Hill and Styants Wood make for a fab dog day out with walks and places to explore aplenty. The area is located near Sevenoaks in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and a network of paths winds through the woodland of ancient oak and beech trees with two waymarked trails that are popular with cyclists and horse riders.
It is a steep climb up Oldbury Hill but well worth it if you and your dog have the legs for it. The huge Iron Age fort and its surrounds are a National Trust site with far-reaching views and lots of space for off-lead investigating at the top.
Browse campsites that allow dogs near Sevenoaks
The Elham Valley Way
The Elham Valley Way is a 22-mile trail that leaves the seaside at Hythe and heads through the chalky vale carved by the River Nailbourne before reaching the historic city of Canterbury with its World Heritage Site cathedral.
Dog walkers can explore the valley, view the dramatic escarpment of the North Downs, pass through Kentish villages (including Elham itself) and wander the ornamental parklands near Barham before reaching Canterbury.
Browse dog-friendly campsites near Elham and in Canterbury
Charles Dickens Walk - Higham
Charles Dickens spent his childhood years in Rochester and later set up home at Gad’s Place, a country retreat near Higham. The Charles Dickens Walk takes you around the area near Higham that inspired Great Expectations. If you’ve read the novel, you’ll instantly recognise these marshlands from the vivid opening passages of the book.
It’s said that Dickens walked through this poetic wilderness every day in his later years. The great author owned a number of dogs so take a moment to picture him walking here on the very route you’re taking.
The Dickens Walk is best started at the railway station in Higham. Take a wander through the pretty village before strolling through fields and farmland, stopping at one of two country churches to unwrap your picnic.
Follow in the footsteps of Dickens and his dogs at a campsite near Rochester that welcomes guests of the four-legged kind
Step into the garden and beyond with a doggy holiday in Kent
After a soul-satisfying day walking with your spaniel, scottie or schnauzer, it’s something of a treat to settle down with a sausage or seven off the barbecue next to your Kent camping pitch.
In fact, Kent makes a great camping destination for all the family – the big ones, the furry ones, and the small ones. There’s so much to do and see, including these best places to go with the kids in Kent. And if you’re planning a camping, caravanning or campervan tour of the wider region then check out our South East camping guide.