Visitors with four legged furry friends are being encouraged to take a ‘paw-some’ break in East Yorkshire this autumn and winter in a new dog-friendly travel campaign.
Already making it easier for dog-owners to discover pooch-friendly attractions, accommodation and places to eat thanks to a ‘Paws on the Doors’ initiative launched last year, Visit East Yorkshire has unveiled a new drive to welcome visitors and their pets.
More business have signed up to the initiative, which features online guides to dog-friendly venues as well as ‘Dogs Welcome’ window stickers on cafes, pubs, shops and places to stay, while new adverts and promotions are planned to highlight out-of-season breaks.
Helping to make East Yorkshire one of the UK’s most dog-friendly destinations, the scheme aims to capitalise on the growing trend of holidaying with pets – and give owners an easy to recognise sign that their canine companions are welcome too.
According to recent research there are 10.5m dogs in UK households, and 86% of owners take their pets on holiday with them.
With its miles of coastline and cliff walks, huge expanse of countryside – including the rolling hills and valleys of the Yorkshire Wolds – plus dog-friendly towns and villages, East Yorkshire believes it offers the warmest of welcomes to humans and their furry friends.
And autumn and winter bring a whole host of ‘paw-fect’ events for an out of season break, from pumpkin picking where dogs on leads are welcome – and even a dedicated dog event complete with photo opportunities and agility course at Butt Farm, near Beverley – to festive celebrations at the dog-friendly Beverley Festival of Christmas.
Among other top suggestions are stepping inside Bridlington’s Priory Church, one of the few historic churches that welcomes dogs inside; exploring Danes Dyke Nature Reserve woodland trails leading to a quiet, dog-friendly bay; strolling the grounds at Sewerby Hall and Gardens and visiting Hornsea Mere, Yorkshire’s largest freshwater lake, popular for dog walks along the shoreline.
For places to eat and drink, Bridlington’s Ship Inn is a favourite for pub food while for a coastal view, the resort’s Salt on the Harbour also welcomes dogs. For traditional fish and chips – and an award winner too – Lighthouse Fisheries of Flamborough has outdoor covered seating for a bite to eat after a seaside stroll.
And among places to stay are Flamborough Glamping & Vineyard – luxury glamping pods set within a newly established vineyard – and PK Cottages in Bempton, ideal for exploring East Yorkshire’s dramatic clifftops and beaches. For countryside breaks, Church Farm Cottages in Garton on the Wolds offers self-catering cottages converted from 18th century farm buildings, along with two acres of well-kept paddocks for dog walking.
For more details on dog friendly East Yorkshire, see: www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk/dog-friendly-east-yorkshire/
Photos, above: Visit East Yorkshire/Jack Gray Photography. below: Visit East Yorkshire/Tom Arran
