The Three Horseshoes, East Worldham

The Three Horseshoes is a proper Hampshire village pub with rooms, sitting in East Worldham a couple of miles east of Alton, and dogs are part of the furniture rather than an exception. Guests travelling with them consistently describe a welcome that starts at the bar: staff make a fuss of the dog, and nobody is asked to keep one out of sight.

Rooms are ensuite and on the large side, with a coffee maker, and the food is the reason many people book in the first place - a traditional pub kitchen with real ale on tap. The beer garden is the natural place to sit with a dog on a warm evening, and there is ample parking for anyone arriving with a car full of walking kit.

Position is the other draw. East Worldham sits on the edge of woodland and open country, with walks starting close to the door, and Alton is a short drive for supplies. That said, the inn fronts a road where traffic regularly moves faster than it should, so a dog needs to be on the lead the moment you step outside.

Two things temper the picture. The pub is laid out as a series of dining rooms rather than a bar with a separate lounge, so once the diners have left it can feel awkward to settle in with a drink and a dog at your feet. And on longer stays housekeeping can slip - bins not emptied, tea and coffee not topped up - while the wifi is poor enough that this is not a place to work from. Decor is characterful in the bar and plainer in the rooms, and there is no air conditioning when the weather turns hot.

The Three Horseshoes earns a 4.3/5 paw rating. It suits walkers and pub-lovers who want somewhere their dog is genuinely welcome downstairs, and who care more about the food and the welcome than about polish or connectivity.