Walkies this way
Denis Mann and his dog Nelly find the dream stay in Suffolk
Life can be tough for the doggy-friendly family in search of hospitality. After years of rebuffs, I now form an advance party of one with a list of questions.
Dad: “Hello. Can we bring the children in here?”
Bar person/cafe server/ Maitre D: “Yes, no problem.”
“Oh good, what about the dog?”
“Oh yes, we welcome well-behaved dogs.” “And wives?” I usually get a smile with that last one, though one quick-witted barmaid replied tartly: “Wives are fine, it’s the husbands we have a problem with.”
It’s a double delight when a special place positively welcomes your little ones, even those of the waggy-tailed variety.
We road-tested a trip to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, which promotes itself as super dog-friendly, with Nelly – our exuberant Beauceron/ Doberman cross – as chief reviewer.
We found the handsome town full of hotels, cafes, restaurants and tourist attractions who loved our best friend, got down to her level to say hello to her and went out of their way with treats to keep her happy.
Nelly, easily impressed by food of any kind, was in heaven.
Her ‘kennel’ for two nights was in the outrageously medieval town of Lavenham, a few minutes’ drive from Bury St Edmunds.
The 15th-century Swan does old and deluxe at the same time, and both very well. I’m a big fan of the front door, the heft of its timbers and the clank of its ancient latch. There’s history in the everyday here.
Nell was ensconced in our luxurious family room and the only places where she was, understandably, not allowed were the swanky Gallery restaurant and the spa.
No matter, we relaxed in the Airmen’s Bar and the lounges, with the wood fires ablaze, before a quality meal in Brasserie 487. It was a lovely evening and we spotted other dogs being fussed over as they enjoyed the warmth and conviviality.
An autumnal evening walk to stretch our six legs was a pleasure, too. Sleepy, peaceful, half-timbered Lavenham, smelling of woodsmoke and times past, is made for sauntering and pausing, as dog walkers do.
But Bury St Edmunds was scoffing at the old saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
The rain was a test for the finest technical waterproofs in Christendom as we toured the Abbey Gardens in search of King Edmund who ruled these parts in the 800s.
Thankfully, our guide Adrian was made of stern stuff and kept our seven-year-olds interested in the deluge. He had a good story to tell.
As ever the gory stuff went down best: how devout Christian Edmund had his head chopped off and lobbed into the woods by the raiding heathen Vikings and how it was found between the paws of a wolf, with Ed shouting: “Here! Here! Here!” despite being separated from his body. No wonder they made him a saint. Historians struggle to find empirical facts from the mists of time, but Edmund became a cult figure, a monastery grew around his shrine and the town of St Edmunds flourished as the great and good travelled there as pilgrims.
It all came crashing down, literally, when Henry VIII had his problems with women and the Pope, and the monasteries were taken apart. Bury locals, a tad miffed by the riches of the Abbey on the doorstep, were happy to help, by some accounts. Which explains the fine stone in some of the grander
buildings in the centre – liberated from the rubble.
Edmund and the wolf was not the only miracle of that day in the Abbey ruins. So late in the year, the formal beds were stripped of flowers, but there was one survivor: a single St Edmund rose in the Appleby Garden.
It’s a sign, we thought, before agreeing it was a portent that it was time for lunch and heading for the Bay Tree Cafe.
There was more fuss for Nelly as she, er, wolfed down a ‘puppuccino’ and settled under the table while we tackled the menu.
It’s a strength of Bury St Edmunds that it has so many independent shops and cafes, and the Bay Tree is an example, where the food is made from scratch, ventures further than the standard sandwiches and toasties, and you don’t hear the ding of a microwave.
The coffee was different class, too. And they love dogs. Result.
The pooch-friendly ethos extends beyond the town, though.
There are superb walks in the lush Suffolk countryside and even the posh places do their bit.
The Ickworth Estate, a gorgeous Italianate pile run by the National Trust, has dog-friendly walks, dog-friendly facilities and a dog-friendly caff. Yep, definitely dog-friendly. They even run free dog-training sessions for beginners, kids and advanced owners, and parkour courses for more athletic hounds.
We returned to Bury for an evening stroll and to test the welcome at Gastrono-me, another independent resto that serves a younger, trendier clientele in the attractive Abbeygate Street. It even has a karaoke bar in the basement. They passed the doggy test with flying colours, making it 10 out of 10 for all the establishments we
Nelly had a ‘puppuccino’ under the cafe table as we tackled the menu
visited on our Suffolk weekend. The menu here takes its inspirations from the whole world, with everything from burgers and pasta to Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese specialities.
As the more mature customers, we pondered the offering from far-flung spots... before plumping for burgers and pasta. That’s the way we roll. I’d ask Nelly what she thought of dog-friendly Bury St Edmunds but she’s been sleeping for two days after all the excitement. I suppose that’s all the recommendation you need. Grrrrreat!