Dog friendly Lambeth Beach, Cornwall

🐾 Dog-Friendly Lambeth Beach at a Glance
📍 Location: St Ives town centre, behind the RNLI lifeboat station
🦮 Dog-Friendly: All year round (dogs allowed)
🚶 Walk Length: Not really a walk, but a potter around the rocks
🌿 Terrain: Rocky access, steps, sandy at low tide
🏰 History: Named after a 1930s dance craze, hidden charm in town’s beach mix
👁️ Views: Harbour, sea, rock pools
🅿️ Parking: Town centre pay & display nearby
🚻 Facilities: Toilets, cafes, pubs, shops, just a short walk
📅 Best Time to Visit: Mid to low tide

About

Lambeth Beach is a dog-friendly beach in St. Ives, although at high tide, you have no sand, only rocks. The beach is well known for beachgoers creating pebble sculptures amongst the rocks.

There’s a certain magic in finding a quiet, unexpected corner of a busy seaside town with your dog trotting happily beside you. Lambeth Beach in St Ives has that vibe. You’ll wander down stone steps, weave between rocks and if the tide’s low, suddenly find yourself on a shoreline that feels like your secret spot. It’s not a vast sandy sweep like some other Cornish beaches. Instead, it’s more intimate, a place where you and your dog can explore, find sea glass and watch the tide roll in with a gentle rhythm that slows you down.

Visitors often miss the beach as it sits snugly behind the RNLI lifeboat station in St Ives town centre, tucked between the harbour front and Porthminster Beach on the main route from the railway station to the harbour.

Dog-Friendly Policies

Lambeth Beach is dog-friendly all year round, although as it joins Harbour Beach, which has daytime seasonal restrictions, you need to be careful letting your dog run off lead.

Access is a little tricky, easy for people who are sure on their feet. Dogs usually bound over the rocks with gusto, but older or stiff-jointed pups might find the scramble trickier.

Things To See & Do

Lambeth Beach is tidal, and at low tide, you’ve got soft sand to wander, bits of sea-washed rock to explore, and maybe even a bit of seaglass to spot. I love the way the light plays on the stones here as you hunt for treasure with your dog’s gaze fixed on the incoming tide.

Sea Glass collecting — *Sea glass found on our visit to Lambeth Beach*

When the tide’s out, you can walk from Lambeth to Harbour Beach, around the pier if conditions allow. However, you need to be aware of the harbour’s seasonal dog restrictions.

Once the water has pulled back, you have a small stream, and the rockier sections hold little pools where dogs love to sniff, paw and investigate. It’s a spot for sitting or just pottering about rather than a trek, perfect if you’re in no rush.

Access and Facilities

There are steps down to the beach, but you must then negotiate some rugged, loose rocks to get to the sandy area of the beach.

This is in the centre of St. Ives town, where you’re spoilt for choice. Cafes, pubs and takeaway spots line the harbour and streets, with many offering indoor or outdoor seating where dogs are welcome.

Loading weather forecast…