The Lamb Inn, Burford

The Lamb Inn is a 14th-century coaching inn just off Burford high street, in the middle of the Cotswolds, and it takes dogs seriously rather than merely tolerating them. This is a proper old inn of flagstone floors, log fires and low beams, so a stay with a dog here means a warm welcome and a characterful room rather than the compromise a shared-corridor hotel usually involves. It earns a 4.6/5 paw rating.

Dogs stay in designated dog-friendly bedrooms, and some of those come with their own garden and private entrance, which makes late trips outside far easier. A dog bed and bowl go in the room, and breakfast includes a sausage for the dog. The charge is £20 per night, with a further £10 per night for each additional dog, and the inn asks you to say at the time of booking that a dog is coming so the right room can be held.

The one rule worth planning around is that dogs are welcome in the bar and the garden but not in the main restaurant. The same kitchen serves the bar, so nobody has to eat away from their dog, and the food and breakfasts draw consistent praise. Guests with dogs describe professional, accommodating staff and rooms that are tastefully done if not enormous.

Burford itself is the other reason to book. The inn sits on a quiet street a couple of minutes from the high street, with parking at a sister inn next door, and the village and the wider Cotswolds are easy to reach on foot or by a short drive. Cooking in the restaurant has occasionally been called underwhelming against a promising menu, and the village fills up early in the evening, so book a table ahead.

The Lamb Inn suits couples and dog owners who want a traditional Cotswolds coaching inn with their dog alongside them, and who are happy to eat in the bar. If you need your dog in the formal restaurant, or a fully enclosed private garden, check the room and the arrangements before you book.