Beach Rise

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

Read our comprehensive review of this listing printed in our bi-monthly magazine.

Beach Rise, Silverdale, Morecambe
Review by Louise Furby

When you think of Morecambe you don’t immediately think of stunning sunsets or beautiful bay landscapes – or at least I didn’t before we spent three nights at Beach Rise in Morecambe. But that is exactly what springs to mind following our sunny stay in June. Don’t get me wrong, great weather does help – everywhere is all the more enjoyable when the sun is shining – but the one thing that gives me more pleasure than a warm day overlooking a stunning bay, is seeing our miniature Schnauzer excitedly dashing across the sand, splashing through rock pools, and darting up and down rocks and grass verges. I don’t think I have ever seen her look so happy. And this is only one of the reasons why we loved Silverdale in Morecambe so much.

Our stay at Beach Rise was a little bit of heaven from the moment we arrived. The house has been beautifully designed to make the most of the breathtaking scenery. They have paid attention to creating a home that is suited to dogs and their families as much as possible, and why wouldn’t you, because all you want to do from the moment you look out to sea, is spend time taking in the landscape and the uninterrupted view. 

All you want to do is absorb and experience the view. The house, which sleeps seven people, capitalises on its biggest asset – the view – and doesn’t compromise on functionality. The large windows that draw you to the view are featured in both double bedrooms, the lounge and the kitchen diner. The décor is beautiful and the space in the house is surprising, benefitting from a utility area, large entrance hall and side-entry, so muddy dogs can be washed off outside (there’s a tap and hose for that) and dried off before entering the house. Reassurance for the owners – to maintain the high standards – and relief for dog owners to take away some of the worry of keeping any dog friendly holiday let as clean as possible.

Location wise, it’s a perfect spot to base yourself, with plenty of options from heading a little further north to the Lake District, Kendal or even the Scottish Border towns, or down towards the north-west coast of Blackpool and Lytham St Anne’s. There are countless beaches nearby in Carnforth and Morecambe Bay itself of course, but frankly, once you’ve seen your beach in Silverdale, nowhere else quite matches up.

The area is very dog friendly, from the two local pubs in Silverdale, the Silverdale Hotel and The Royal, to the beautiful town of Grange-over-Sands, seen across the bay and the lovely Pheasant Inn where we enjoyed a delicious meal on the terrace, while our Schnauzer, Laika, enjoyed endless fuss and attention from the friendly locals.

When we did tear ourselves away from the house, we headed out on a 30-minute drive to see the Lune Aqueduct in Lancaster. Easy to find and easy to park, it’s a short stroll to the aqueduct and you can walk along the towpath. We mostly kept Laika on lead as it’s popular with cyclists and she has a keenness to run alongside them if the desire takes her. While we admired the stunning design of the aqueduct, the sun broke through the clouds and we made our way back towards Carnforth and out to Bolton-le-Sands beach for a snack from the café and a bit of a run out for Laika along the grassy dunes and shoreline. With lots of free parking, Bolton-Le-Sands is popular with dog walkers and families but it didn’t feel overcrowded. There are lots of benches to sit and take in the surroundings with a coffee or ice cream and flat walkways for disabled users too. We took a ball and strolled out across the dunes. Laika was having the best time, running after the ball up and down the dunes – she disappeared from view a few times when a dip in the dune took her by surprise, she became quite an acrobat.

The next day, we opened our eyes to another beautiful sunny day and made the easy decision to stay at Beach Rise and enjoy another stroll along the beach. There’s a supermarket a 15-minute drive away so we stocked up for a day at home, and headed along the shoreline again. We were amazed at how quiet the area is – just a handful of walkers or sunbathers most of the time, and even when the local coffee van parks up bringing in a few more visitors, it never felt busy or spoiled. We had a great few hours on the sand. You do have to keep an eye on the tide timings, even though the sea is a fair way out it can come in quickly, so knowing that the bay would start to fill at 2pm, we headed back, slapped on a bit more suncream, washed off the dog and settled in to watch the bay fill up. It’s an amazing sight, a slight trickle turns into a faster stream and an hour later the bay is full, with the sea visible as far as you can see. But as soon as the sea comes in, it’s going back out again so Laika didn’t have to wait long for another run out on the sand – we were sure by now that she considered the beach to be her extended garden, with how often she stood guard at the gate, poised for her descent.

We vacated early on our last day and headed home via Lytham St Anne’s – a place we’d heard to be very dog friendly, and it was. It was a hot day again, so we stocked up on drinks and cool snacks (Laika loves a bit of cucumber) and began the one-hour drive. Once there, we took a slow wander along the promenade towards the windmill and Laika enjoyed the endless attention from people sat along the promenade. But it was hot, so we headed to the shade of Lowther Park, a delightful space opposite the beach. You can park at Lowther Park for as little as £3 for the day and take advantage of the great onsite café. There are plenty of spots to sit and admire the flowers, but with the weather getting warmer and warmer we could see Laika starting to struggle, so after a brief stop off for some doggie ice cream, we continued our journey home. I was already yearning for the view across the bay (and I’ll bet our Schnauzer was too). 

We were stunned by the beauty and tranquillity of Beach Rise and equally impressed by the high standard the house has been designed and decorated to. We watched incredible sunsets, enjoyed breathtaking views and walked miles along the beaches without a single soul around. The scenery changes around you so there’s always something new to take in – and the owners have thought of everything – including the binoculars on the bedroom windowsill.

We will return to Silverdale. A few days just wasn’t enough and I’m excited to explore the area more, but more than anything, I can’t wait to see Laika pound down those steps onto the sand to run and explore until her tired little legs can’t carry her.

Beach House Morecambe, review by Louise Furby and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 68.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit  https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine