Discovering the Best Dog-Friendly Pubs in the UK

Paws Across Britain – Discovering Best Dog Friendly Pubs in the UK

When Kelly and her husband decided to get a puppy in 2014, they never imagined they would be taking more staycations. In fact, prior to getting Elsa, they had been warned by friends and family that getting a dog would prevent them from travelling. However, the couple knew that they wanted to include Elsa in every aspect of their lives from the beginning and travelling around the country was one of them!

“We wanted to include her in every aspect of our lives from the very beginning and we’re fortunate enough to live in a beautiful country that offers so much to enjoy with your dog from beaches to ancient forests, castles, cities, towns and villages.”

This led Kelly and her husband to search for dog-friendly accommodation around the UK, and they were pleasantly surprised by how much there was on offer. “Once we started looking for dog-friendly locations a whole world opened up to us and we’ve been to places that we wouldn’t have even known about before we had a dog, and made some wonderful new friends in the process”.

A new addition to the pack

In 2019, Kelly and her husband decided to welcome Buffy into the Paws across Britain pack. The family of four continue to explore the UK together, visiting various dog-friendly pubs along the way.

As we gear up to restrictions being lifted again, we decided to catch up with Kelly at Paws Across Britain to talk about some of the dog-friendly pubs she has visited, which feature on Stay in a Pub.

Dogs & Pubs

In Britain, we are fortunate to have hundreds of pubs that welcome dogs with open arms and, although visiting the pub with a dog is not a new concept, lots of establishments have started to offer more options to dogs and their owners, including things like meals for dogs and dog-friendly accommodation. In fact, the search term ‘Dog friendly pubs near me’ is always one of the top searched phrases in Google when browsing the net for anything dog related!

So, whether you are looking for somewhere to go for a drink, a good meal, or if you need somewhere to rest overnight with your four-legged friend, pubs offer the ideal solution to satisfy all of these needs.

Paws Across Britain visits our Pubs

Black Horse Inn, Kirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire

Nestled in the heart of the village of Kirkby Fleetham, the Black Horse Inn is a dog-friendly inn with an award winning 1 Rosette restaurant and 5 star AA rated bedrooms.

“Elsa was made to feel very welcome in the pub, she really enjoyed the dog biscuits and was offered a bowl of fresh water when we sat down.”

The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley, Chatsworth Estate, Derbyshire

The Devonshire Arms at Pilsley is a charming 18th century village inn, located on the Chatsworth Estate, across the road from the Estate’s Farm Shop and less than two miles away from Chatsworth House. Devonshire Arms has 13 supremely comfortable bedrooms, each furnished in their own style and equipped with lots of little extras for both guests and their four-legged friends.

“Elsa quickly sniffed out the packet of treats and the toy that had been left for her. A large towel and two bowls were also available for her to use in the room.”

Horse and Groom, Bourton-on-the-hill, Gloucestershire 

The Horse and Groom is a superb Grade II listed Georgian inn located in the heart of Bourton-on-the-hill. Dog friendly bedrooms come equipped with their own doggy beds and bowls.

“Check-in took no time and we were shown to our room which had doors that opened up directly into the large garden area at the back – perfect for staying with a dog because it meant that we didn’t have to go back through the pub with Elsa to take her out for loo breaks.”

The Oak Tree Inn, Helperby, Yorkshire

The Oak Tree Inn offers guests a wonderfully spacious traditional bar, fabulous new steak house restaurant and 6 stylish en-suite bedrooms. The indoor dog-friendly seating area is very spacious and everyone was extremely welcoming so we felt completely comfortable walking Elsa through the pub. There are three dog friendly rooms at The Oak Tree Inn Helperby, two are situated in the main building above the pub and the third is an annex to the rear of the property.

“Canine guests also get their very own bed and blanket and Elsa was quick to make herself at home”

The Timble Inn, Timble, North Yorkshire

This stunning pub is hidden away in the quiet, beautiful village of Timble, nestling in the stunning Washburn Valley.  The Timble Inn is the only pub that you will find in this quintessential English village and the 18th century coaching inn blends-in effortlessly with its surroundings. Although the exterior of the building has remained relatively untouched over the years, the interior has been transformed into a cosy hideaway with a tasteful ‘English country’ theme to complement the architecture.

“Most people would be thrilled to see a chilled bottle of champagne or box of chocolates waiting for them on arrival (and these special touches can be added on request), but we were absolutely delighted to find that our room had a dog bowl, towels and a bed throw all laid out for our arrival!”

For more information on dog-friendly pubs around Britain, visit our Dog Friendly Rooms page, or to read more about Elsa and Buffy’s adventures, please visit Paws Across Britain.

Written by Melanie Phipps

PR & Marketing Manager at Stay in a Pub