Join us for a fun, festive day at this amazing dog friendly foodie hotspot! MMy Wood Wharf Come to MMy Wood Wharf and discover some artisanal kitchens, sustainable produce, and organic wines! Meet wonderful traders selling food and drinks from around the word, explore outside along the scenic river and get cosy in one of their heated igloos. MMy Wood Wharf Humans can enjoy delicious food and drink from burgers to tacos and even ice cream! We have lined up some special offers for anyone visiting MMyWood Wharf with doggies on Sunday November 24th. The following all have special offers on the day, just let them know you are there with Woof About. Badiani have special Woof About offers on delicious gelato or signature hot chocolate. Special offers for dog owners at Meltdown Burgers. Catalinas have special offers on their Talula Eats dog menu. The MM bar will have a special prize for best dressed doggie on the day. Looking for that perfect Festive photo of your pooch for your socials or as the perfect gift this Christmas? Amie Barron will have a pop-up studio at MMy Wood Wharf where you can capture your pooch in all their festive finery. Book your shoot here. A sketch of your dog by Sophie Stock is another great gift idea and Sophie can even turn that perfect photo into your very own Christmas cards. Book your sketch here. It's time to start thinking about those perfect gifts for the pooch in your life. Woof About MMy will be joined by Bew Dogs , Paw London , For The Love of Bonner, Green Dog and Pupper Stories

A very British Afternoon Tea Pawty at StarBarks Cafe On Sunday September 22nd we will be hosting a special Afternoon Tea Pawty to celebrate the opening of this amazing dog cafe in Richmond. Humans and pooches can enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea together at StarBarks which is THE most dog friendly cafe in South West London. Spaces are very limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

A leisurely cruise up the river is a great way to spend an afternoon with your pals but if you can't afford your own luxury yacht then you will be pleased to discover that our four legged friends are welcome to join us on board GoBoat London . The boats are designed for up to 8 humans* but we would recommend no more than 4 if you have furry companions. All size dogs are welcome. You need to nominate one of your humans as the driver or they can take it in turns but it is apparently quite easy. Each boat has a table in the middle and you can take on board your own food and drinks (including alcohol). *please check the website for current Covid-19 restrictions. You can hire a GoBoat from Kingston or Paddington but we recommend you give both a try as they are very different experiences. From Kingston riverside you can choose a 1, 2 or 3 hour cruise, taking in all the sights and sounds of the Thames including some fabulous riverside homes and the beautiful Hampton Court Palace. If canals are more your thing then book a 1, 2 or 3 hour trip along the Regent's Canal. Setting off from Paddington Basin you can see Little Venice and Regent's Park. You will even spot the wild dogs at London Zoo if you're lucky! Whichever you choose, hiring a GoBoat is a great way to explore these areas of London with your pooch. If you need to find somewhere for refreshments after your adventure, Kingston riverside has a host of restaurants where dogs are allowed outside and Poor Boys , The Bishop and The Boaters welcome us inside! Around Paddington you will find Le Cochonnet , The Hero of Maida and T he Waterway all of which are dog friendly. Download our app for other nearby dog friendly pubs, restaurants and cafes.

