Hi.
My wife and I, and our Golden Retriever, will be travelling down to Cornwall via the M5 from the East Midlands.
Are there any recommendations for places stop, apart from the obvious being services, where there are toilets and dog walking away from the roar of traffic?
Thank you.
There used to be a very nice transport cafe in the first lay by on the left after you joined the A30 from the A38, after the M5, heading towards Cornwall. Not particularly visible from the main highway, but clearly signposted - big, off road lay by.
ATB, J
You could take a right onto the M50 then A40 through Ross on wye and then the wye valley lots of nice places along the Wye for food and dog walking then over the bridge back onto the M5
The Gloucester services on the M5 are run by the same people as the wonderful Tebay services on the M6. I’ve not stopped there but if Tebay is anything to go by it should be really nice.
They are fantastic services. , just as good as Tebay
If you get south of Bristol then you could always stop off at Tyntesfield - National Trust with grounds to walk in, Cheddar Gorge, Cadbury Camp just off the M5 at Weston Super Mare, also in that area are National Trust locations at Sand Point and Brean Down.
If you want to head further south then you have Maidenbrook Country Park near Taunton, gets good write ups on Google.
Okehampton gives you access to Dartmoor, just before Okehampton is Castle Drogo a National trust property, these could be a last stop to let the dog out to stretch its paws depending on how far into Cornwall are you travelling.
Have a safe trip and enjoy your holiday, Cornwall is awesome especially for Dogs - Just check the rules as some beaches have restrictions on when a dog is allowed on the beach.
My Labrador says hi
…is lovely. Buy some local cheddar and see how much more interesting it’s supposed to taste! Cider, too. Nice walking, if you want to break the car journey for longer.
Can be busy in the summer, so keep a eye on the traffic.
Having just been, they are a lot more flexible than down here, even in season. Most had restrictions from 10am to 6pm, which I thought was quite reasonable. Here large areas of beach are simply barred for dogs from 1st May to 30th September, and it’s nowhere near as busy or popular as places in Cornwall…
There have been changes in recent years, some of the beaches used to be closed May through to September but in a lot of cases (not all) this has changed to July and August only and mostly with a 10am - 6pm no dog restriction.
Some beaches don’t like dogs at all; Carlyon Bay for example whilst others such as Watergate Bay are dog friendly all year round, it is very much a case of check the Cornwall Council website for which beaches have dog bans or restrictions.
Thank you to everyone for their suggestions.
Where is your final Cornish destination?
Padstow
Glous services well worth a visit and good areas to walk the dog, I would recommend small de tour just off Junc 14 on B4509 is Tortworth well worth a stop excellent farm shop & cafe
also 10 mins from Exeter services is Dart Farm lovely Farm shop cafe etc etc in Topsham would break up the journey very well good food also
A3O plenty of places to pull over and rest and walk the dog, Launcestion has one of the best butchers in UK Phillip Warren 2 mins of A30, the services are not great on A30 IMO so try to take a break before
Not exactly a stop over on route to Cornwall though.
Having a local’s pass to the Eden Project and Lost Gardens of Heligan I much prefer Heligan to Eden, so much more to do and LGOH is a brilliant place to walk the dog.
Once had a long holiday in Cornwall and Devon when the offspring was about 2. My parents were passing “en route” so they decided to call in. They had gone to London from North East Wales…
I don’t know neither of them. Just searched by curiosity what to see in Cornwall and found that.
Heligan is beautiful if gardens are your thing, but the Eden Project is different and perhaps has a wider appeal due to its different climatic zones. More interesting for kids, perhaps less so for dogs. It’s also a great example of reuse of abandoned industrial land, being built on a former kaolinite (China clay) quarry, but I may be biased as I worked on its construction.
Brilliant location, IMHO the food capital of Cornwall (others may disagree), and very dog friendly, a great harbour, good pubs, good for shopping with a mix of chain and independent shops, beaches are further up the Camel Estuary albeit some have restrictions, you have an excellent walk along the estuary out as far as Stepper Point and beyond.
Take the ferry across to Rock there are wonderful eateries at Four Boys and The Mariners and access to more beaches.
Polzeath and New Polzeath which is not far away as the crow flies but a good 30 minutes by car is great but is getting a bit of a reputation for a youngsters holiday destination and as such can get a bit boisterous during the summer months so I tend to avoid until the holiday season is over.
Great local (ish) dog friendly beaches with a cafe include Trevone and Harlyn Bay, further afield gets you to Watergate Bay huge beach great for an evening walk, a bite to eat or a drink whilst watching a sunset.
Padstow really is an excellent location hope you enjoy your vacation.
I can recommend the zipwire that goes over it if it’s still there 
