The Malt Scoop Inn

The Malt Scoop Inn is a thatched village pub with rooms in Merton, a small Devon village a few miles from Great Torrington, and it makes an easy, unfussy base for a walking holiday with a dog. It is a proper country local rather than a hotel - a bar with a log fire, a short menu built around home-made pies, and just two bedrooms upstairs - and dogs are treated as part of the furniture rather than an exception.

The most useful thing to know is that there is no charge for bringing a dog. The inn's own room information lists no pet supplement at all, which keeps the cost down over several nights and removes the usual haggling at check-in.

There is a resident dog on the premises, and that shapes the stay in both directions. Owners of sociable dogs tend to find the bar an easy place to sit with them in the evening, and the atmosphere is a large part of why people book. Anyone whose dog would rather not meet another is better off asking about quiet times before committing.

Merton itself is quiet, with Devon lanes and the Torridge valley on the doorstep and RHS Rosemoor a short drive away, so there is no shortage of walking. The practical catch is the road. The inn sits on the A386 with parking across it, so every trip out to the car, or out for the last walk of the night, means crossing a road that carries steady traffic. That has been flagged in guest feedback as the least enjoyable part of an otherwise comfortable stay, and it is a real consideration for a puppy or a dog that pulls.

The rooms themselves get consistently good marks for cleanliness and comfort, though the ground floor is compact, so a large dog will be squeezing past people in the bar at busy times. With a 4.1/5 paw rating, the Malt Scoop suits owners of steady, well-socialised dogs who want a genuine Devon pub with walking from the door, rather than anyone needing enclosed outdoor space of their own.