Short answer: Dogs are welcome on Redruth's free mining walks: Wheal Peevor has level paths, Carn Brea has views, and Tehidy has dog-free wildlife zones. Cornwall Council bans dogs at Portreath 1 July to 31 August and at Porthtowan 15 May to 30 September, both 10am to 6pm. Georgia's Voice, FibreHub, Cornwall Gold and the Buttermarket all let dogs in.
For dogs, Redruth is better than its reputation as a former mining town suggests. The engine houses at Wheal Peevor sit on level, wide paths, Carn Brea is a heathery hill with big views, the Coast to Coast trail runs off-road to the sea at Portreath, and the beaches nearby are open to dogs for most of the year. This guide is organised by terrain and by what your dog will actually be allowed to do, with the seasonal beach bans spelled out because those are the rules that catch people out. Pubs and cafes follow, with the ones that come with a real reviewer comment about dogs.
Our mining walks guide calls Wheal Peevor "good with children and dogs": three restored engine houses linked by wide level paths with information boards, free, with a small free car park. Google reviewers (4.5 from 216) describe level paths and a safe site. The steel stairs let you look inside the buildings, so keep your dog under control. It is a gentle one for an older dog.
The hill above Redruth is crowned by a granite monument to Francis Basset and has wide views on a clear day. The paths are rougher than Wheal Peevor, with heather and granite, and the lanes up are narrow. There is a small car park for the short walk to the top. If you want a longer loop, the Redruth mining walks guide describes the Great Flat Lode trail around its south side and the Coast to Coast trail from Portreath to Devoran, which it describes as mostly level and off-road.
Rated 4.7 from 566 Google reviews, Tehidy is a big wooded park near Camborne with plenty of trails. Read the signs carefully. Reviewers report dog-free zones set aside for wildlife, with one dog owner saying dogs were banned from a large area and they had to split up. Winter paths are muddy, according to another visitor, so bring boots. Reviewers say the car parks get busy, so arrive early.
Cornwall Council's dogs-on-beaches order lists these restrictions near Redruth:
Outside those dates, dogs are allowed. Gwithian and Perranporth are not on the council's list, so check the signs on the day. A Portreath reviewer says the beach is very dog friendly in winter. Our guides to off-lead beaches in Hayle and dog-friendly beaches near Perranporth show where to go when Redruth's nearest sands are closed to dogs. Our own beaches near Redruth guide covers tide and parking.
Tricky's @ The Tolgus Inn (4.4 from 866 Google reviews) has a dog-friendly area according to a reviewer. Dog policies at the Countryman Inn, the Treleigh Arms and the Shaft Inn are not published, so phone before taking a dog to eat. Our Redruth pubs guide has the full list.
In the cooler months, when the beach bans are not in force, try this. Start with Wheal Peevor while the ground is firm: the paths are level, the site is free, and you will be back at the car in under an hour. Move on to Georgia's Voice or Hub Cafe for a coffee. In the afternoon, drive to Portreath or Porthtowan and walk the sand at low tide. Check the tide before you go, because a reviewer at Portreath advises it, and at Porthtowan the beach shrinks at high water. Portreath's car park is pay and display, takes cash or card according to a reviewer, and the price varies with the season. Our Redruth parking guide says Porthtowan's council car park is free over winter, but check the sign. Finish with a drink at a pub that has confirmed it takes dogs.
It is workable. Fore Street is long and sloping, so pace an older dog, and the Buttermarket is the obvious stop because it has a courtyard. Check the pay machine for charging hours before you leave the car. The station is close to the Buttermarket if you arrive by train. For everything else in town, our first-time visitor guide is the place to start.
Redruth town centre is easy for dogs on a lead; see the Redruth page. For a bigger dog day out, the north coast towns of Hayle and Perranporth are both within easy reach, and Hayle has its own dog-friendly coffee guide.
Cornwall Council bans dogs from 1 July to 31 August, 10am to 6pm, including the harbour. Outside those dates they are allowed.
Not between 15 May and 30 September, 10am to 6pm, according to Cornwall Council. Outside those dates they are allowed.
Largely, but reviewers report dog-free wildlife zones, so follow the signs. Winter paths can be muddy.
Georgia's Voice at Barncoose, Hub Cafe at FibreHub, Cornwall Gold and the Buttermarket's courtyard and food hall all welcome dogs, according to reviews and our guides.
Our mining walks guide describes it as good with children and dogs, with wide level paths. It is free, with a small car park.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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