Dog-friendly stays in Alnwick

A former convent on Bailiffgate turned into an eleven-room hotel directly opposite Alnwick Castle's gatehouse. Its published terms are unusually specific and worth reading before you book: "Dogs are very welcome. So especially handy for those going shooting we have five comfortable kennels with water provided for your loyal canine friends. Dogs are also allowed in your room, but not in any of the communal areas including the Bistro, Garden or Residents Lounge." That is the reverse of the usual pub arrangement: the bedroom is open to the dog and the bar is not, so you will be eating without them or taking food up. The five kennels are the fallback.

A large Inn Collection Group pub with rooms on Hawfinch Drive at the Willowburn edge of Alnwick, five minutes' drive from the Market Place and with its own free car park, which makes it the practical base if you are arriving late off the A1. The group's published dog policy is that all its pubs welcome dogs in designated dining and bar areas, that some inns keep parts of the dining area pet-free, and that you should tell staff you have a dog so they can seat you accordingly. Dog-friendly bedrooms are booked as an option in the online journey, at 15 pounds a night for up to two dogs, and several are on the ground floor.

A 300-year-old coaching inn on Bondgate Within, in the middle of Alnwick and two minutes from the Market Place, best known for the Olympic Dining Room panelled out with fittings from the Titanic's sister ship Olympic. Its own FAQ answers the dog question directly: "Yes, the bar and lounge area is however the Olympic suite is not, and only certain rooms are dog friendly." So a dog can sit with you in Hardy's bar and lounge but not in the Olympic room, and dog-friendly bedrooms are a limited subset that has to be requested rather than picked online. Ring 01665 602109 to secure one rather than booking blind.