The Waddington Arms

The Waddington Arms is a village inn in Waddington, a couple of miles outside Clitheroe in Lancashire's Ribble Valley, with the Forest of Bowland rising just beyond the village. It is a proper pub with rooms - a well-regarded kitchen downstairs, bedrooms and a spacious apartment above - and dogs are part of the furniture rather than an exception, with locals' dogs as much a fixture of the bar as visiting ones.

Guests travelling with dogs consistently describe the whole place as genuinely dog-friendly, from the bar through to the bedrooms, and the staff as warm and organised, sorting dinner tables and local advice on arrival. The food earns repeated praise at both dinner and breakfast, free parking is on site, and there is garden space to sit out with a dog when the sun cooperates. For longer or larger-party stays, the spacious apartment gets particular approval from pet owners, who often struggle to find that standard of accommodation open to dogs.

A few practical notes. The inn is an old building, and some of the cosier rooms have small windows that can leave them dark and slightly drafty, so ask about the brighter rooms if that matters to you. Being rural, mobile signal and wi-fi can be patchy, and the church across the road holds bell-ringing practice that carries. Reaching the inn by phone or email ahead of a stay has taken persistence for some guests wanting to confirm their dogs - the answer has been yes, but build in time for the reply.

Dogs cost £15 each per night, and dog-friendly rooms are added by contacting the reservations team rather than booking online, which explains the phoning ahead that several guests describe. The number of dogs allowed is not published, so confirm that when you call. With a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating, The Waddington Arms suits dog owners after a sociable village base for walking the Ribble Valley and Forest of Bowland, with good food a staircase away.