Bantham Beach
Privately owned surf beach at the mouth of the Avon, run by the Bantham Estate rather than the council, with a gatekeeper on the car park. Dogs are barred from the main beach through the season but the River Beach, on the estuary side, stays open to them all year and grows to many acres at low tide. The estate asks that dogs are kept under control and away from livestock.
Bantham to Thurlestone and back
A gentle 3.2 miles of about an hour and three quarters over the dunes and low cliffs to Thurlestone Sand and the Thurlestone rock, returning through the village and by field paths, with only 130 metres of climbing and firm going throughout. Start at the paid Bantham Beach car park, which is run by the Bantham Estate and closes its gates in the evening, and note that the lane in from Buckland is narrow and busy with surfers all summer. The dog position is unusual here and worth getting right: the South Hams council order names only Bigbury, Mouthwell Sands at Hope Cove and Salcombe South Sands, so Bantham's own summer dog rules are set by the estate that owns the beach, while Thurlestone Sand a mile along the walk is dog-friendly with a stream to drink from.