New Crown Inn, Bath

New Crown Inn is a traditional pub with rooms on Newbridge Hill, a mile or so west of Bath city centre, and it is one of those places where the welcome for dogs comes from the landlady rather than from a policy document. Guests travelling with dogs describe being met warmly on arrival, with treats produced for the dog as a matter of course, and the resident pub dog is part of the deal - she tends to want to play with whoever has just checked in.

The practical set-up is straightforward. Dogs stay in a single garden-view room, one pet per booking, and it needs to be requested and approved when you book rather than simply added on. What makes it work in practice is the enclosed yard outside that room, which guests with dogs single out as somewhere a dog can potter about safely without going out onto the street. Rooms are described as spacious and clean, which counts for a lot when a wet dog comes back in.

Two caveats are worth taking seriously. This is a working pub, so there is noise from the bar in the evening - fine for a settled dog, less so for one that reacts to voices and doors. And Newbridge Hill is a through road with steady traffic, so the lead goes on before you step out of the front.

For walks, the Avon runs just below Newbridge Hill, and the riverside and old railway paths on that side of the city give flat, easy walking without going into the centre first. Bath itself is a short bus ride or a walk down the hill, and being in a pub means you are not hunting for somewhere that will let you eat with a dog at your feet.

Best suited to owners of one settled, sociable dog who want a pub base near Bath rather than a hotel in it, and who do not mind a bit of evening noise. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.