Doggy breaks are now in demand
Here VisitEngland highlights the country’s best pet-friendly places, from dog-loving hotels to canine-friendly beaches. So forget the kennel fees, and load your lucky dog into the car with the rest of the family for a well-deserved break.
Hound-Friendly Hotels
Luton Hoo, Bedfordshire - Take your pampered pooch to five-star Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire and stay in a room with direct access to the extensive grounds. The hotel has mapped out walks and jogging trails for you and your four-legged friend to trot along. While you recharge in the hotel spa and refuel on the hotel’s exquisite cuisine, a chef will prepare your pet’s regular meal in time for their usual feeding time. Wags all round! Doubles start from £189.
Malmaison, Newcastle - The majority of guests here might be of the human variety, but Newcastle’s ‘Mal’ takes its canine visitors very seriously indeed. While you’re luxuriating in the basement spa or supping cocktails and drinking in the stunning river views, they’re snuggled in their own special bed in your room. It’s exhausting, this holiday lark! Doubles start from £115.
Cliveden House, West Berkshire - This luxury country house hotel loves mutts so much they’ve created a doggy menu. Meanwhile you can indulge in one of the fine dining rooms or tuck into a traditional afternoon tea. Pampered pooches of a civilised age are welcome in every bedroom, and there are 250 acres of designated woodland paths roaming through National Trust grounds right outside, just begging to be explored. Doubles start from £385 including breakfast.
Best Spots for Walkies
Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire - From tail waggers to terrible tykes, dogs love visiting Dalby Forest. With its miles and miles of tree-lined walks and lovely chewy sticks to fetch, it’s a canine’s paradise. The forest is set in the heart of the glorious North Yorkshire Moors National Park, speckled with sheep and chocolate-box villages.
The Trans Pennine Trail - This trail links the North and the Irish seas and can be joined and exited at any time so you and your dog can have as long or short a walkies as you want. With 70% of the trail traffic-free, it’s a chance for you both to let loose.
Dartmoor National Park, South Devon - Your furry friend will be spoilt for choice when visiting the. There’s a range of marked-out dog-friendly routes snaking through some of the most idyllic parts of this huge swath of luscious land that sits in the south of Devon.
Best Beaches for Frisbee Fun
Bamburgh, Northumberland - If you and your canine companion are looking for a beach with a view, you won’t do much better than Bamburgh. This fabulous sweep of golden sand is guarded by Bamburgh Castle and the perfect place to stretch your (six) legs with a bracing walk. Look out for seals and wintering seabirds. Mutts (and their well-behaved owners) are welcome all year.
Crosby Beach, Southport - Stretching almost a mile out into the sea Anthony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’ statues are sure to draw the attention of a curious canine. The 100 life-size cast-iron figures stand in the midst of the large dog-friendly Crosby beach, giving you both plenty of space to run about in after he’s finished nipping at those iron ankles.
Bournemouth - Take your furry friend for a paddle on one of the best beaches around. Bournemouth’s golden sands stretch for miles and you and your doggy can paddle freely west of Durley Chine and east to Hengistbury all year round, and the rest of this glorious stretch of silky sands during the off-season.
Pooch Friendly Pubs
A Royal Oak, Dorset - An historical coaching inn set deep in the Dorset countryside in Blandford Forum; A Royal Oak is a real doggy oasis. From providing water bowls and treats, to toys that can be played with in the garden, it’s a hotspot for hound lovers to have a chinwag over a pint and the pooches can make new friends too.
The Ship Inn, Kent - Tucked away in a small village, in Gravesend in Kent is a friendly country pub steeped in history and chock full of locals. There’s a special area for dog lovers, so your pooch can do some socialising too. In summer, you can feast from the BBQ in the enclosed garden, while in winter a cosy fire roars away.
White Lion Inn, Cheshire - Cheshire’s White Lion Inn is found in the picturesque village of Barthomley. Dating from 1614 AD, this is a cracking place to take a wander to with your four-legged pal and then get cosy with a pint by the fire. Providing your mutt doesn’t get too lairy after a few, you’re both welcome to stay as long as you like in this gorgeous dog-friendly pub.
Let Someone Else Take the Lead
A handy new online guide launched today by MORE TH>N makes your search for pet-friendly holidays even easier.
Cottages4You has recently launched an online quiz to help dog-owners find the ideal holiday cottage for them and their canine companion based on their dog’s breed and personality.
For more pet-friendly holidays and activities, check out visitengland.com/dogfriendlybreaks.
FemaleFirst @FemaleFirst_UK
Shabana Adam
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