Ideas for a family-friendly and dog-friendly family weekend in Bridlington, East Yorkshire.
We were fortunate enough to be invited to enjoy a fun-filled family weekend in Bridlington, with the dogs! Before we got the dogs we thought it would be a bit of a hand-break on going away for weekends, eating out, and even family activities, but East Yorkshire has proved us wrong. Read on to discover what the dogs, the kids and us got up to when we visited Bempton, Flamborough and Bridlington in East Yorkshire.
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We have travelled quite a lot, but as residents of beautiful Yorkshire, sometimes we forget just how fortunate we are to live in God’s Own Country. Sure, there’s York, and Bolton Abbey, the Moors and the Dales, but we don’t often get out to the coast. So when we were asked to go explore Bridlington, we jumped at the change. And were blown away. If you’re looking for a weekend away in East Yorkshire tailored to accommodate the kids and the dogs, here’s a few ideas to consider.
Where to Eat Out with the family in East Yorkshire
On our weekend in East Yorkshire, we ate out a lot. And it was all amazing! Starting off at Seabirds Inn, Flamborough on the Friday night; lunch at The Ship Inn, Sewerby; and finally dinner at Salt On the Habour, Bridlington. We were stuffed, but it was all worth it. Each of the places we visited was so welcoming to our family of four, and the dogs. Check out the individual reviews below.
Seabirds Inn, Flamborough
Dog-friendly doesn’t do this place justice. The Seabirds Inn, Flamborough, is the perfect mix of pub and restaurant with exceptional food. We booked in for dinner on Friday evening. On arrival, the dogs were made a big fuss over and we were seated at a table with loads of room to accommodate the four of us, and the dogs too. The tables are all well spaced out so no one feels like they are sitting on top of each other, and the atmosphere is relaxed, warm and friendly.
They have a really lovely menu, with a good mix of starters, mains and desserts. What makes it all extra special is that their food is locally sourced. Justin and his staff were attentive and welcoming and really went the extra mile to ensure we felt welcome, and it wasn’t just because we were there doing a review. They treated all the patrons just as attentively. Next time, I’m going to opt to sit in their lovely beer garden.
I did a lovely Instagram video of our evening there which you can see on Instagram, but here are a few pictures to whet your appetite.
The Ship Inn, Sewerby
The Ship Inn, Sewerby is within walking distance from Sewerby Hall, and I’d highly recommend you drop in there for a bite to eat after exploring the hall and gardens which you can read more about below. The Ship Inn has indoor seating either in the bar or just off to the side. Dogs are very welcome and they even have blankets for doggies that might be a bit cold. However, we visited on a really warm day so they didn’t need them.
Outside they have an extensive beer garden with a large play area perfect for kids who can’t sit still. In addition to their lovely pub food, they also have an outdoor pizza oven making delicious-looking pizzas. Also outside they have an outside bar with a small arcade area for kids (for those not soo good weather days). We enjoyed a lovely pub lunch inside before staying for another drink to let the kids play outside and the dogs to socialise with the many other dogs also enjoying their visit to the Ship Inn. They also have live music, live sports events and even a gin bar, so this is definitely a place I’d go to again and again.
It was also nice to note that they allow campervans to park in their extensive car park for a nominal fee. If I were a campervan holiday person, this would seem like the perfect setup to me, parking your campervan just off their play area with views of the North Sea to enjoy a sundowner with pizza on tap! Perfect!
Salt On The Harbour, Bridlington
A family weekend in Bridlington would be incomplete without a visit to Salt on the Harbour. If you’re looking for a really lovely place to have lunch or dinner I highly recommend Salt on the Harbour, Bridlington. They have stunning views of the harbour and their food is delicious, and they have one of the best ice-cream bars in Bridlington. The bar area is dog-friendly too. The staff were really kind and attentive, despite having had a really busy day as a result of their excellent food, location and the Race The Waves event that was on that day.
The menu at Salt on the Harbour is exquisite, and they were really accommodating of the children’s requirements which I really appreciated as the girls were a bit tired after a busy day. We ate here in the evening, but if we went back again, I’d love to sit outside and have lunch in their outdoor seating area, enjoying some people watching and soaking in the atmosphere of Brid.
Things To Do Around Bridlington, East Yorkshire
A Visit To Sewerby Hall and Gardens
You can’t visit Bridlington without visiting Sewerby Hall. It is a beautiful period house with 50 acres of extensive gardens that are beautifully maintained. It has views of the sea and a well-maintained little zoo attached to it with some of the loveliest animals including goats, donkeys, Llamas, penguins and so many birds. It’s just a lovely place and it’s so well looked after and maintained I highly recommend a visit there.