If you haven't seen at least a hundred photos of dogs in Lavender fields this summer, then you must have been living on another planet! Doggies sitting amongst the lovely purple plants has taken Instagram by storm for the last few summers and we had major FOMO every time we saw one. So this summer we decided to find out what all the fuss was about! There are two fields within an hour of London which are both dog friendly. The first is Mayfield Lavender Farm which is near Banstead in Surrey and the second is Hitchin Lavender , only a 20 minute drive from North London. Both fields ask that dogs be kept on leads and that any poop is picked up but otherwise we are free to walk around everywhere and, more importantly pose for those Instagram photos. Mayfield Lavender, Banstead Mayfield is in Surrey so you can visit together with some of the other pretty villages (see my previous blog '3 Dog Friendly Surrey Villages') and is a 25 acre lavender farm which is open from June 1st to August 31st. You don't need to book entry, which is charged at £4 per person (FREE for under 16's) but be warned it does get very busy at peak times. The fee includes parking and there is no time limit. The fields are very flat and easy to navigate through with plenty of wide parts to fit even big dogs in. There is a cafe and shop, selling all things lavender based from soaps to honey and also a little coffee van with a few products too. Picnics are NOT permitted at Mayfield. Nearby there is a small park which also has a cafe or you can visit the Woolpack in Banstead which is very dog friendly. Hitchin Lavender, Hertfordshire This one is more convenient for our North London friends and is worth visiting later in the season because they also grow sunflowers which are at their best from mid August. To enable more people to see the sunflowers, Hitchin is open until mid September. In Summer 2020 you had to pre-book your visit which cost £7 per person (under 5's FREE) and included parking but for 2 hours only. This may change next summer so check their website before visiting. Their is a small cafe and a large covered outdoor seating area. You can also bring your own picnics here. The farm has 35 miles of lavender rows and is on a slight incline. The space between rows is a bit narrower than at Mayfield but still plenty of photo opportunities. We really enjoyed both our lavender field visits and look forward to seeing all your photos next year.

We wanted to explore East London more and find some great dog friendly places so we decided to make a weekend of it with an overnight stay at Mama Shelter in Shoreditch. The humans chose one of the rainiest days in July to go and we arrived at the hotel like four drowned rats but the super friendly staff didn't mind and still wanted to cuddle us as we checked in. They even asked for our names on the check in sheet so they could greet us whenever we passed by reception. Once in our room, the humans dried off and we checked out the facilities, which included our own beds and a bowl. We did suggest they could partner with a dog treat company as a welcome snack is always much appreciated. We did love that we had our own special welcome message written on the mirror! The room was spacious with somewhere to put our stroller and a place for the humans to eat. Plus a HUGE bed for them which is one of the things they love most about staying in a hotel. There was also a giant TV, which was lucky because the rain didn't stop all night so we stayed in and watched Secret Life of Pets 2. (Male human pretends not to like these films but we caught him smiling all the way through). The hotel vibe is cool and hip with an element of playfulness, created by French designers Dion & Arles. The overall design gives a real home from home feel, with plenty of sofas and comfy chairs and display units full of objet d'art and curiosities to admire. There is even much to look at on the ceilings. The restaurant is a huge space but unfortunately during our visit the kitchen staff were isolating due to Covid. Thankfully the helpful staff directed our hungry humans to Nebula Pizza a few doors down from the hotel who are also super dog friendly. The bar at Mama reminded the humans of some of the sunny holidays they take without us (which are obviously nowhere near as good), with its glass roof and tropical plants. As well as eating and drinking, there are other things at Mama Shelter to keep the humans occupied like video games, a foosball table and even a karaoke room if you can stand to listen to them howling. At weekends they have live music and DJ sets too but we doggies can find that a bit loud. We could only have cold buffet breakfast but there was a good selection of pastries, fruit and cold cuts. When the kitchen is fully staffed, hot dishes like shakshuka and pancakes are also available. After stuffing their faces with pastries, the humans needed a walk so we set off to find a park. Victoria Park is approximately a 10 minute walk from the hotel and is a large open park with pretty gardens, ponds and a couple of cafes. Be sure to pop into Pavilion Cafe as they make their own dog treats and have yummy treats for the humans too. You could spend a few hours in Victoria Park or you can walk through in 20 minutes, cross over the River Lee and you will find yourself in the Olympic Park. The Olympics were actually taking place in China while we on our staycation so we thought we had to get this photo from when London last hosted in 2012. If you need to refuel after all this exercise then most of the restaurants at Westfield Stratford have outside seating where we doggies are welcome. We sat outside at Wahaca before beginning our journey home. We had a fabulous staycation at Mama Shelter and look forward to visiting again soon. Rooms start from £117 per night with £20 charge per dog.

