The Prince of Wales

The Prince of Wales is a village pub with rooms at Hilton, a thatched-and-duck-pond Cambridgeshire village a few miles east of Huntingdon, and it is the sort of place where turning up with a dog needs no negotiation. Guests travelling with dogs describe the welcome as straightforward and unfussy, and mention a dog exercise area within easy reach of the pub, along with lanes and field paths leading out of the village in most directions.

The pub is the reason to stay. It is genuinely traditional: a proper bar with locals in it, a landlord who gets singled out in review after review, and a full English breakfast cooked to order that comes up more often than anything else about the place. Evenings are easy, because you can eat and drink downstairs rather than shutting a dog in an unfamiliar room while you go elsewhere.

Be realistic about the rooms. This is an old building that has not been refurbished recently, and cleanliness is the recurring complaint - guests have reported tired bedding, hair left in the shower tray and a general need for a deep clean, alongside dated decor. Sound carries too: when the bar is busy, conversation can be audible upstairs, though it quietens after eleven. Wi-Fi has been reported as unreliable. None of that is unusual for a village inn at this price, but it is worth knowing before you arrive.

Nothing is published about pet fees, dog numbers or which rooms take dogs, so confirm the arrangement directly when you book, including whether dogs are welcome in the bar at food service.

Best suited to travellers on a slow countryside break, or breaking a long run on the A1, with a well-mannered dog who will settle in a busy pub and enjoy the village walks.