Cambridgeshire & the Fens Stamford
The Bull And Swan
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated October 2026 · paw rating built from 8 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You're happy with a standard hotel-room stay where the property welcomes dogs
- You're basing yourself in Stamford / the Cambridgeshire & the Fens and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.1/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Pet fee: £25 per pet (max 2 pets) - check whether that is per night, per stay or per week when you book
- Shared corridors and common areas mean nervous or vocal dogs may find it harder to settle
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 8 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 606 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.1/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: October 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Own or manage this property? Ask us to correct or remove it
Pet policy at a glance
- Fee: £25 per dog
- Up to 2 dogs
- Dog bed, bowls and a treat provided
- Dog-friendly rooms: Porcupine, Wildhorse, Badger, Stag
- Only a limited number of rooms are dog friendly, and dogs stay at the management's discretion.
- Dogs are not allowed in the restaurant.
- Dogs must be on a lead at all times in the public areas, including the corridors and grounds.
- Guests are asked not to leave dogs alone in the bedrooms at any time.
- A further £25 is charged for any damage or soiling caused by a dog.
- Dogs are welcome with their owners in the pub, the Potting Shed and the garden.
- Please do not wash a dog in the bedroom bath or shower; speak to the team if your dog needs a wash.
Pet-friendly summary
The Bull and Swan is an old coaching inn in St Martins, the southern edge of Stamford, and it treats dogs as part of the pub's everyday life rather than a grudging extra. A handful of named bedrooms take dogs, and those rooms are set up before you arrive with a dog bed, bowls and a treat. Guests who brought their dogs keep coming back to that detail, along with how easily a dog fits into the bar and garden.
The staff are the thing most people remember. Owners describe them as kind, genuine and quick to help, from making a fuss of the dog to sorting out bags when the street outside is tight for unloading. Several guests have returned more than once, and a few first came for a lunch in the bar with their dogs before booking a room.
Downstairs it is a proper pub: a log burner, live music some nights, good food and a large outdoor space with heaters for cooler evenings. Dogs can join you in the pub, the Potting Shed and the garden. The restaurant itself is off limits to dogs, so plan to eat in the bar or outside if your dog is staying with you.
The rooms are characterful and comfortable, with some large enough for a freestanding bath, and the building's history shows in its quirky layout. The location is strong for dog walking: Burghley House and its parkland are close by, and the centre of Stamford and the railway station are a short walk away.
There are drawbacks. Parking is not on site but a little way up the road, some rooms sit at the top of steep stairs, which matters with an older or larger dog, and music from a Friday night event out back can carry until 11pm. Rooms can run warm in summer, and a couple of guests found it pricey. Dogs cannot be left alone in the bedrooms, so this suits owners who plan to keep their dog with them all day.
For a weekend in Stamford with a dog who likes a pub fire and a long walk, it is an easy choice.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Dog bed, bowls and treat in room
- Friendly staff who welcome dogs
- Dogs welcome in the bar and garden
- Burghley House parkland close by for walks
- Steep stairs to some rooms
About this hotel
A historic coaching inn and pub with rooms in St Martins, Stamford, a short walk from the town centre, the railway station and Burghley House. It has characterful bedrooms, a bar with a log burner, a restaurant, a large garden and outdoor seating, and a selection of dog-friendly rooms.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
24A High Street, St Martins, Stamford, PE9 2LJ