Dog-friendly Weekends: thank you for your support
Welcome to the Dog-friendly Weekends newsletter. I want to hear from you.
Hello fellow dog owner! First of all, I want to thank you for your support on my Dog-friendly Weekends crowdfunder page. I’m 60% of the way to my target and your pre-order has helped me focus on this book for the next few months.
As promised, this is the first edition of the monthly newsletter you signed up for when you pre-ordered my guidebook. If you don’t fancy it anymore, you can unsubscribe below, but I hope you stick around for excellent insider tips on the best places to go with your dog this year and beyond. I’ll be switching it up a bit each month so there’s always something different, but if you’ve got questions or specific things you’d like to know about travelling around Britain with your dog, hit reply to this email — I’m always open to ideas and feedback.
That’s enough of the housekeeping for now. Here’s June’s edition of Dog-friendly Weekends.
Living the #vanlife with a dog
The “van life” movement got some extra attention this year thanks to the award-winning film Nomadland. It follows the life of a woman who, after the death of her husband and the discontinuation of her postcode in the USA, ups sticks and decides to live in her converted van. She lives an itinerant lifestyle for years, seeing spectacular sunsets in amazing destinations, but she’s visibly sad. Her life is a lonely one, totally different to those depicted by the #vanlife movement Instagrammers, like these.
I don’t doubt she would have been happier with a dog on the passenger seat — and I know this because I just spent a month doing exactly that.
Our latest book research trip took us to Wales, where I drove this absolute beast of a motorhome with Arty in the passenger seat for the whole month of May. It was by no means without its challenges, but it was an adventure-and-a-half for us both and we sought out some of the finest beaches, mountain walks and city streets for dog owners to enjoy.
We parked up in laybys overlooking the ocean for a cuppa and a quick toilet break; we drove one of the most cinematic roads in Snowdonia National Park with views of Snowdon and beyond; and we camped right in the city centre in Cardiff. The freedom the motorhome allowed us was a revelation, and arriving somewhere new every few days offered a pleasing variety for us both, while having our home on wheels meant there was always somewhere familiar to retreat to.
Of course, it wasn’t without its challenges — parking was always a little bit interesting! — but it was an unforgettable experience. And it’s an experience I’d implore everyone to have at least once. If this is all new to you, here’s a quick guide on how to do it:
How to have a #vanlife holiday with your dog
You don’t need to own a van to hit the road. There are rental outfits everywhere that hire them out, but one of my favourite ways to do it is through “Airbnb but for campervans” website, Camptoo. I hired this gorgeous VW back in April for a stint in the Cotswolds earlier this year, and I drive a lovely converted Transit van around Cornwall back in 2018. The variety of vans available is brilliant — there’s something for everyone.
Wild camping isn’t allowed in most parts of Britain and you generally can’t just park up in laybys or car parks overnight. That’s why I booked in with the Caravan & Motorhome Club — one of the most dog-friendly campsite networks in Britain. The Freshwater East site in Wales is right by a wide, sandy dog-friendly beach, and the St David’s site has a couple of brilliant walks over some rocky hills nearby. The absolute highlight for Arty, though, was the Brecon Beacons Club Site, where they’ve cordoned off a lovely woodland walk with a stream just for the dogs to run off-lead.
If you pack just one thing for the dog, make it a 10-metre long-lead. Most campsites don’t allow dogs to roam off-lead, so I bought one of these from my local pet shop (Blakes, if you were wondering) and tied it to the van when we pitched up. It meant he could roam free while I relaxed with a G&T in my deck chair.
Hotel highlights
This is a regular slot where I’ll tell you about a few of the excellent hotels I’ve discovered that let you bring the dog along, too.
Palé Hall, Snowdonia — A gorgeous Victorian mansion built as the summer retreat for a local slate mine owner, Palé Hall is a fantastic Relais & Chateaux property on the edge of Snowdonia National Park with extensive grounds (perfect for walking) and an excellent restaurant. All the staff absolutely love dogs and they’ll go out of their way to make you all feel comfortable.
Plas Weunydd — A brand new hotel for 2021, this place sits within the grounds of a former slate mine that’s still being quarried to this day. It’s a small, modest B&B but its location is unique. Ask for room 10 for the best views in the house.
Beach of the month
This slot might range from beaches to national parks to mountains I think you need to know about. Got somewhere you want to recommend? Hit reply!
Freshwater West beach in southern Pembrokeshire is huge and, best of all, it’s dog-friendly all year round. It’s perfect for walking, rockpooling and a game of fetch, and foodies will love the Cafe Môr food truck serving lobster rolls and fresh fish sandwiches served with seaweed plucked from the very shores it overlooks.
Pubs worth travelling for
Not strictly a pub, but the Lygon Arms Hotel in Broadway — a quintessential Cotswold town — really knows how to look after your dog. I went there for lunch at the Grill in April when restrictions lifted and they brought our two dogs a pair of beds to snooze in while we dined outdoors and fussed them with plenty of gravy bones. They even have an outdoor dog-wash area with rainfall shower heads for when you’re returning from muddy walks.
Where’s next?
Next week I’m off to London to check out some city-centre hotels and restaurants for the guide, and we’re taking a walk up one of the capital’s main attractions. In July, we’ll be heading to Scotland where neeps, tatties and a spot of haggis awaits.
Thank you for supporting Dog-friendly Weekends, a brand new guidebook from Bradt Travel Guides. If you know someone who might enjoy this, feel free to forward it on or buy them a gift subscription to this newsletter.