The Kings Arms Rooms

The Kings Arms Rooms sits in Elham, a quiet village in the Kent Downs about nine miles south of Canterbury, and it is a genuinely easy place to arrive with a dog. The rooms are not above the pub but in Cockpit Cottage, a separate building next door that has been carefully renovated, and dogs are welcome in the rooms on the lower floors.

What guests with dogs mention most is how little friction there is. The cottage has its own kitchen, dining table and sitting room with a log fire, so there is somewhere to settle in the evening without navigating a busy bar, and out of season visitors often find they have the shared space to themselves. There is a garden behind the cottage for the last walk of the day, and the Kings Arms next door serves food that guests rate highly, which matters when you would rather not leave a dog alone while you drive somewhere to eat.

Elham itself is the other draw. Footpaths run straight out of the village into the surrounding downland, and dog owners staying here regularly describe long walks from the door rather than short pavement circuits. The village also works well as a last stop before a Channel crossing, with the Eurotunnel terminal a short drive away.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. The rooms are on the compact side, fine for a dog to settle in overnight, but two people plus a dog and luggage will find the smaller rooms tight, so ask which room you are being given. The top-floor room does not take dogs, which is worth noting because it is also one of the few rooms with a bath. Sound carries between rooms as well, so an early-rising dog next door can be audible, and yours may be audible to others.

Best suited to couples and solo travellers who want a village pub base for walking in the Kent Downs, or a comfortable overnight before crossing to France. It earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.