The Swan, Bampton

The Swan sits on Station Road in Bampton, a small Devon market town on the southern edge of Exmoor, and it is a pub with rooms in the traditional sense: a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, a handful of bedrooms above. For anyone arriving with a dog the practical details land well. There is parking immediately out front and a much larger car park opposite, which matters when a dog has been in the car for a couple of hours and needs to get out before anything else happens.

Dogs are made welcome in the rooms and downstairs in the pub, and that second part is the real draw. Guests travelling with dogs describe eating downstairs with the dog settled alongside them rather than leaving it upstairs, which is often the thing that decides whether a country inn works for a short break. In-room touches get a mention too, with dog treats and shortbread set out on arrival. Rooms are generous by pub standards, and the king room in particular has floor space to spare and a large bathroom.

A resident dog lives at the pub and is a fixture in the bar. Guests tend to be charmed by him, but it is worth factoring in if your own dog is uneasy about meeting another in a small space.

Two practical caveats. Sound carries between the upstairs bedrooms, so a dog that reacts to voices or footfall next door may settle better if you ask for a quieter room when booking. The in-room drinks tray has also been found under-stocked, with no fresh milk, which is a small thing unless your morning routine depends on it.

It suits couples or solo travellers with a calm, sociable dog who intend to eat in the pub and want Exmoor walking from the doorstep.