A wide shingle beach, fishing boats hauled up on the stones, and the best chips on the coast. Here is how we would spend a day in Aldeburgh with your dog.
Aldeburgh is Suffolk at its most Suffolk: a long line of pastel houses facing a wide shingle beach, fishing boats hauled up on the stones, and a great steel scallop shell sitting on the sand up the north end. It is a town that runs at a gentle pace, and it is genuinely happy to have a dog along for it.
There is not a huge amount to it, and that is the point. A long beach walk, a bag of chips eaten on the sea wall, a mooch round the little shops and a pint before you drive home. Here is how we would spend it, with the real, well-loved places we would actually take our own dog.
1
Morning: the beach and the seafront
Start on the stones. Aldeburgh's shingle beach runs for miles, and while dogs are kept off the central stretch from May to the end of September, the ends of the beach stay open to them all year, with room to run and the North Sea to bark at. Walk up to Maggi Hambling's giant Scallop sculpture and back, the classic Aldeburgh stroll.
For a flatter, softer underfoot option, the seafront path by the Yacht Club follows the River Alde with easy walking and plenty to sniff. Both give you that big Suffolk sky that makes a beach walk here feel twice as long.
You do not come to Aldeburgh and skip the chips. The Aldeburgh Fish and Chip Shop is a proper institution with a queue to prove it, and the ritual is to take your paper parcel across to the sea wall and eat it looking at the water, dog hopefully at your feet. Just mind the gulls, who are shameless.
Follow it with a cone from Libardi's, whose kiosk welcomes dogs, and you have done Aldeburgh exactly right.
If you would rather a table, the Lighthouse welcomes dogs in its courtyard and does a lovely lunch, the Cragg Sisters Tearoom is a proper cup-of-tea-and-cake sort of place that welcomes dogs, and the Regatta is a relaxed, well-reviewed spot for something a bit more.
Just inland, the North Warren RSPB reserve gives you a proper stretch of heath, marsh and woodland with paths that link back to the beach. Keep dogs on leads or under very close control here, especially in spring and early summer when the ground-nesting birds are about. It is a lovely, quiet contrast to the seafront bustle.
The Dolphin Inn in nearby Thorpeness and Aldeburgh's own locals do the job nicely. In town, the Cross Keys is a lovely old smugglers' pub tucked behind the seafront that welcomes dogs in the bar with water bowls and treats, the White Hart is a friendly spot, and the Mill Inn keeps a warm welcome for a dog in the public bar.
For a night on the coast, the Wentworth is the pick, a warmly-run seafront hotel that welcomes dogs, and the Brudenell sits right on the beach with dog-friendly rooms and that view. The White Lion is a good-value option that takes dogs in the brasserie with beds, treats and bowls laid on.
Chips on the sea wall with a hopeful dog at your feet is not a bad way to sum up a whole day in Aldeburgh.
What to pack for a day out
The short list that turns a good day into an easy one. Throw it in the boot before you set off.
Water bottle and collapsible bowl
Towel for the boot
Poo bags, always
Spare lead and a long line
Treats for the pub
ID tag and vaccinations up to date
Questions dog owners ask
Can I take my dog on Aldeburgh beach?
Yes, but with a seasonal restriction. Dogs are kept off the central stretch from 1 May to 30 September, while the ends of the beach stay open to dogs all year round.
What is the best dog walk in Aldeburgh?
The beach ends and the seafront path by the Yacht Club along the River Alde are the easy options. For a longer, quieter walk, the North Warren RSPB reserve just inland links back to the coast.
Is the Aldeburgh Fish and Chip Shop dog friendly?
The famous Aldeburgh Fish and Chip Shop is takeaway, so the tradition is to eat your parcel on the sea wall with the dog at your feet. Watch the gulls, and pick a spot away from the busiest queues.
Which Aldeburgh pubs take dogs?
The Cross Keys welcomes dogs in the bar with water bowls and treats, the White Hart is dog-friendly, and the Mill Inn welcomes them in the public bar.
Where can I stay in Aldeburgh with a dog?
The Wentworth Hotel warmly welcomes dogs, the Brudenell offers dog-friendly rooms right on the beach, and the White Lion takes dogs in the brasserie with beds and bowls provided.
Aldeburgh through the seasons
Spring
The town wakes up and the beach is quiet before the summer restrictions kick in. Keep dogs close at North Warren where the birds are nesting, and enjoy having the shingle mostly to yourselves.
Summer
Dogs are kept off the central beach from May to September, so head for the open ends early, carry water, and mind hot shingle underfoot. Long light evenings are made for a seafront stroll.
Autumn
The restrictions lift and the whole beach opens up again. Big skies, empty stones and warm pubs. One of the nicest times to have Aldeburgh to yourself.
Winter
Wild and bracing, the way this coast is meant to be. Wrap up, walk the length of the beach, then thaw out in the Cross Keys with a muddy dog under the table.