Julie Smith
01 February 2021
Whether you fancy spending time relaxing at the coast, exploring a gorgeous garden in the Yorkshire Dales or burning off some energy in the extensive grounds of a North York Moors castle, there are lots of options for a dog-friendly day out in Yorkshire.
You’ll find dog-friendly beaches, pooch-friendly pubs and lots of Yorkshire attractions where you can spend quality time together with four-legged friends. We’ve collated some of our favourite dog-friendly days out and, if you fancy extending your Yorkshire visit to a short break or holiday, you’ll find lots of lovely cottages where you can rest weary heads and paws.
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🐕 Spend time at the seaside
🐕 Gorgeous Yorkshire gardens
🐕 Castles, abbeys and stately homes
🐕 Dog-friendly attractions
🐕 Dog-friendly places to eat
Spend time at the seaside
Yorkshire is blessed with a wonderful coastline that’s filled with dog-friendly beaches and plenty of places to eat and drink after you’ve spent time playing in the sand. Here are some of our favourite dog-friendly places to visit on the Yorkshire Coast:
Robin Hood’s Bay
The beach at Robin Hood’s Bay is dog-friendly all year round and you’ll find plenty of pooches stretching their legs on this glorious stretch of sand. It’s worth exploring the maze of narrow streets and alleyways while you’re here - they were once used by smugglers but are now filled with gorgeous shops, pubs and cafes that will happily welcome four-legged friends.
Flamborough
The dramatic headland at Flamborough is an ideal choice for a scenic dog walk and there are several small beaches here that are sheltered by chalky white cliffs. Dogs can happily play without any restrictions on a trio of beaches and afterwards you can climb up to the Headland, a dog-friendly cafe and restaurant that has wonderful views out to sea.
Whitby
One of Yorkshire’s most popular seaside resorts, Whitby is also a great dog-friendly destination with a beach on one side of the River Esk that stretches all the way to Sandsend and the small sheltered Tate Hill beach on the other side of the bay. Many of the town’s famous fish and chip cafes are dog-friendly too and pooches can even join on a scenic boat trip from the harbour.
Staithes
This colourful fishing harbour is one of Yorkshire’s prettiest villages and you can watch the boats come in from a small sandy beach that’s dog-friendly all year round. It’s well worth taking a walk around the village which was used as the setting for CBBC’s Captain Jack’s Boat before settling at dog-friendly pub The Cod and Lobster to enjoy wonderful sea views as you tuck into their signature freshly caught crab sandwich.
Discover more dog-friendly Yorkshire beaches
Take a walk around a gorgeous Yorkshire garden
From fragrant flower displays to exotic oriental plants and tree-filled arboretums, here are some of the dog-friendly gardens worth visiting on your next Yorkshire getaway:
Helmsley Walled Garden
The wonderful 5-acre Helmsley Walled Garden dates back to 1759 when it was used to grow vegetables for nearby stately home, Duncombe Park. Today the garden is a celebration of plants and flowers with vibrant borders, colourful glasshouses and the peaceful Garden of Contemplation. Dogs are allowed in all parts of the garden and there’s even a dog-friendly licensed cafe to call into for refreshments.
Thorp Perrow Arboretum
Dogs can sniff out lots of adventures amongst the trees at the 10-acre Thorp Perrow Arboretum near Bedale. There are different seasonal trails to follow with four-legged friends; carpets of bluebells that come to life in spring, bursts of colourful hydrangeas for summer, colourful hues of golden leaves for autumn and crisp woodland walks for winter. The arboretum also holds several National Plant collections including lime, walnut and ash trees with plenty of benches where tired legs can rest.
Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park
You can enjoy a taste of the Far East without leaving North Yorkshire at the exotic Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park in Nidderdale. The 20,000 plants at this dog-friendly garden include the largest collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias in the north of England and there are 45 acres of lakeside and waterside walks to keep even the most energetic pooches happy.
Studley Royal Water Garden
The 19th-century Studley Royal Water Garden and the adjoining Fountains Abbey are a UNESCO World Heritage site near Ripon and this dog-friendly National Trust site features riverside walks, tranquil ponds and a collection of follies and statues to seek out. One of the highlights of the garden is Anne Boleyn’s seat, which is also known as Surprise View because of the wonderful vista from here of the ancient abbey ruins.
Discover more dog-friendly Yorkshire gardens
Explore the grounds of a castle, abbey or stately home
You’ll find medieval castle ruins, imposing abbeys and sprawling stately homes dotted around the North Yorkshire landscape. Here is a selection of the historic sites that you can explore with a four-legged friend by your side.
Richmond Castle
This imposing Norman Castle sits high on a hill above Richmond at the northern tip of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Explore the towering castle keep, take a walk around the site’s tranquil cockpit garden, enjoy breathtaking views over the River Swale then settle down for an al fresco lunch in the Richmond Castle picnic area.
Bolton Abbey
This large estate near Skipton is the perfect playground for pups as there are more than 80 miles of footpaths to walk and over 30,000 acres of countryside to explore. Well-behaved pooches can travel with you on a period steam train to the estate and join you on various riverside trails including the Bolton Abbey Welly Walk which is lots of fun for little ones. Although dogs must be kept on leads in most parts of the estate, there are specially designated areas where you can let them run free.
