Dog-friendly Cawood

A village pub on Wistowgate, close to Cawood's medieval castle gatehouse and the swing bridge over the Ouse. Dogs are welcome everywhere, with water bowls and treats provided and a resident pub dog to greet them. Handy for the riverside walk towards Ryther and Kelfield.

A 16th-century timber-framed inn right on the River Ouse beside Cawood's swing bridge, with a large riverside beer garden, covered outdoor seating and two open fires. Dogs are welcome inside and out and canine regulars are part of the furniture. Time a visit with a flat leg-stretch along the riverbank footpath.

A five-mile circuit of the village and its rivers taking in the Ouse bank, the confluence with the Wharfe and the western boundary of the twelve-acre Castle Garth, from which the gatehouse and banqueting hall of Cawood Castle show through the trees; two to two and a half hours and not strenuous, though the going includes two stiles and four footbridges. Start on Old Road beside the Ouse near Cawood swing bridge, where there is roadside parking, and the number 42 bus from York and Selby stops in the village. The riverbank offers dogs plenty of water, the quiet lanes and arable tracks take a loose dog well, but the two stiles will need a lift for a big one and stock is grazed on some of the riverside fields; parts of the route go properly muddy after rain, so boots rather than trainers.