We looked at 12 Hampshire beaches. Only one, Salterns Road at Hill Head, has a summer dog ban we could confirm from a council page without a conflict. Portsmouth’s own pages give three different start dates for the Southsea ban, and for Gosport, Hayling Island and the New Forest coast we could only find news or tourism reports. We have listed those beaches with the reason, so you know which ones to check before you travel.
I want to be upfront about this one. Hampshire is the thinnest of our beach pages so far, because several councils publish their rules as maps or PDFs we could not read. We name the source on every card, with the date we checked, and we have not guessed. If you are planning a full day out, our guide to local dog walks in Hampshire sets out the walks we checked.
The rules in short
Fareham’s order bans dogs from Salterns Road Beach from 1 May to 30 September and has a separate winter exclusion at Hill Head. Portsmouth excludes dogs from the Southsea foreshore and Hot Walls in summer, ending on 30 September. Gosport and Havant have summer restrictions in marked areas, but we could not read their orders. Our Hampshire area guide explains which council covers what. Always read the signs, because the councils can change their orders.
Summer ban from the council order
This beach has a summer ban that we could read on a council page.
Salterns Road Beach — Hill Head
Dogs not allowed from 1 May to 30 September. Dogs must be on a lead on the Salterns Road promenade.
Source: Fareham Borough Council, “Taking the Lead” dog control order (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Dates to check before you travel
Here the sources disagree, or we could only find news and tourism reports, so we have listed the beach with the reason rather than leave it out. Please double-check on the council website. If your dog needs a safe run away from beach restrictions, secure dog fields in Hampshire are worth a look.
Southsea Beach — Southsea, Portsmouth
Dogs are excluded from the foreshore between the Royal Marines statue and Southsea Castle in summer, but Portsmouth’s own pages give different start dates: 1 May (June 2025 map), 30 April (dog control orders page) and 1 March (formal order text). All give 30 September as the end. Check the council page and the signs.
Source: Portsmouth City Council, beach dog restriction zones and dog control orders (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Hot Walls foreshore — Old Portsmouth
The council says the same exclusion applies here as at Southsea, so it carries the same start-date conflict (1 March, 30 April or 1 May, to 30 September). Check the signs.
Source: Portsmouth City Council, dog control orders (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Hill Head Beach — Hill Head
Fareham’s page lists a winter exclusion (1 October to 31 March, for bird protection) on Hill Head Beach and a summer exclusion at Salterns Road Beach. News and tourism sites describe a summer ban on the main Hill Head beach instead, and we could not read the boundary map. Check the signs.
Source: Fareham Borough Council, “Taking the Lead” dog control order (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Hayling Island beaches — Hayling Island
Havant’s order includes seasonal dog restrictions in the Central Beachlands bathing area, but the council page does not give the dates or name the beaches. News reports say 1 May to 30 September on the Blue Flag beaches. Check the council page and the signs.
Source: Havant Borough Council, public spaces protection order (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Stokes Bay — Gosport
News and tourism sites report a summer ban from 1 May to 30 September in signed areas, with dogs allowed towards Gilkicker. We could not read Gosport’s own order, so check the signs.
Source: Portsmouth News and tourism sites (Gosport order not readable) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Lee-on-the-Solent — Lee-on-the-Solent
Reported summer restriction from 1 May to 30 September in marked areas only, with the boundaries unknown. A tourism site says dogs are welcome all year on the zones either side of the main promenade. We could not read Gosport’s own order, so check the signs.
Source: Portsmouth News and a tourism site (Gosport order not readable) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Lepe Beach — Exbury
One tourism blog says dogs are allowed all year to the left of the slipway, with the main family beach restricted from 1 May to 30 September. We found no council page to confirm it, so check the signs.
Source: Hello Southampton (tourism site) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Reported as dog-friendly (tourism sources only)
Tourism sites say dogs are allowed all year at these beaches, but we found no council or National Trust page to back it up. Treat them as a starting point and check the signs.
Milford on Sea beach — Milford on Sea
Reported as allowing dogs all year. We found no council page, so check the signs.
Source: Visit Milford on Sea and Hello Southampton (tourism sites) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Hurst Castle beach and Hurst Spit — Milford on Sea
Reported as allowing dogs all year, on leads inside Hurst Castle grounds. We found no council page, so check the signs.
Source: Hello Southampton (tourism site) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Calshot Beach — Calshot, Fawley
Reported as allowing dogs all year, on leads near the castle and activity centre. We found no council page, so check the signs.
Source: Hello Southampton (tourism site) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
Weston Shore — Southampton
Reported as allowing dogs all year. We found no Southampton City Council page, so check the signs.
Source: Hello Southampton (tourism site) (checked 8 November 2026)
View on Google Maps
What we could not confirm
The council pages give no postcodes, so we show a Google Maps link for every beach instead, and we have left dog bins and parking out rather than guess. We found no beach rules for Lymington, Netley, Hamble, Titchfield Haven or Browndown, and no New Forest District Council, National Trust or Natural England beach page, so those have no cards. If you plan to swim, our guide to dog swimming spots in Hampshire covers places built for a proper dip, and it is worth knowing where your nearest vet is before a long coastal trip.
Staying overnight? Our dog-friendly stays in Hampshire list places that publish their dog policy.
Busy beaches can be exciting for a dog. If yours finds crowds unsettling, the Calmdogs calming bites are a complementary feed some owners keep for days out, though for ongoing anxiety it’s best to speak to your vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dogs allowed on Southsea beach?
Not in summer. Portsmouth excludes dogs from the foreshore between the Royal Marines statue and Southsea Castle, and ends the ban on 30 September. The council pages give different start dates, 1 March, 30 April and 1 May, so check the council page and the signs.
Can I take my dog to Hill Head beach?
Fareham Borough Council bans dogs on Salterns Road Beach from 1 May to 30 September, and lists a winter exclusion on Hill Head Beach from 1 October to 31 March. News reports describe the summer ban differently, so check the signs.
Are dogs allowed on Hayling Island beaches?
Havant Borough Council says its order includes seasonal dog restrictions in the Central Beachlands bathing area, but its page gives no dates. News reports say 1 May to 30 September on the Blue Flag beaches, so check the signs.
Can dogs go on Lepe and Milford on Sea beaches?
We only found tourism sources for these beaches. One says dogs are allowed all year to the left of the Lepe slipway, with the main beach restricted from 1 May to 30 September, and tourism sites say Milford on Sea allows dogs all year. Check the signs.
Written by Georgiana & Figo.