We most definitely consider ourselves to be city dogs, preferring to be in a London restaurant than a muddy field, but occasionally we do like a break away from the hustle and bustle. So we finally treated ourselves to a staycation at one of our bucket list destinations, Goodwood. Goodwood is a large country estate in Chichester, West Sussex, with a hotel, golf club, leisure complex, farm shop, gift shop and private members club. With 12,000 acres of land, there is more than enough space for walkies than our little legs need and on your stroll, you can say hello to the golfers and wave to the Duke of Richmond who still lives there (that's his house behind us). We chose to stay on 4th/5th November because that's when things can get very noisy around where we live when those crazy humans start setting fire to exploding things. It was frosty and chilly when we arrived so the welcome of the real log fire in reception was much appreciated. All the staff made a real fuss of us and gave us a map of where to go for walkies. In our room, we discovered a cosy bed, big enough for both of us, some towels, a bowl, lots of treats and poo bags. What else do we need? The room was comfortable and spacious and the human loved her huge bed. All dog friendly rooms are on the ground floor of the hotel, so you don't have far to go if you need the toilet! Humans can use the en suite bathroom!! We shared our staycation with our friend Miss Darcy and we were delighted that all 3 of us were welcome in the hotel restaurant, all public areas and the shops. But the absolute best part of staying at Goodwood is getting access to The Kennels which is the private members bar and restaurant. The Kennels used to be where the Duke's Foxhounds lived but now it's a members club and restaurant and if you stay at the hotel you can dine there. The humans said the food was exceptional. There was none left over for us so that's always a good sign. Doggie members at the kennels get their own personalised bowl. We finished off our visit with a spot of retail therapy. The shop at Goodwood has lots of things for doggies including leads, collars, bowls, bow ties and toys. Apparently we didn't need anything so she bought herself some stuff instead. Unbelievable! When we were such good boys too!

We love the beach but it usually takes us a couple of hours drive to get to one, so when we heard there was one 40 minutes away in Ruislip, we had to check it out. We discovered there’s plenty of fun to be had in this area of North West London. We started off with lunch at The Red Onion Café on the High Street. This café is what the humans call a little gem, they sometimes call us this too so we assume it’s a good thing! If it means somewhere we get a whole plate of sausages, then we agree. The café has a beautiful covered back yard with plants and fairy lights. We had our own booth with lots of comfy cushions and if it gets chilly you can also get blankets and hot water bottles to keep you snuggly. As well as the sausage, we also got water and lots of attention from all the staff. Check out our full review and more images of Red Onion Cafe here ... At the bottom of the High Street you will find the duck pond where there is a market every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. We went on Artisan Market day and were delighted to discover there was a few doggie stalls where we picked up some extra treats and a couple of bow ties for our upcoming Halloween parties. We were then ready to hit the beach at Ruislip Lido . The huge lake has a sandy beach, part of which is dog friendly all year and the area is also surrounded by woodland so plenty of fun walkies to try. The water has a shallow way in so great for little dogs who like to paddle. A miniature railway runs all around the lake and well-behaved doggies are welcome to try it so we just had to! The Ruislip Lido Railway has 2 main stations, one near the car park and one at the beach where you can catch a train every 20 minutes. Doggies have to be in the same carriage as their humans as there are no doors and we don’t want any pups jumping off while it’s moving! It does go surprisingly fast at some points, so hold on tight! There is not much room in a carriage but we all fit in one and there is enough space for one big dog and a human. Archie was a little unsure about it as he’s not a great traveller, but I loved it! You can watch a video of us here https://www.instagram.com/reel/CVSOdAZoxcD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link This much fun can be thirsty work so if you need refreshments there are 3 fabulous dog friendly pubs nearby. The White Bear , The Woodman , and The Case is Altered Woofs, Nacho x

