South coast beach
Cawsand Beach: dogs, parking and water quality
Photograph to come Cawsand, Cornwall.50.331° N, 4.201° W
The essentials for Cawsand on Cornwall’s south coast: the council’s dog rules, the nearest council car parks and the Environment Agency’s water quality ratings, each linked to its source.
- Dogs
- No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 AugustThe council’s rules in full
- Water quality 2025
- ExcellentEnvironment Agency rating
- Council parking
- CawsandPL10 1PA · 270 m (0.2 miles) away · all nearby
- Lifeguards
- Check the RNLI finderSeason mainly May to September, varies by beach (Cornwall Council)
- Nearest station
- Saltash station8.5 km (5.3 miles) in a straight line · by train
Dogs on Cawsand
Dogs are not allowed on Cawsand 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August. Cornwall Council lists it as “Cawsand Beach, Cawsand”. The council publishes a map of the restricted area (PDF).
Outside those dates and times the council restriction does not apply, but signs on the beach and Cornwall’s other dog orders (such as picking up after your dog) still do. The council says breaking a dog order can lead to a £100 fixed penalty notice (council penalties page).
Parking near Cawsand
Cornwall Council car parks within about 1.5 km of the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Cawsand, nearest first. Distances are straight-line estimates from our own calculation, not walking routes.
| Council car park | Postcode | Distance (straight line) | Spaces | Open | Council page updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cawsand | PL10 1PA | 270 m (0.2 miles) | 139 | 24 hours | 22 July 2026 |
Parking near many Cornish beaches is run by the National Trust, parish councils or private owners. We have not checked those yet, so they are not listed. Charges change, so we do not quote prices: each council page has current tariffs. All Cornwall Council car parks.
Water quality at Cawsand
The Environment Agency rated Cawsand Excellent in its 2025 classification. Ratings for the last four years:
| Bathing water | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cawsand | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
The 2026 bathing season ran from 15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026, with 10 samples planned at Cawsand.
- Cawsand: no daily pollution risk forecasts are made here. The EA says a warning would still be issued if a pollution incident happened.
Streams and run-off at Cawsand (EA profile)
Streams and rivers are typically affected by human sewage, animal slurry and runoff from roads. The Cawsand Stream enters the sea at this bathing water. The Environment Agency have monitored the stream between 2009 and 2012, and found that water quality is temporarily worse during and after heavy rainfall.
Seaweed at Cawsand (EA profile)
For the four year (2022-2025) assessment period where data is available, seaweed (macroalgae) was assessed as being sufficient to be objectionable for 5% of visits, with 85% of visits noting the presence of seaweed (macroalgae). This bathing water does not have a history of large amounts of seaweed (macro algae).
Source: Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. See every Cornish bathing water rating.
About Cawsand
The Environment Agency describes the bathing water like this:
Cawsand is on the south coast of Cornwall. It is a sand and shingle beach resort, approximately 120 metres wide, close to the village of Cawsand.
Quoted from the Environment Agency bathing water profile, Open Government Licence v3.0. Beach material recorded by the EA: sand, shingle. Designated as a bathing water in 1998.
Safety and tides
Whether a lifeguard is on duty depends on the beach and the date. Cornwall Council says the RNLI’s main lifeguard season runs from May to September and varies from beach to beach, so check the RNLI’s lifeguarded beach finder before you go. We do not list lifeguard dates until we can check them.
The council points visitors to BBC tide tables for tide times. In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard (HM Coastguard). More in our beach safety guide.
Getting to Cawsand by train
The nearest National Rail station to the Environment Agency’s sampling point for Cawsand is Saltash, about 8.5 km (5.3 miles) away in a straight line. You would need a bus, taxi, bike or a long walk from there. The three nearest stations:
| Station | Distance (straight line) |
|---|---|
| Saltash station | 8.5 km (5.3 miles) |
| St Germans station | 10.4 km (6.4 miles) |
| Menheniot station | 18.2 km (11.3 miles) |
Straight-line distance, our own calculation from OpenStreetMap station locations (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL). It is not a walking or road route. Station links go to National Rail for times and facilities. See beaches near a railway station.
Where is Cawsand?
Nearby beaches
- Kingsand340 m (0.2 miles) away · Not on the council restriction list · water Good
- Tregonhawke3.1 km (2.0 miles) away · Not on the council restriction list · water Excellent
- Sharrow4.5 km (2.8 miles) away · Not on the council restriction list · water Excellent
- Portwrinkle8.3 km (5.1 miles) away · Check the council map: a nearby listed area has dog rules · water Excellent
Photos
Quick answers
Are dogs allowed on Cawsand?
No dogs 10am–6pm, 1 July – 31 August, under Cornwall Council’s dog orders. Outside those times the council restriction does not apply, but check signs on the beach.
Is the water clean at Cawsand?
The Environment Agency rated Cawsand Excellent in 2025. During the bathing season (15 May 2026 to 30 September 2026 in 2026) it publishes sample results online.
Where can I park for Cawsand?
The nearest Cornwall Council car park we found is Cawsand (PL10 1PA), about 270 m (0.2 miles) away in a straight line. Check the council page for charges.
What is the nearest railway station to Cawsand?
The nearest National Rail station is Saltash, about 8.5 km (5.3 miles) away in a straight line (our calculation from OpenStreetMap data).
Sources and checks
- Cornwall Council: dogs on beaches – page last updated 23 October 2026, checked 1 November 2026
- Environment Agency: Cawsand bathing water profile – checked 1 November 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0
- Cornwall Council car park: Cawsand – page last updated 22 July 2026
- Cornwall Council: beach safety – page last updated 1 April 2026
- OpenStreetMap: railway station locations – ODbL; distances are our own calculation
Last checked: . Published by Oaknest Media. How we check: editorial policy.