The Chestnut Horse, Easton

The Chestnut Horse is a centuries-old village pub with rooms at Easton, a few miles north-east of Winchester in the Itchen valley, and it is about as dog-friendly as a country inn gets. Dogs are welcome not just in the bar but in the dining room, so an evening meal does not mean leaving anyone upstairs. That is a genuine differentiator, and it cuts both ways: guests who would rather not share a restaurant with someone else's dog have said so, which is useful to know in either direction.

The building carries its age well - low beams, tall ceilings in the older rooms and the general character of a proper village pub. Bedrooms are individually shaped and finished with good linen and comfortable beds. Parking is plentiful, which matters here because Easton offers no realistic alternative, and there is an outdoor seating area for warmer evenings with a dog at your feet.

The setting is the reason to come. Easton sits on the River Itchen, with footpaths leading straight out of the village into the water meadows, and the fields immediately around the pub make an easy pre-breakfast circuit. Winchester is about ten minutes by car and the South Downs are within half an hour.

Set expectations on the practicalities. Check-in is not until 4pm, which is late if you have a dog in the car and nowhere to put it. Some rooms are small. The staircases are original and steep, worth thinking about with an older or less mobile dog, and luggage is a two-trip job. The restaurant and breakfast menus are short, and the bar has been known to close early on Sunday evenings even for residents, so do not count on a late drink at the end of a weekend.

Best suited to a couple with one dog who want a characterful old inn, good walking from the door and a pub that will happily seat the dog beside the table - and who do not need a large room or a late bar.