Great Scotland Yard Hotel Dog Afternoon Tea by Talula Eats If there's an Afternoon Tea where we get our own, then you won't have to ask us twice. We will be there with tails a wagging! The human would wag hers too if she had one because she loves cake so much. The setting was the Parlour Room at The Great Scotland Yard Hotel whose beauty was matched by the stunning tea inspired by Floris London Along with freshly baked, still warm scones and cakes packed with flavour, the humans enjoyed smoked salmon and caviar and truffled egg sandwiches. No curled up at the edges cheese and pickle sarnies here! Then it was time for the main event. A selection of delicious delights for us, courtesy of our friends at Talula Eats . We started with a bowl of turkey dinner and then we each had a slice of cake, a pupcake and a biscuit. Check out our video to see how well it all went down! The Dog Afternoon Tea will be held at GSY Hotel every other Sunday from February 20th and you can book your place here . If you can't wait until the next one, you can try Talula Eats food at their restaurant Catalina's on Fridays and Saturdays. #dogfriendlylondon #dogfriendlylondonhotel #dogfriendlyhotel #dogafternoontea #dogafternoontealondon #afternoontealondon #dinewithyourdog #fourleggedfoodies #wheretotakeyourdoginlondon

In under 3 hours, London pups can get to the Isle of Wight and explore everything the beautiful island has to offer. There are so many wonderful walks and beaches and fun things to do with your pooch. We visited in September and here's some of the great places we found. Getting there: Getting to the Isle of Wight from London is so easy. By Train: South Western Railway run services from Waterloo direct to the Wightlink Ferry Terminal in Lymington, then the crossing to Yarmouth is just 30 minutes which is the shortest crossing. You can also get trains direct to Portsmouth and Southampton direct from London which have ferry links to Ryde and Cowes respectively. Once on the island, South Western Railway also run the Island Line which operates between Ryde Pier and Shanklin and there are good bus services covering the whole island. By Car: if like me, you don't travel light, then you might prefer to load up the car with all your treats! Wightlink and Red Funnel ferries carry vehicles of all sizes - you just need to be at the terminal 30 minutes prior to sailing. The terminals all have an area to stretch your legs and buy last minute snacks before you board. If you don't have a car, the fastest way to get there is by Hovercraft. Foot passengers and cyclists can catch Hovertravel from Southsea and you'll arrive in Ryde a speedy 10 minutes later! Whichever way you prefer to travel, you can be on the island in less than 3 hours from London. Once on the ferry, dogs of all sizes are welcome on the outer decks and a designated pet area on one indoor deck. All routes to the island take under an hour and are very smooth. Archie is not a great traveller but was really relaxed on the ferry. We travelled from Lymington and arrived in Yarmouth, which is small but does have a couple of dog friendly pubs - The Bugle is a great pub and the terrace at The George Hotel is a fabulous spot on sunny days. Where to stay: Our first 2 nights were spent in Tom's Eco Lodges at Tapnell Farm which is just a short drive from Yarmouth. You can stay in a safari tent or eco pod or lodge, all of which are dog friendly and are well-equipped and comfortable. There is plenty of things to do here if you have small humans in your family including an aquapark and farm attraction (no doggies at these). We did enjoy watching the cows, sheep and alpaca from a distance though. The accommodations are nicely spaced out so you get lots of peace and quiet. Tapnell Farm is also home to The Cow restaurant which is well known on the island for it's fabulous beef (made from real cows, not the ones pictured). The restaurant is housed in a spacious barn with some outside tables and we can report that the burgers didn't disappoint! Next we moved on to Cowes and stayed at the beautiful Foresters Hall . The human was relieved to be inside a solid structure as the weather turned very stormy on our third day! Luckily the hotel is very luxurious so she was happy. They are also very dog friendly so we were happy too! The staff made us feel very welcome - one of them even wanted to us to keep her company on reception! We stayed in one of the designated dog friendly rooms and we were excited