Here’s why Southwold is ranked among top 10 places in UK for a ‘dogcation’ by Petsure

A Suffolk coastal town has been ranked among the top 10 places in the UK for a ‘dogcation’.

Insurance experts Petsure gathered a list of 40 popular holiday destinations on the British coastline and ranked them on their dog-friendliness, with Southwold taking eighth place.

It finds itself in the company of staycation favourites including Bournemouth, Brighton and Wells-next-the-Sea.

The factors considered included the percentage of dog-friendly hotels, the numbr of vets within 20 miles or less and the percentage of dog-friendly restaurants, pubs and bars.

Of Southwold, the insurers noted there were 15 vets in the 20-mile radius, alongside an ‘ample selection’ of 16 dog-friendly cottages.

This was complemented a quarter of the town’s restaurants and three quarters of its pubs and bars being welcoming of four-legged friends – beating out chart-topper Lymington by eight per cent.

The only location to beat its watering-hole stats was Dartmouth, with 78 per cent, while only Lymington, Wells and Bamburgh beat its restaurant-friendliness.

Southwold nearly doubled the percentage of Bournemouth’s dog-friendly hotels – 54 per cent to 23 per cent – with 45 in total.

Also available for dog-parents are a selection of 12 scenic hikes, while a third of the town’s spas are regarded as dog-friendly.