The Black Fox

The Black Fox is a small inn on St James Parade, a couple of minutes from the centre of Bath, with bed-and-breakfast rooms above the pub. For a city break with a dog it is a practical pick: dogs are specifically welcome rather than grudgingly accommodated, and there are dog-friendly bedrooms set aside for guests bringing one.

The catch is that it needs arranging in advance. Dogs are welcome by prior arrangement with the pub, so a booking made without flagging the dog is not a booking with a dog. The listing also indicates that a pet charge applies but does not publish the amount, so ask about that in the same conversation.

Location is the strongest argument for it. You are within walking distance of most of Bath's sights and of both the train and bus stations, so the car can stay parked. There is no parking of its own, though, and guests who booked expecting it have been caught out; the fallback is the public car parks a few minutes away, at city-centre rates. Guests rate the staff as friendly and helpful and the breakfast as a genuine highlight, and pet owners put the dog welcome among the reasons they would come back.

Two practical points. The rooms sit on upper floors reached by stairs, and the climb to the third floor with a dog in your arms has come up in guest feedback, so ask for a lower room when you arrange the dog. And as a central property on a through road, there is traffic noise, with larger vehicles noticeable in the rooms at the front.

It suits couples or small families with a manageable, well-behaved dog who want to be in the middle of Bath, are happy to walk everywhere, and prefer a characterful pub with rooms to a large anonymous hotel.