Dawlish Beach

Dawlish is a traditional South Devon seaside town built around a beach that runs for over a mile from the small harbour at Boat Cove north to Langstone Rock. The Great Western Railway mainline passes directly behind the beach at sea level, one of the most dramatic railway settings in the country and a source of some anxiety for Network Rail in stormy winters when the sea wall takes a battering. The promenade extends the full length of the beach and provides level access throughout, with the ornamental Dawlish Water stream flowing through the town centre gardens to meet the sea at Boat Cove. Cafes, shops, deck chair hire and toilets are all available in the town, and Coryton Cove is a small sheltered sandy cove just south of the main beach.

Dog access at Dawlish operates on a zonal basis. Year-round access is available from the slipway adjacent to the railway station heading north to a point 230 metres before Langstone Rock, covering a reasonable length of beach. From the slipway heading south towards Coryton Cove, dogs are not permitted from 1 April to 30 September. An additional section of around 230 metres immediately south of Langstone Rock heading towards Dawlish is also restricted in the same period. The result is a workable year-round option on the northern section that suits a walk rather than a beach camp, and full access to the whole beach from October to March.