Dog Walking on Camber Sands Beach
We recently took a great trip down to Camber Sands for a long weekend over the bank holiday, we took a risk and packed up the pooch. We didn’t really know what the reaction to dogs would be in the area, but we did it anyway and it all turned out fab!
The area is very dog friendly for weekend, or longer, breaks and with plenty of great pubs and accommodation in the area its a great way to recharge your batteries.
The most popular area to walk your pet on Camber sands is to the west of the beach, parking is available near Rye Golf Course. If you have a Sat-Nav, enter the postcode TN31 7RB to get you to the car park that best serves the dog walking zones/areas.
The current car parking rates (2016) at the District Council car parks are as follows: 8:30-18:00 –
£1.50 / hour
£4.00 / 2 hours
£7.00 / 4 hours
£9.00 / 6 hours
£11.00 / 8 hours
£13.00 / maximum
Car park stays open until 8 pm… but is then locked… you will not get out!
With plenty of dog bins and toilets the facilities are just about worth the cost… and remember PLEASE use the bins and please pick your dogs deposits up!
In the summer, on a particularly sunny weekend, expect some queuing to get into Camber, as long queues build up as cars wait to enter the main car parks close to the beach. The busiest times are from around 10:00… if you arrive before then you should not have too many issues.
Rother Council has recently introduced dog zones on the beach where you are allowed to walk your dog. When the tide is out, these areas stretch for miles and even with a full tide there is plenty of room as the sand dunes go inland at least 500 yards in parts and the shoreline stretches west for at least a mile.
When the ‘dog zones’ were introduced all dogs had to be on a lead. This was policed aggressively (for about six weeks) by dog wardens (or should I say – mostly college students with lots of free time). However, this now seems to have been relaxed and as long as walkers are sensible and in the designated zones then you should not be bothered.
The direction you will automatically take will be west and if the tide is in why not walk to the end of the beach (Rye Harbour entry), turn right along the river towards the Harbour Masters office. You can then make your way back to the car park along the legal walkway through Rye Golf Course. The dog bins are limited in this area so take plenty of bags with you!
The round trip is about four miles in total… watch out for the golf balls and keep your dog on a lead!
Along with great dog walks Camber, Rye and Rye Bay has much more to offer than the gorgeous sandy beach and we recommend a longer break to visit the historic town of Rye or Rye Harbor where there is the grandiose Rye Harbor Nature Reserve with miles of asphalt and more dog walking options. The nature reserve also has many dog huts.
If you are after a room for the night, there are plenty of pet friendly hotels in the area that will allow you to make the most of your visit.
So what are you waiting for? Grab the leads and get down to Camber Sands and the Rye Bay area!