Finding somewhere nice to eat, let alone stay, with a four-legged friend in tow can be a bit of a minefield in the UK. Pubs are often the best bet, so it’s unsurprising and indeed rather reassuring to find that this paperback guide comes from the same stable (or should that be kennel?) as The Good Pub Guide.
Its editors haven’t attempted to be comprehensive – you can find many more dog-friendly pubs even on the The Good Pub Guide’s own website, if you trawl through individual descriptions. Rather, this is their selection of especially pleasant places where both you and your dog are welcome to drink, eat and stay.
After an introduction with some sensible advice on travelling and walking with a dog, an initial chapter suggests some particularly good pub-and-walk combinations countrywide. The main guide is organised gazetteer-style, county by county, with the hotels and B&Bs following the pubs, and maps at the back. Individual descriptions are in The Good Pub Guide’s usual atmospheric yet thorough style, spelling out where dogs are welcome within each establishment, and any special charge made for their overnight accommodation.
My only caveat is one that’s made by the editors too, in their introduction. It’s not unknown for an establishment to stop welcoming dogs virtually overnight, say after a change of management. So, before planning a special excursion ring and check with a real person, rather than relying on this or any other guide.
Nevertheless this guide remains an inspiring read, especially good for planning a day out or weekend away somewhere new with your pooch. With spring coming on there are lots of lovely-sounding country pubs to try, or would my gentlemanly old dog-about-town enjoy a visit to a new London pub instead? Come on boy, let’s grab your lead! C.G.
Eds. Alasdair Aird and Fiona Stapeley, The Good Guide to Dog Friendly Pubs, Hotels and B&Bs, London: Ebury Press, 5th ed. (2013). ISBN 9780091951498. £9.99
Buy now on Amazon: Good Guide to Dog Friendly Pubs, Hotels and B&Bs: 5th Edition (affiliate link)
