The Welldiggers Arms

The Welldiggers Arms is a country inn with rooms on the edge of Petworth, and it is one of those places where a dog is simply part of the party. Dogs can stay in the Signature rooms and some of the Courtyard rooms for £20 per dog, per night, and they are welcome in the bar and restaurant too, so nobody gets left in the room while you eat.

Guests who bring their dogs talk about the welcome more than anything else. Staff are described as warm and professional, and the small touches land well: water bowls and treats are provided, one Labrador was given his own bottle of chilled water, and another dog was treated to a breakfast sausage. Several owners say they have stayed before and booked again, which says more than any single glowing night.

The ground-floor Courtyard rooms open onto small private terraces looking out over fields towards the South Downs, which makes the last wander of the evening easy. Owners with a small dog found these rooms cosy rather than spacious, and one was moved after the first room did not suit, with the staff sorting it quickly. The setting is rural, about a mile outside Petworth, with open farmland on the doorstep.

There are a few things to know. Dogs eat in the bar area rather than at the window tables in the restaurant, so if the view is the point of dinner, plan around it. The inn sits beside a fast A road, which some guests hear from their rooms, there is no air conditioning, and the car park is small. On busy restaurant nights a large dog in a crowded room has not suited every diner.

For a relaxed countryside night or two in West Sussex, where good food and a dog under the table go together, it is an easy choice.