Having a dog makes travelling more fun. Even places I've visited multiple times before, like the Kent coast, are appealing in a new way. I get to experience them all over again with my companion at my side. I spent my childhood in Kent and have visited Dover many times. Although the White Cliffs are a striking and iconic landmark, to me they're familiar and, dare I say it, boring.. Until I revisited them years later with the dog.
The White Cliffs of Dover trail provides a good all-weather walk. The views are stunning, no matter the weather or the season. On a clear day, you'll be able to see France off in the distance. A visit in winter will reward you with a sea spray haze that gives the cliff tops an ethereal appearance. As you walk you'll spot wildflowers sprouting aside the path as ponies graze alongside you.
We walked the cliff top trail together. It's a mostly flat, gentle walk with a few staggered inclines and steep paths. The 3.6-mile loop trail will take approximately 1 hour 37 minutes to complete. There is a quicker, wheelchair friendly footpath that provides an easy route to a lovely viewing point.
If you push on to the South Foreland Lighthouse, you'll be rewarded with a lovely place to rest. Mrs Knotts tearoom provides refreshment with picnic tables and deckchairs outside to sit on and admire the view. Eat your picnic, play the traditional games on the grass, and then head in to explore the lighthouse.
The chalk grassland along the cliffs is home to an abundance of wildlife and wildflowers. To help with conservation and to control the growth of scrub, Exmoor ponies graze the grassland. These poies encourage the native chalk grassland plants, which make the White Cliffs such a unique habitat to visit.
Dogs are allowed off-leash, although the unfenced sections of the cliff top make this a risk I'd rather not take. Ponies and cows have a tendency to graze close to the pathways too. They're not generally a risk but can be if either they or your dog get spooked.
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