to discover our very own bed and a tin of treats and food for us. We doggies are allowed in the cosy bar and in the restaurant as long as you let them know when you book. Next stop was in a beautiful converted Hayloft on Cooks Castle Farm in Wroxall. If you like horses, this is the place for you as it is a working equestrian centre and stables. We enjoyed watching the horses coming and going from the window. There is access from the property directly to the Red Squirrel Trail for lovely walkies and the whole area is very secluded and peaceful. The cottages are recently renovated and The Hayloft has a secure garden, perfect for pooches. Where: Cooks Castle Farm Stables & Cattery, St John's Rd, Wroxall, Ventnor PO38 3AA Book through: Cottages.com What to do: There are so many attractions on the island where we pooches can go. Possibly the most famous attraction is the famous Needles , a collection of chalk rocks that rise out of the Channel just off the coast of Alum Bay. We can't see what all the fuss is about but sometimes I have to just go along with the humans! The Needles is a Heritage Attraction but there is no fee, except to park the car (£6). Dog-free humans (strange as they are) can get the chair lift down to the beach but we have to walk down and it's a lot of steps but they are well-maintained and not treacherous! We dogs are allowed on the boat that takes you for a closer look at the Needles but we decided this was close enough. As you can see the beach is large pebbles so not the easiest to walk on. Alum Bay is very picturesque thanks to the world famous multi-coloured cliffs which surround it. They are made up of 21 different colours and make a stunning backdrop to the beach. Alum Bay sand is the stuff your humans might have in glass bottle on their fireplace! We had great fun feeling like giants at the Model Village in Godshill. The village is a perfect replica of the island with many of it's famous attractions to see in miniature including the steam railway and even a model of the model village! We did look up at this point to see if any giant dogs were looking down on us! All dogs are welcome on leads and can enter for free with a paying human (entry tickets are £6.50). If you prefer a steam train that's actually big enough to sit on, then head to Havenstreet near Ryde where you will find The Isle of Wight Steam Railway . All pooches are welcome, they just ask that we don't sit directly on the seats. We took our blanket so we could see out of the window and feel like we were back in the 1940s. The return journey takes around an hour and stops for 15 minutes at 2 other stations where you can get refreshments and take photos. At the station in Havenstreet there is also a museum, restaurant and gift shop. Adult return tickets are £18 (£16.50 if you book in advance online) and dogs travel for free. Our humans love donkeys so they were delighted to discover a sanctuary on the island. At the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary in Wroxall you will find over 100 donkeys over the 55 acre site. Entrance is free (donations welcome) and all dogs are welcome, even ones like Nacho who barks at them! You can find out all about the donkeys backgrounds and even adopt one (don't worry, they don't come to live with you). If you're worried about vampires or your humans just love the taste of it in their food, then you will want to visit The Garlic Farm in Sandown. Entrance is free and is a lovely walk around the farm and woods (we saw our first red squirrel here) with a free audio tour. After your walk, try out some garlicky dishes in the restaurant (they even have garlic ice cream) and stock up on everything you might need from the shop, just in time for Hallowe'en! Beaches: As you can imagine there are lots of beaches. Many have seasonal restrictions for dogs so check here to see which are good all year. Our favourite was the huge expanse of sand at Ryde as I love the feel of sand on my paws and Nacho loves to run around like a maniac! The esplanade at Ryde is a lovely walk with many cafes along the way. We walked all the way to Appley to see the Tower which looks like a giant chess piece. Duver Beach, St. Helens is a small, mostly sandy beach with Instagrammable beach huts and a café right on the beach where you can sit and relax by the sea. Where to eat: Obviously, we spent a lot of time in dog friendly pubs, restaurants and cafes but The Smoking Lobster on Ventnor Esplanade was top of the list for the humans. The restaurant is very unassuming from the outside, but don't be fooled. Inside is simply but