Croxdale Inn, Durham

The Croxdale Inn is a village pub with rooms on Front Street East in Croxdale, roughly four miles south of Durham city centre and just off the A167. It is plain, cheap and run by an owner who takes an interest, and for a dog owner its strongest card is what lies outside the door: a footpath starts directly across the road, leading past a field and into a small wood with a stream, and a riverside path runs from nearby into the centre of Durham.

Only a handful of rooms take dogs - one family room, one double and four singles - so booking early matters more here than at most places. Ground-floor rooms are available and are the ones worth asking for with a dog. No pet fee is published. Nor are there any pet facilities: guests have noted the absence of bowls in the rooms and of dog waste bins on the property, so bring your own kit and bags.

The welcome is the best part. The owner meets guests, is generous with local walking suggestions and points people towards the better routes rather than the nearest patch of grass. Rooms are basic but generally clean, with tea and coffee, a television and a comfortable bed, and the bar stays open even when the kitchen is not.

The honest caveats are substantial. Sound insulation is poor and dog noise carries: guests have twice reported a dog barking at length in an adjoining room, once late at night, and on one of those occasions the response from management was unhelpful rather than apologetic. Others have described the building as shabby in places - a musty smell, curtains needing a wash, moths in one room, staining on a bed - and the kitchen has been closed when the listing suggested food would be served, so plan on eating elsewhere.

The 4.2/5 paw rating reflects that mix. It suits an easy-going dog owner breaking a journey or visiting Durham on a budget, who wants walks from the doorstep and will not be undone by a thin wall. Light sleepers, and anyone whose dog reacts to other dogs nearby, should look elsewhere.