Dog Friendly Walks & Beaches in Essex

An eleven kilometre circular climbing onto Danbury Ridge via the Chelmer canal and the bluebell-famous Blakes Wood, dog friendly with leads required.

A gentle Constable Country circular along the River Stour from Stratford St Mary to Dedham, dog friendly with watery meadows and Suffolk-style scenery.

A quiet, well-maintained Edwardian resort beach with year-round access and a genteel character unlike anywhere else on the Essex coast.

A short, dog friendly country park circular near Braintree with lakes, wildflower meadows and an off lead-friendly main loop.

A walk through one of England's best-preserved royal hunting forests, with ancient coppiced woodland and a lake at the centre.

A quiet seven mile coastal circular around the eastern half of Mersea Island, dog friendly with sea wall, marshes and farmland.

A riverside walk through Constable Country from Flatford Mill along the Stour to the village of Dedham in Essex.

A pilgrimage to one of England's oldest churches above the saltmarshes of the Blackwater, with year-round foreshore access and big sky Essex scenery.

An easy parkland and woodland circular through the historic Thorndon estate, dog friendly with a dedicated dog activity course on site.

A Mersea Island beach with oyster shacks, sailing activity and a year-round estuary atmosphere, best known for its seafood.

An estuary circular from Maldon's Promenade Park along the Blackwater sea wall to Heybridge Basin, dog friendly with bird-rich marshes.

A short coastal walk on Mersea Island with estuary views, fossils in the clay cliffs and a relaxed seaside feel.

A short woodland and lake circuit in Danbury Country Park with good facilities and a relaxed feel close to Chelmsford.

A quiet Blackwater estuary foreshore near the village of Goldhanger with year-round access and a peaceful, very local feel.

A varied circular through ancient royal forest, lake and meadow on the London-Essex border, dog friendly with leads required around horse riders.

A full reservoir circuit at Hanningfield with waterside paths, birdwatching hides and a visitor centre for refreshments.

A traditional Essex estuary seafront with cockle sheds, boat yards and a year-round relaxed atmosphere.

A flat riverside walk from Maldon's historic Promenade Park to the canal lock at Heybridge Basin, with estuary views throughout.

A peaceful, year-round dog-friendly beach on the eastern tip of Mersea Island, backed by a country park with WWII history and estuary views across to Brightlingsea.

A quiet, undeveloped Essex coast beach near Clacton with year-round access and the kind of lonely shore that Essex does best.

A woodland walk through ancient Essex countryside near Brentwood, with deer sightings possible and a peaceful feel throughout.

A nature reserve island in the Thames estuary with saltmarsh and foreshore walks, year-round access and excellent birdwatching.

A traditional Essex seaside beach with a Victorian pier and the dramatic Naze headland nearby, year-round access with seasonal restrictions on the main beach.

A woodland loop through Weald Country Park near Brentwood, with mature trees and a country feel just outside London.

A seawall foreshore on Canvey Island with Thames estuary views and year-round access, functional rather than scenic.

A quieter, less-developed stretch of sandy Essex coast with seasonal dog restrictions from 1 May to 30 September, and good year-round promenade access for dog walkers.

A Blue Flag sand and shingle beach near the mouth of the Thames with a year-round dog exercise area and seasonal restrictions on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September.

A quiet foreshore on Canvey Island with unusual estuary views and year-round access, best appreciated as an off-the-beaten-track local option.

A Blue Flag sandy beach on the Colne estuary with seasonal dog restrictions from 1 May to 30 September, and year-round access to the promenade and surrounding area.

A Thames Estuary sandy beach at Westcliff-on-Sea with the historic Crowstone landmark on the mudflats, open to dogs outside of the 1 May to 30 September seasonal restriction.

A classic Essex seaside resort with a golden sandy beach and Victorian pier, open to dogs outside of the 1 May to 30 September seasonal restriction on the main beach.

A quieter sandy beach west of Clacton with Martello tower history, a good promenade for dog walkers, and likely seasonal dog restrictions in summer months.

A Thames Estuary sand and shingle beach in Westcliff-on-Sea with popular year-round promenade access, open to dogs outside of the May to September seasonal restriction.