The White Hart Inn, Margaretting

The White Hart Inn is a country pub with rooms on the edge of Margaretting, and it is the sort of place where turning up with a dog feels entirely ordinary rather than something you have to negotiate. Guests travelling with dogs describe being met with treats and a proper dog bed waiting in the room, alongside the tea, coffee, fruit and pastries the inn puts out for two-legged guests.

The staff are the thing people mention most. They come across as genuinely accommodating rather than merely tolerant, and the welcome extends to the dog as a matter of course. Rooms are traditional in style but recently finished, with large, clean bathrooms, and there is a Nespresso machine and water in the room.

The setting does a lot of the work. Margaretting sits in open countryside near Writtle, so there is quiet lane and field walking straight from the car park, and the inn is far enough from a main road to be genuinely peaceful. Parking is on site and plentiful, which matters if you are arriving late with a tired dog.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. The rooms are on the compact side, which is fine for one dog and a crate but tight if you are travelling with a large breed or two. And while dogs are clearly welcome downstairs - the pub serves its own dog menu, and the Willow Double is the room set aside for dog owners - the inn publishes no pet fee or maximum number of dogs, so confirm numbers and any charge when you book rather than assuming.

With a 4.6 out of 5 paw rating, The White Hart Inn suits dog owners who want a comfortable, well-fed overnight in the Essex countryside, or a base for a weekend of walking within easy reach of Chelmsford and London.