Hopeman with the Dog – Beach Huts, Cliffs and a Sea Tunnel
A few hours.
The route
Hopeman's East Beach is a lovely place to walk a dog: a long curve of sand below the dunes, a row of painted beach huts, and no seasonal ban on dogs.
From the far end, a cliff-top path leads on to Clashach Cove, where the sea has carved a tunnel through the golden sandstone. Finish with lunch at a friendly little café on Harbour Street where dogs are welcome.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
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The day
Hopeman
A morning on foot with the dog: the sand first, then the cliff path to the cove and back, with a warm lunch in the village at the end.
About three hoursAbout 3 miles on foot
Hopeman East Beach
An attraction
Hopeman is a fishing village founded around 1805. Park in the free car park on Beach Terrace, behind the East Beach, and you're on the sand in a couple of minutes. Dogs are welcome on the beach all year, and there's plenty of room for them to run below the row of painted beach huts. The rocks at the eastern end hold big rock pools at low tide. There's no lifeguard, and this is a surfing beach when the swell is up, so keep dogs out of big waves. Bring bags and pick up after the dog. There are public toilets at the harbour.
23 min on foot
Clashach Cove
An attraction
From the car park it's about 23 minutes' walk east, past the huts and along the cliff-top path beside Hopeman's golf course, to Clashach Cove. The cove is walled by honey-coloured sandstone, and the sea has carved a tunnel right through the rock. Keep the dog on a lead on the cliff path and close in the cove, as the way down is steep in places. The golf club's 12th green sits in the cove itself, 30 metres below its tee, so keep off the green and watch for play. Then it's the same walk back to the car. Lunch is 7 minutes' walk away on Harbour Street, at Hopeman Sands, a small family-run café where dogs are welcome, for homemade soup, baking or breakfast. It opens 10am to 3pm and shuts on Wednesdays; ring ahead on 07384 582097 in the winter.
If it rains
In light rain the beach is still a fine dog walk: keep to the sand and let lunch at Hopeman Sands run long. In heavy rain or a strong wind, skip the cliff path to Clashach, which turns slippery.