The gardens of Sewerby Hall are extensive. They also have a walled garden which is just stunning as far as English gardens go. The house itself is laid out to showcase how it would have been back in the 1700 & the 1800s. You can follow a suggested route through the house or you can wander around and have a look for yourself.
I really loved the kitchen area because they had all the devices and contraptions that were used back in that time available to actually touch and hold which the kids really loved. So many times you go to places like this and you’re not allowed to touch anything (understandably) but at Sewerby hall you can.
The whole estate is dog friendly except that dogs are not allowed in the zoo or the house itself, but they can go everywhere else and there are water bowls everywhere for thirsty dogs which is really great. There’s also a gift shop and cafe where you can relax and take a break before carrying on with more exploring. A visit to Sewerby Hall and Gardens is a great way to slow down the pace of an otherwise busy family weekend in Bridlington.
Catch the Bridlington Land Train
Another fun thing to do when you visit East Yorkshire is to get the land train from Sewerby Hall straight into Bridlington. It drops you off at the leisure centre and it’s just a really great fun ride for the kids (and saves on parking as well). It’s quite a long walk from Sewerby Hall and the Ship Inn, into Bridlington. However, the Bridlington Land Train takes you along the promenade coastal path so you get to see the lovely views on your way into the Bridlington town centre.
The kids and the dogs actually loved going on the land train. In the summer months, the last train from Bridlington back to Sowerby Hall is at 4:30 and you don’t want to miss that because it’s quite a long walk.
Race The Waves – Events in Bridlington
The weekend that we visited Bridlington they had the Race the Waves event on, which was classic cars and classic motorbikes racing along the beach. It was really fun for the kids to watch and my husband absolutely loved it too! You can go right down on to the beach to see the cars and motorbikes close up or you can stand on the promenade and watch from there. I think the event is every year so don’t miss next year’s event – take a look at their Facebook page for further details.
Puffin Spotting at RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Another unmissable thing to do when visiting Bridlington in East Yorkshire is to go to the RSPB Bempton Cliffs to do a bit of puffin spotting. Bempton Cliffs in East Yorkshire is home to one of the UK’s top wildlife spectacles. Between March and October, around half a million sea birds gather there to raise their families in safety, seeking refuge on the tall chalk cliffs overlooking the North Sea.
We had so much fun spotting all the different birds in particular the puffins that are so cute. Apparently, there is a resident albatross who has lost his way (they are not native to Yorkshire), but we didn’t see him on our visit, which happened to be on world albatross day.
When you get there, the RSPB centre is staffed by very knowledgeable staff who can help direct you on what route to take and what to look out for. There are several viewing points all along the cliff walk. The walk itself is safe for children and dogs. You can even hire binoculars to help view the birds, however, this is probably not necessary because there are just so many sea birds flying around and you can clearly see loads of birds on the cliffs from the viewing points.
At the viewing points, there are volunteers who will help you spot the puffins if you can’t find them yourself, but there are also so many friendly members of the public who are also happy to share their knowledge. The centre itself has a small cafe with food and drinks available to purchase and they have an extensive car park lots of parking available. There is a small entrance fee to go in, however, they encourage people to join up as members to enjoy visits at all the RSPB sites throughout the year. A visit to Bempton Cliffs is a must and something we highly recommend you do on your next family weekend in Bridlington, East Yorkshire. It’s a really lovely day out with the kids and is completely dog-friendly too.
Where We Stayed – PK Cottages, Bempton Mill.
The cottage where we stayed was called PK Cottages. Located near the village of Bempton, just at Bempton Mill, the cottages are perfect for families with kids and dogs. We stayed in Cliff Cottage, which has a double bed master bedroom with an en-suite bath in the bathroom. The other room had 3 single beds with an en-suite loo.
The cottage is dog friendly with so many lovely little touches to make it feel like home from home for the fur babies. They ask that dogs stay downstairs, understandably, and off the furniture, which is to be expected of respectful guests. They had everything we needed from dog water bowls and a blanket for the dogs, to a welcome box of Nespresso coffee pods to go with the coffee machine and fresh farm milk in the fridge. The girls demolished the complimentary biscuits before I could even get a picture of them, but just to say that they were delicious. Apparently. One the first evening we were treated to stunning views from the upstairs window, with East Yorkshire showing off her beautiful skies.
A big thank you to our lovely host Emma, who came out to meet us on arrival. Their communication and attention to detail are faultless, and their cottage is the perfect home-from-home getaway. We will definitely be back if we can get in.
So if you’re looking to enjoy a dog-friendly family break to East Yorkshire, I hope this has given you some ideas of the many things you can get up to. The clear message here is that East Yorkshire is a fun, welcoming place to enjoy time away with your family. Please do visit the Visit East Yorkshire website for further inspiration of the many fun and exciting things to do there.
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