Bournemouth - Hengistbury Head

(7 reviews)

(7 reviews)

Amanda Williams, August 2023

It is such a wonderful place for our 3 Turkish rescues to have a roam

And explore & a chance to meet other dogs!!

Rosie Burton, July 2023

This has to be my all time favourite beach destination for dog and people walks. You can park at the car park, where there are toilets and a café. There is lots of outside seating but dogs are not allowed inside this café. There is also a visitor centre which has interesting facts about this amazing wildlife reserve. From here you can walk along the beach until you reach the sand spit/sandbank. You can then walk along past the pretty beach huts until you reach the beach House Café. (dog friendly) Walking back you can either go over the cliff where the views are stunning. You can see from Christchurch, across to the Isle of Wight over the sea and as far as Bournemouth and then Old Harry Rocks and Studland. You can also walk through the woodlands which have a variety of footpaths to choose from and if you're lucky you'll see the beautiful display of water lilies. Riverside, there is a flat, tarmacked road shared between pedestrians, the land train and cyclists. There is also a land train that takes you from the car park café to the sand spit. Here there is also a ferry that takes you to Christchurch and back. This is a fun thing to do as well! Hengistbury Head is a SSSI and home to over 500 plant species, 300 types of birds and a superb variety of insects, reptiles and small mammals. The reserve has several different habitats for wildlife, including woodland, heathland and saltmarsh.

Tracy Heath, July 2023

It is much quieter than nearby Bournemouth and Boscombe and dogs are allowed all year round. There are several different walking options. Over the head itself, through the nature reserve, across the heathland to the town, along the beach toward the head and also the other direction to Bournemouth, and next to the estuary. The land train will also take you from the carpark to the head which children enjoy and also makes this area good for people and dogs with military mobility. You can catch the foot ferry the short distance across the sea to Mudeford which is good for crabbing. Dogs are allowed on this beach from October to March land provide plenty more walking opportunities. You can walk to Highcliffe castle from here which the grounds are also dog friendly.

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Listing Updated: 18/11/2018