tastefully decorated with an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs work their magic. The menu is heavily seafood based with an oriental vibe but there are some meat and veggie options too and of course there is always lobster! You can also find Smoking Lobster in West Cowes. A definite must visit for all foodies visiting the area! The restaurant at Foresters Hall is very stylish and the humans enjoyed looking at the art on the walls. We were more interested in the art on their plates. The menu is seasonal and once again seafood heavy - but what else would you expect on a small island! All the dishes were beautifully presented and delicious. The humans said it's definitely worth a visit even if you are not staying there. They also do afternoon tea, which would be lovely on their terrace in summer. If your humans like cocktails then a visit to Drunken Lobster in Ventnor town is a must. Humans can soak up the alcohol with beautifully presented delicious Asian small plates. Another must visit place for seafood lovers is The Crab and Lobster in Bembridge. The inn has a lovely terrace overlooking the sea and a cosy interior for days where the weather isn't so kind. Dogs are welcome everywhere (except in rooms overnight). Here's a few other places dog friendly places we enjoyed visiting: Chocolate Apothecary - Ryde IOW Pearl (cafe and shop) - Brighstone The Taverners pub - Godshill Toni's Tea Room - Ventnor Harbour Kitchen - Cowes The Coast Bar & Kitchen - Cowes We highly recommend our four legged friends visit the Isle of Wight. Check out Visit Isle of Wight for more inspiration and guidance. #dogfriendlyisleofwight #isleofwight #dogfriendlyholidays #dogfriendlystaycations

The perfect place to rest your paws on a Cotswold mini break. After the humans being so sick in September, we decided to treat them to some fresh air in the Cotswolds countryside. What could be better than a night in an English Inn with your pooches by your side? The Horse & Groom is in a little village near Malmesbury. While we waited for our room to be ready, we enjoyed a couple of Butcombe beers by the fireside in the cosy bar. Nacho quickly noticed the jar of treats on the bar just for us! Okay we will share a few with the other visitors! Up in our room we found two comfy beds waiting for us and the humans had one of their own too! The room was spacious with lots of light from the window from where we could see the autumn colours of the village. Female human treated herself by relaxing in the roll top bath and using the Bramley Products provided. Time for dinner! The humans found it hard to choose from the menu as it all looked good. In the end, she went for a burger and he had fishcakes. They loved that the ingredients were seasonal and locally sourced and even better - some of it is grown in the pub's own kitchen garden! We’re passionate about great food and drink at The Horse & Groom and take pride in creating delicious seasonal dishes and innovative takes on pub classics using the freshest ingredients and local produce from our Westcountry larder, including herbs and vegetables from our very own kitchen garden. After a great night's sleep (the inn is on a busy road but is very quiet at night) we went for a stroll through the village and explored the pub garden. The garden is very pretty with loads of space to dine al fresco in warmer weather. We also discovered The Horse & Groom has a large event space where they host comedy nights and where humans can celebrate special occasions or even get married. Unfortunately, there was no proposal on this holiday! Enough exploring now humans! It's time for breakfast. Nacho spotted sausage on the menu and ordered us one each. Meanwhile, the humans very strangely refused sausage and opted for Poached Eggs with Avo and Shakshuka. We may never understand some of the things they like to eat but they loved it. We had a quick snooze back in the room while the humans decided what we would do for the rest of the day. The Horse & Groom is perfectly located for exploring the sights of Wiltshire and the South Cotswolds and is only a short drive from Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury and Castle Combe. You can find out more about visiting these beautiful places in our Dog Friendly Cotswolds blog. We highly recommend a four legged vacation at The Horse & Groom . David and his staff made us feel so welcome and we loved every minute of our stay. The Inn is a Butcombe Brewing Co Inn who have a collection of pubs and inns across the south of England. We look forward to exploring more of them!

