Salt Bay Cottage

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

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

Name: Salt Bay Cottage
Reviewer: Rebecca Chloe Bay

Is there a better way to start the summer than to take a week-long trip to one of the most beautiful beaches in England? Nestled away in East Sussex you will find the perfect place in the UK for a little staycation. This is exactly where Bailey and I decided to venture on one of our holidays of last summer. 

Camber is a picturesque village on the coast and is surrounded by wildlife, with the sea on your doorstep and a multitude of walks around. The noisiest thing around here is the seagulls. 

Starting our trip, we got settled into the beautiful beachside house Salt Bay. Nestled in a sea of houses the small attached house came with enough room for four adults and was equipped with a full kitchen, lounge, bedroom and bathroom. Bailey and I felt right at home. The two rules that come with the property were that dogs had to remain downstairs and that you brought a blanket to cover the sofas. Bailey felt comfortable in the house, with enough room for him to roam using just the downstairs. 

The property doesn’t come with any garden but has a gravel drive that Bailey roamed each evening for a final toilet break. The owners of the house even left us a welcoming snack when we arrived of some shortbread and a chocolate cake, made in the Salts Farm shop between the small village and the main road to Rye. This is the best place to get some fresh food for your home-cooked meals while you stay in the area. We brought Bailey’s bed and food bowls and few toys so he could rest comfortably in the evenings. 

Despite the cosiness of the place, we rarely spent time there other than to have dinner and sleep. Instead, we spent the majority of our days in the local area. Our favourite place and sole reason for visiting the area was the beautiful three-mile beach best known as Camber Sands. only a 10-minute walk down the main road and through the sand dunes. 

This sand heaven has dog friendly sections all year round, with a large enough beach to spread the fun around. Through the summer the beach is split into three sections. Two dog friendly sections to the far left and right and a no-dog zone through the middle. Dogs are free to roam the beach day and night. We spent our evenings watching the amazing sunsets. It was one of Camber’s most popular places to watch the light fade. The dogs can even enjoy a nice little paddle in the sea to cool down after sitting in the dunes. 

On one of our first nights there, after a nice long walk on the beach and exploring the dunes, Bailey and I took our evening meal in the small pub named The Owl. This sits behind the beach, nestled among the beach houses on the edge of Camber. A small pub, it welcomes the locals and tourists in the area to enjoy a drink and a meal. From seafood to pub classics, you can get your mix of dining dishes. And the staff don’t forget about your pooch. Bailey was offered a nice fresh bowl of water and a variety of treats while I ate there. 

If you were looking for an alternative place to eat near the house then there is also The Gallivant. With more seafood to offer than pub classics, you will need to make a booking for this restaurant. Pups are seated outside where they can sit in the shady gazebo and still have a relaxing time. 

If you are looking for a little bit of adrenalin while you are there, you don’t need to look any further than down the road where Rye Watersports is located. You can get yourself in the water to try a bit of paddle boarding or any of their other sports such as land boarding, kayaking, sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, and jet-skiing.  Not something for Bailey, though. 

Just a short 20-minute drive away is the beautiful town of Rye. And if you feel like making a day of it, you can take the hour-and-a-half walk following the farmland and dunes all the way. Don’t worry if you don’t want to walk and don’t have access to a car, you can get the Number 102 bus, which comes every 60 minutes. You might see the resident pooches taking a quick bus ride into the town as well. There are a few shops your dog will love. Lola and Sidney is one that Bailey and I enjoyed our time in. This quirky little shop doesn’t just have all the things for humans, they keep a range of dog treats and mixers that you can buy. The owner will even let your dog try a few of the treats if they are lucky. 

The picturesque town is lined with cobbled streets and small shops and you’ll find something for everyone. Most of the tourists head for Mermaid Street, where the famous cobbled streets take you up to the Rye Castle Museum and Ypres Tower, which is dog welcoming. It costs to enter the museum, but it doesn’t cost to go and sit on the wall to the far side, watch the local activity and enjoy a snack, as Bailey and I did. 

Once we were done with the town, we took a detour to Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. This beautiful landscape is a part of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and spans the size of 600 football pitches. You can take a walk along the many trails of the reserve, sit in bird hides or take a seat in the Discovery Centre and enjoy some bird-watching and a snack. 

Bailey and I ventured out into the land following the trails along the edge of the reserve where we came across pebble beaches, old railway tracks (which Bailey loved to wander down) and through the forest to see Camber Castle. When coming across the castle it is important to be mindful of the farm animals around. Bailey, having grown up around many farm animals, wasn’t fazed by the number of sheep on the trail around the castle. But if your dog is a bit unsure about animals it would be a wise idea to keep them on-lead through the two fields. 

If you feel like taking a walk to see even more of the stunning coastline you can take a day trip to Hastings Country Park, where you’ll see a range of animals if you are lucky including Exmoor ponies, Belted Galloway cows and a vast array of wild birds. With several walks, you could spend hours exploring from one end to the other, through the hills and woodland. Definitely one to get the walking boots out for. On a clear day, you can even glimpse the French coastline. 

If you do feel like adventuring further afield, you can take your pup on a walk through Romney Marsh or up to Bodiam Castle (dogs allowed in outdoor areas), or even take a visit to Charles Palmer Vineyards. We didn’t get Tried & tested East Sussex a chance to visit this vineyard in Winchelsea, but we have it on our to-do list for next time. Who wouldn’t want to feel like they are in Italy at a vineyard with your dog beside you? 

We couldn’t have asked for hosts more helpful than the owners of Beside the Seaside holidays. They sent us a full information pack a few days before our trip. This included where to find the keys to your rental, great places to eat locally, taxi services and, thinking of the dogs, a list of local vets should we need them. This helped us to be able to make use of the local area and enjoy our stay to the fullest. If you are a lover of walks this is a great place for you and your dog to explore. Bailey certainly gave it the high paw of approval. 

Salt Bay Cottage, review by Rebecca Chloe Bay and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 82.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine