Where to walk dogs in Lytham St Annes

Today I’m sharing the places places to walk dogs in Lytham St Annes.

Let’s face it. Having a dog changes us. Once upon a time, I could walk 50 feet down a beach without stopping every three seconds. If I wanted to, I could lie on the sofa for eight hours and binge watch a new series.

I could eat cheese without guilt.

Friends, those were the sad, empty days before I became a Dog Person

Becoming a dog person

As a dog person I know that a chunk of cheese shared is a better, tastier chunk of cheese. Walks are better when you stop to admire gateposts and railings. And who needs to lie on a sofa when you could be out, walking your dog?

Since we’ve had Teddy, I’ve got to know our neighbourhood so much better. I can tell you the very best spots of the beach to visit, and where you can let your dog off the lead. I know the local woodland and nature parks and even the new Bark Park at the holiday park.

Where to Walk Dogs in Lytham St Annes – Top Tips!

If you’re in Lancashire, let me tell you that Lytham St Annes is the BEST place to go outside with your dog on a sunny day.

Our first dog walking spot in Lytham is Witch Wood. It’s only a few minutes walk from our house and we can take a walk through Witch Wood. The wood is a strip of land that runs down the back of Lytham, that was donated to the town. Now it’s a lovely woodland walk with loads of birds. Teddy also is very keen on the large number of squirrels that can be chased here.

As you go through Witch Wood, you’ll eventually reach Ballam Road and Park View. This huge park has a lovely set of fields where Teddy loves to run – but be vigilant so you can pick up after your dog, because the fields here are used every week for kids’ sports. It’s a fantastic park and I often think how lucky we were to buy a house just opposite the park, before it was all built into the amazing play area it is today.

Directly across from the fields at Park View, Witch Wood continues along Green Drive. This is another open strip of land with trees, birds and squirrels and a wide promenade that’s perfect for a walk. This is a really great place to walk your dog in Lytham on a sunny day, because it’s always cool and shady.

Dog Walks on Lytham Promenade

From the woods, it’s a short walk down to the promenade. Lytham is unusual in that there are huge swathes of beach and dunes where your dogs can run. Lytham has mud flats but as you walk towards St Annes, the landscape gives way to sand dunes.

There are rules and areas where dogs aren’t allowed, and where they must be on a lead. In short:

• Between Good Friday and 30 September no dogs allowed AT ALL on St Annes beach or dunes between the North Promenade Car Park and the St Annes lifeboat station.
• During the same period, any dogs on the promenade must be on a lead between those points.

In other areas dog walkers should follow local signs. Generally, you’re asked to have your dog on a lead in public areas where dogs wouldn’t be expected to be off the lead, but there are huge areas where your dog can stretch their legs!

In Lytham, the best stretch of promenade to walk dogs is the area that runs from the very bottom of Fairlawn Road. There’s some parking here, and you walk towards the water, and turn right. You’ll find a wide dune area that provides an open run heading towards Granny’s Bay. This “path” is away from the road, and it’s a positive doggie social club. Teddy loves racing up and down the dunes, and if she can find a friend to race, so much the better.

Where to walk dogs on Lytham St Annes Beach

While there are dog exclusion areas on St Annes Beach, the area between Granny’s Bay at the Southern end of Lytham up to the St Annes Beach Huts falls outside this zone, so your dog can walk and run here all year round.

We particularly like to park up just before AKS School (parking is free and never a problem), and head into the dunes. It’s a good walk here, with dunes to climb, mud flats to explore and plenty of new friends to meet.

Towards the end of the walk, you’ll come out of the Estuary onto St Annes beach proper. St Annes beach has some of the widest sand I’ve ever seen. It’s the most perfect spot for Teddy to run, and we always finish up with a dip in the sea, to wash off the worst of the mud and sand. If you’re in this area,

No matter how hectic my day, this is definitely my top pick for where to walk dogs in Lytham St Annes. There’s fresh air, sand to walk in, and gorgeous views. I always, always find myself thinking how lucky we are to live here.

Now, it has to be said that Teddy is not fussy about the weather she goes out in. Rain and hail just add extra interest to her days.

But MY favourite days are our summer days together. During the summer months I’m far more likely to think to myself, “just ten more minutes before we go home”.

That said, walking your dog in a beach town like Lytham St Annes can present some — challenges. My dog is a dirt and death detective. If there’s a rotten fish corpse to be found within a half mile radius, she’s there. One day this summer Ted managed to get a fish corpse actually wrapped around her muzzle. Six people tried to chase her while Teddy ran around with a look of mad triumph in her eyes.

Living by water means there are always potential bugs and hazards. I’m very conscious of things like dead trees, standing water, and discarded materials in open land. Not to mention the very rich pickings to be found in the park after all those picnics. So, it’s a given that we always have dog insurance.

If you’re still shopping for pet insurance, you might like to know that Petplan is one of only a few providers to offer genuine “lifetime” policies. Petplan also works with more than 1,200 animal rehoming charities in the UK and has raised over £11m through a charitable trust to help fund animal-related causes.

Tips for Walking your Dog Safely

The Petplan website also has a brilliant hub offering pet summer safety tips for dogs, that’s packed with great information. If you’re wondering how hot is TOO hot to walk your dog, or whether that picnic pork pie might be unsafe, this is the site for you.

Some of our favourite tips from the site are below, but do check the hub for more info:

• If you’re having a BBQ, did you know that it’s not just bones you should keep away from your dog? While corn isn’t toxic, the centre of corn cobs can be hard for dogs to digest, and potentially can cause dangerous obstructions
• Often, dogs can lose their appetites in hot weather – tempt them by freezing their regular food in ice cube trays to make pet-friendly cold treats
• Did you know that there are now dog-friendly yoga classes for humans and their pets? It’s called “doga” and this might be the best new thing I’ve learned all summer. Apparently it deepens the bond, and is great for calming.
• Heading into Manchester? Check out this post for good dog walks around the city.

Sponsored Post: This post is in conjunction with Petplan. However, all opinions are my own. Especially the one about “doga”.