Cranfield Beach

Beach/ComboCo. Down🐾 Dogs allowed — with rules

A sand-and-shingle beach at the mouth of Carlingford Lough with views of the Mourne Mountains, DAERA 'Excellent' rated and RNLI lifeguarded through the main summer season.

📍 View on the map

Beach & safety

Water quality: Excellent

Lifeguard: RNLI Beach Lifeguards, July–August daily 11am–6pm, September weekends only

Hazards: No specific hazard advisory beyond standard lifeguard flag-zone guidance found; swim/bodyboard between the red-and-yellow flags during lifeguard hours.

Amenities: toilets · cafe · car-park

Dogs

Tourism sources describe a seasonal dog restriction roughly April/May–September, but this was not confirmed against an official Newry, Mourne and Down District Council byelaw page in the sources checked — treat the exact dates/hours as unconfirmed and check on-site signage.

Unofficial source: View the supporting source →Not an authority; check current signage.

Family

RNLI lifeguarded July–August daily and September weekends, toilets, café and free car park right there — one of the best-served family beaches in this batch.

Fishing

Sheltered lough and estuary margins can support flounder, bass and mullet, with whiting or codling in colder periods.

Species reported: Flounder, Bass, Grey mullet, Whiting, Codling

Access & parking

Free car park at the beach.

Researched 2026-07-24 — sources & disclaimer

https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches/cranfield-beach

https://www.visitmournegullionstrangford.com/things-to-do/cranfield-west-beach-p676261

https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/2025-bathing-water-profiles

https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/about-bathing-water-quality

Rules and conditions change, so always check current signage and tides before you go. We do our best to keep this accurate but can't promise it's error-free.