Hi, we're Jane and Oak — a mature lady who loves exploring (but consistently gets lost) and her senior black Labrador.
We moved to Lyme Regis from Oxford in November 2025. The photograph above was taken that same first day — the van still half unpacked, both of us tired from the move but thrilled to be here, and neither of us willing to wait another minute before getting down to the sea. Over the following months, as we explored, I kept wanting a simple way to find dog-friendly walks, beaches, shops, cafés, accommodation and services nearby — and couldn't find one that wasn't trying to sell me a holiday cottage. So in 2026 I built this one.
Before this, I ran a similar community review site back in Oxford called oxfordcitydog.com. When we moved, I switched all of that site's social media over to Lyme Regis Dog instead — so if you follow us anywhere, that history is why the accounts look the way they do.
What makes this different
This site is not like most directories you'll find online: I'm not trying to sell you anything. There are no pop-up ads, and there never will be. I personally review every single entry as it comes in — it's just me, a real human, checking things before they go live.
Our promise, in plain terms:
- No advertising, ever — no banners, no pop-ups, no sponsored posts.
- No paid listings. No business can pay to appear here or to rank higher. We take no commission and no affiliate fees.
- Everything is free to use, including our Angel Dogs camera app, the walk mapper and the tide and heat checks.
- Every review is checked by a person — me — before it goes live.
- Written from here. We walk these beaches and paths most days, with an elderly dog, in all weathers. If a route is hard work, we say so.
Found something wrong, out of date, or a review that shouldn't be here? Get in touch via the social links below and I'll sort it. Local businesses are welcome to contact me too if a listing about you needs correcting.
A bit more about me
I'm a writer and an artist. I started a web design business in rural Wales in 1999, ran it for four years, and later took a degree in Oxford — after being diagnosed as dyslexic fairly late in life. I began writing for a local newspaper in my fifties and have since written several science fiction novels. My art and books live over at janeyates.co.uk.
The technology side of this site is a long-running interest rather than a job. Our Angel Dogs camera — which spots a dog through your phone and floats a halo above it — began as an idea I pitched publicly back in 2015, when I was told it couldn't be built yet. It runs in a browser now, for free, and Oak was its first model.
Elsewhere
Art and books: janeyates.co.uk — my paintings and science fiction novels.
Video: Oak stars on our YouTube channel and TikTok, where most videos reach around a thousand people. Links are on the home page.
Community first
Above all, this site is about community — real people and their dogs, sharing the places they genuinely love. If you've found somewhere special, please add it to the map.
We're chuffed to say we've grown to over 1,000 followers on TikTok, and most of our YouTube videos — where Oak is very much the star — get around 1,000 views. If you enjoy what we're building here, please follow along and share us with other dog owners. It genuinely helps the community grow.
Questions people ask
Who runs Lyme Regis Dog?
Jane Yates, a writer and artist living in Lyme Regis, together with Oak, a senior black Labrador. It is not a company or a directory business — it's one person and one dog, checking every entry by hand.
Is it free? How is it funded?
Entirely free, and unfunded. There is no advertising, no commission, no affiliate income and no paid listings. It costs very little to run and I'd rather keep it independent.
Can my business pay to be listed or featured?
No — and that's deliberate. Anyone can be added by a member of the community, free, and no amount of money moves anything up the page. It's the only way the reviews stay worth reading.
How do I add a place or correct a listing?
Use the add a review form for new places. For corrections or to report a review, message us on any of our social accounts and I'll deal with it personally.
What happened to Oxford City Dog?
It was the same idea, in Oxford, before we moved in November 2025. The social accounts came with us and became Lyme Regis Dog, which is why some of them still carry the old name.
Thank you!
Jane & Oak 🐾
Explore the site
Dog-friendly walks · beaches · cafés · shops · accommodation · vets and services · dog utilities · walk mapper · Angel Dogs camera
Lyme Regis Dog is an independent community site, founded in 2026 and run from Lyme Regis, Dorset. Last updated: July 2026.