The Three Horseshoes Inn, Little Cowarne

The Three Horseshoes sits in Little Cowarne, a quiet Herefordshire village a short drive from Bromyard, and it works well for anyone who wants a village pub stay without leaving the dog behind. The rooms are self check-in, reached by a keybox rather than a reception desk, which suits late arrivals and means there is no lobby to steer a lead through.

There are only two rooms and they sit slightly apart from the pub itself, so dogs are not sharing corridors with other guests. The inn is clear that dogs are welcome throughout, whether you are calling in for a drink, a coffee or a meal, and that matters more than it sounds: plenty of village pubs that take dogs in the rooms still steer them away from the dining side. The charge for bringing one has been reported as already folded into the room rate rather than added at checkout. No fee, weight limit or maximum number of dogs is published, so anyone travelling with more than one, or a large one, is better off ringing ahead.

The pub is the reason to stay. Food comes in for consistent praise, staff are repeatedly described as welcoming and accommodating, including for gluten-free and vegetarian requests, and there is a garden. For walking, the village is surrounded by large open fields, and dog owners pick this out as the property's best feature.

The caveats are worth knowing. Rooms are basic rather than boutique, with comfortable beds and enough space for two adults and a medium-sized dog but no more than that, and one stay found spiders and cobwebs that needed clearing. There is no breakfast on site, so mornings mean a drive into Bromyard. The location is genuinely remote, which is the point for some and a problem for others.

With a 4.3/5 paw rating from five confirmed dog-owner stays, this suits walkers and couples who want good pub food, fields on the doorstep and an uncomplicated welcome for their dog, rather than anyone after hotel-grade rooms.