From 1st May in Swanage, as the town prepares for the tourist season, dogs are not allowed on Main Beach and Shore Road by The Mowlem is closed to allow more space for pedestrians.
This year the rules on dogs have been strengthened by the introduction by Dorset Council of a public spaces protection order (PSPO), which means that its now legally enforceable and failure to comply by dog owners may lead to a fine.
Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach from 1st May and must be on a lead, like this one is, along the promenade
Dogs aren’t allowed on Swanage Main Beach
From 1st May to 30th September every year dogs aren’t allowed on the Swanage Town Council owned Main Beach. However during the winter they are allowed and they don’t have to be on a lead.
The best beach for dogs that like a dip is Monkey Beach by the Stone Quay, where dogs are allowed all year round. North Beach which lies to the far end of Swanage Bay towards Ballard Down is privately owned and different rules apply for separate stretches, so best to check the signs.
Shore Road is temporarily closed
Shore Road which runs along the seafront is temporarily closed from The Mowlem to Victoria Avenue during the summer, which means that traffic travelling through town needs to go via Station Road.
A recent survey of residents showed that 62 percent said that it would be beneficial if this part of the road was closed permanently, allowing more space for pedestrians.
Children milling across the road
During the summer when the beach huts are all in use, there are lots of people, including children milling across the road between the beach and the beach huts.
It’s down to Dorset Council to have the final say as they are the highways authority and they are currently considering the issue, along with a solution to the seafront flooding in the area.
Seaweed scooped into piles
In contrast to last year, as Swanage slipped into lockdown, the town council has removed the seaweed from the beach in time for the May Bank Holiday.
On the evening of Friday 30th April 2021, with very few people around, the seaweed was scooped into piles and then a digger loaded it onto a truck for it to be taken away and then decompose away from the beach.
The next morning on Saturday 1st May 2021, visitors were largely unaware of the large amount of seaweed that had been removed the night before, except for the lingering pungent whiff!