Four legged foodies treated like royalty at this luxurious Malmesbury hotel. We have another claim to fame - we have now stayed in England's oldest hotel!! The Old Bell in Malmesbury has been around since 1220 and is now a stunning design hotel where all pooches are treated like VIPs. We arrived at the hotel after a full day exploring Westonbirt Arboretum and Tetbury and were welcomed by the friendly staff who gave us some water and gave the humans some of that special water they like called Prosecco. We were then shown to our room where Nacho quickly spotted the hamper of goodies waiting for us! It had everything we needed for our mini break, including toothpaste and toothbrush to keep our breath fresh. Which was lucky because we conveniently forgot to pack ours! Time to rest our little legs before dinner which we did in our very own four poster beds. Even the humans didn't get one of those! Nacho decided his new friend Gary the giraffe needed to join him. Four legged foodies are welcome to join their humans in the dining area next to the restaurant so we took our treats from our hamper while they enjoyed a delicious steak and monkfish in Thai red sauce. We named our Restaurant Saints & Sinners with a nod to Malmesbury Abbey next door to us and the Saints statues on display, collected by our owners on their travels. The Sinners part we added - as aren't we all a little naughty sometimes! Indeed we are!!! After dinner we retired to the drawing room (pooches are welcome in all public areas except the main restaurant area). The room is super cosy with a log fire and so many beautiful things to look at while you sip on a cocktail from the bar. Afternoon Tea is also served in this room. In every part of the hotel you will find many antiquities collected by the owner on his travels around the world. In the bar you will find the original 1220 fireplace from when the hotel hosted visiting dignitaries to Malmesbury Abbey. The abbey is right next to The Old Bell and makes a stunning backdrop for dramatic photos. Pooches are welcome inside the abbey and there's even a dog friendly café too. As you can see, we were very reluctant to leave The Old Bell and tried to go straight back in once the humans had checked out. Humans take note, we expect this VIP treatment at all times from now on!

Four Legged Foodies enjoy an Autumn break in the Cotswolds (part 1) Sometimes even the most hardened city dogs need a break from the hustle, bustle and pollution! So this October, the humans packed us a bag, which we emptied out and refilled with treats then we headed to Malmesbury and the South Cotswolds for a well deserved mini-break. In just over 2 hours we arrived at The Horse & Groom which would be our new home for the night. This cosy inn has everything a four legged traveller could need and is perfectly located for exploring the area. You can read more about about our stay at The Horse & Groom here . If you want to find some beautiful Autumn colours, this area won't disappoint! We spent the day sniffing trees in Westonbirt Arboretum . Four legged visitors are welcome to stroll around off lead except in the old arboretum, and on the treetop walk where humans need to keep you safe! Entry tickets start at £11 (including parking) depending on the season. Nearby Tetbury is a pretty town with lots of boutique shops and coffee shops. If you're lucky you might even spot our new king as this is where he lives. We popped in to Martin & Malthouse so the humans could get some cake, as they hadn't eaten for at least an hour! The café had lots of homemade goodies and is also a bottle shop and artisan deli. The next place we stayed at holds the title of oldest hotel in England. Can you believe The Old Bell in Malmesbury has been around since 1220? And we thought our humans were old! After all that fresh air, we needed to rest our paws for a bit on the luxurious four poster beds in our room. The staff at The Old Bell really spoil their four legged visitors and the hotel is full of unusual antiquities. You can read more about our visit here . The main attraction in Malmesbury is the 12th century Abbey which is right next to the hotel. Pooches can join their humans as they learn about some more old stuff and we are also welcome in the café. The humans love that strange water they call beer, so were delighted to find a place in Malmesbury where they make the stuff. Flying Monk Brewery has a café, shop and tap inside a converted Cotswold barn. They love pooches and even have a jar of treats on the bar for us. A short drive from Malmesbury is THE most picturesque of all the Cotswold villages. Castle Combe (also pictured in title image) is featured in many photos of the area and is a favoured film location. The village is small with only a couple of pubs and shops but well worth a visit for those Instagram shots! The Cotswolds is completely land-locked but if you're missing the beach, head to Cotswold Country Park & Beach which home to the largest inland beach in UK. Pooches can wander around the wooded areas that surround the lake and can even accompany humans on boats and pedalos. They only ask that dogs don't swim in the lakes as they are very deep! Entrance is free with just a small parking charge. We will look back fondly on our first trip to the Cotswolds but watch this space for part 2 coming soon.