Castle Howard
Located close to the market town of Malton in the Howardian Hills is Castle Howard, a grand stately home that’s featured in numerous films and TV shows over the years. Although dogs aren’t permitted in the main house, there are lots of statues, monuments and follies to discover dotted around the grounds. Explore open green spaces, temples atop hills that look out over the surrounding countryside, and extensive woodland gardens.
Helmsley Castle and Rievaulx Abbey
This pair of historic Helmsley attractions are connected by a scenic 3-mile walk along Yorkshire’s Cleveland Way so both you and your four-legged friends can get some exercise in the North York Moors National Park. The imposing Helmsley Castle sits at the top the market town and there is much to explore in the dog-friendly grounds of this medieval fortress. The nearby Rievaulx Abbey ruins are hidden peacefully in a valley of the River Rye and the adjoining Rievaulx Terrace features stunning views, wildflower meadows and giant garden games to keep the kids happy.
Other dog-friendly castles and historic houses include:
Visit a dog-friendly Yorkshire attraction
Ryedale Folk Museum by N Bell
There’s no need to leave your canine companions behind when you plan a visit to one of these Yorkshire attractions; they are all dog-friendly so pet pooches can come along too!
North Yorkshire Moors Railway
The NYMR operates a collection of beautifully restored period steam trains on tracks that run through stunning moorland scenery between Pickering and Whitby. Dogs are welcome to join you on the vintage carriages and there are several specially themed stations to call at during your journey. Goathland Station was used as Hogsmeade in the Harry Potter films and Levisham has been styled as a 1912 railway station with a nearby dog-friendly pub, The Horseshoe Inn, where you can stop for refreshments.
Dalby Forest
There are lots of adventures to be had at the dog-friendly Dalby Forest which covers 8,000 acres of woodland on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park near Pickering. Dogs can join you in the forest’s visitor centre and cafe and there are lots of family-friendly nature trails to interest and excite adults and children alike. Highlights include a Gruffalo orienteering course, the tricky Dalby dry stone wall maze and the scenic Staindale Lake where you can feed the ducks and enjoy a picturesque picnic.
Ryedale Folk Museum
This dog-friendly open-air museum is located in the very pretty North York Moors village of Hutton-le-Hole. Spread over a 6-acre site are a series of buildings, including a thatched 16th-century manor house and an Iron Age roundhouse, that give a glimpse into what Yorkshire life was like at different points in history. After exploring the fascinating museum, head to the Hutton-le-Hole green for a picnic while dogs can have a paddle in the gentle stream that runs through the village.
Mother Shipton’s Cave
Not only is Mother Shipton’s Cave the oldest visitor attraction in England, the woodland site near Harrogate is extremely dog friendly too. It’s centred around a petrifying well which turns everyday objects to stone and there are also woodland walks, special half-term events, a spooky cave and a wishing well. Dogs on leads are welcome in all parts of Mother Shipton’s Cave, apart from the site’s adventure playground.
Other dog-friendly Yorkshire attractions include:
Grab lunch at a dog-friendly eatery
There are lots of dog-friendly pubs, cafes and restaurants located in Yorkshire so you’ll never be short of somewhere to stop for refreshments, whether you’re looking for a light lunch or a hearty supper. Here are some of our favourite foodie places where four-legged friends are welcome:
Wensleydale Heifer
This award-winning seafood restaurant is tucked away in the village of West Witton and surrounded by stunning Wensleydale countryside so you can build up your appetite first with a scenic dog walk. Muddy boots and paws are welcome here; you can dine in the casual lounge area at the Wensleydale Heifer and food on the menu ranges from classic fish and chips to a luxurious lobster dish.
La Trattoria
You can enjoy a tasty Italian meal with your four-legged friend by your side at La Trattoria in Helmsley. The bistro-style restaurant serves classic pizzas and pastas along with tasty soups, sandwiches and salads. Best of all, once you’ve finished your meal, you’ll find that dogs are also welcome in many of Helmsley’s independent shops!
Hidden Monkey
Not only is Malton known as Yorkshire’s Capital of Food (a title bestowed by the great Antonio Carluccio) but it was also named the most dog-friendly UK town in 2018. You’ll find artisan food producers dotted around the handsome streets, a monthly food market to mooch around with your pooch, and lots of cafes to call into with four-legged friends. The Hidden Monkey Tea Room serves delicious homemade cakes along with heartier meals from a prime spot on the market square.
The Pancake House
Located in the lovely Nidderdale village of Pateley Bridge, The Pancake House is a top pick for a dog-friendly breakfast or brunch with a dazzling assortment of freshly made pancakes and waffles to tuck into. We highly recommend combining a visit to The Pancake House with a trip to nearby Brimham Rocks where you can burn off those extra calories by running around the fascinating natural rock formations.
Plan your dog-friendly Yorkshire getaway
If you have been inspired to visit Yorkshire to try out some of these dog-friendly days out, there are lots of holiday cottages where you can extend your stay for either a short break or a longer holiday.
Browse our range of dog-friendly Yorkshire cottages throughout the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast to find your perfect base in locations such as Helmsley, Robin Hood’s Bay, Malton, Ripon and Pateley Bridge.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.