Last year my wife, baby son,dog and I went to Dalbeattie for a week, it was ideal for us having beaches very close by, trails down the road for me and enough close by things to do as a family. I’m looking for something similar which ticks all those boxes, we are based in Hertfordshire, so the borders ia as far north as I want to go.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Pembrokeshire.

We stayed in the cottage next to here (couldn’t see it on the search).

http://www.coastalcottages.co.uk/holiday-cottages-uk.asp?cottageref=32964

Huge beaches, dogs on them no issue (horses too).

MTB is only off-piste stuff, but Brechfa is not too far.

Looks nice apart from the no children under five, I will look into Pembrokshire though. Something with riding close by would be ideal, two hour blasts rather than all dayers.

Here is a couple of links to a mates wife’s parents place located in Foulden near Berwick. I’ve no idea about rates etc but it’s close to the beach and there Iis likely to be some good riding nearbye…

http://www.berwickholidaycottages.co.uk/the-paddock.htm

http://www.thepaddockfoulden.com

Looks nice apart from the no children under five

But if yours is a baby, it won’t be walking around – and the pond is a fair way from the cottage.

He was a baby last year, but is an adventurous dog chasing toddler now!

Pembrokeshire is really nice.
We found it a welcome relief from (and a lot nicer than) our usual trip to cornwall. I don’t think we’ll be doing cornwall again.

I will look into Berwick too thanks Albanach.

It rains a lot in North Wales but if you get to the west of Snowdonia there are loads of lovely beaches on the mainland and Anglesey and you get less rain there. You can stay near a beach and have the mountains half an hour away.

Avoid Aberscoch (full of teds).

Pembrokeshire is rubbish – don’t bother
(especially if you like to take your dog on the beach)

For me, the best places for a family holiday are underrated. Three great resorts close together, ideal for anyone. Cleethorpes, Skegness and Mablethorpe. Absolutely unbeatable. Why would you go anywhere else?

On no account should you go to West Wales, that would be a waste of time, money and petrol. Particularly avoid The Gower, St David’s and Marloes areas, shockingly poor in my experience. Cardigan Bay is just as bad, though you have to check your beaches for dog permissions in summer. Nowhere coastal west Wales is great for MTB, fewer bridleways around. For what you’re after, though what about Scarborough,Robin Hood’s Bay/Whitby/Staithes areas. Beaches, activities, North York Moors and Dalby all on your doorstep. (Actually Dalby isn’t on anyone’s doorstep, pig of a place to get to in summer if you have to use or cross the A64)

Some interesting opinions there, I shall do some research.

We did Dalbeattie for similar reasons as you, have also done similar in Northumberland.

If the little lad is into trains, have a search for Cynfal Farm (possible Welsh spellings issue!) which is near Tywyn – nice cottages, but the farm has it’s own halt on the little steam railway that Rev Awdry based his mountain trains on….thought my lad would burst when he discovered he could just hail a steam train and it would stop for him! Also handy for beach and trail centres, and you’d be surprised how interesting the CAT at Mucknfluff can be to toddlers – ours are going back for the third time at Easter (now aged 8 and 5)

Also the North York Moors are great – Dalby, Whitby and Filey on the coast (Scarborough is a dump!), North York Moors railway, the train museum at York, brewery at Cropton, chocolate factory at the next village down who’s name escapes me at the moment…..

edit: that reads wrong, I know Dalby isn’t on the coast!

Isle of wight. Loads of beaches, kids stuff etc

I will tell you about my holidays in N Wales on Friday.

In a nutshell though, better beaches and scenery than D&G but riding not quite so “on the doorstep”.

You could take your Alpine down Snowdon though!

Pembrokeshire is rubbish – don’t bother
(especially if you like to take your dog on the beach)

Someone missed a 😉

Bournemouth is lovely today.

We’ve got four strip clubs to choose from and nobody has been stabbed for weeks now.

See you friday Stace, Snowdon does sound appealing, but with a choice of four strip clubs it looks like Bournemouth is number one! 😉