From leafy country walks to beautiful city parks, the North West is packed full of adventures for pet parents and their dogs. If you’re unsure where to start exploring this stunning part of the United Kingdom, we’ve rounded up some of the best dog-friendly pubs in Cheshire, the Lake District, Cumbria, and beyond. While you’re enjoying delicious local food and drink, you’ll find treats, washing stations, and dog menus galore.
Dog-Friendly Pubs Our Reviewer Visited in the North West
Below are some great dog-friendly pubs that our Public House Office (PHO) and their dog tried out, with plenty of spots to refuel and relax. Read to the end to find out the overall winner for the region.
The Maltings, Warrington
Address: The Maltings, Bewsey Farm Close, Warrington, Cheshire, WA5 9PB
Telephone: 01925 658952
Nearest train station: Warrington Bank Quay, but you’ll need to get a bus from the Town Hall to Bewsey Farm
Reservations needed: Book ahead, as it gets busy
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both available
Price range (meal and a pint): £15-20 (apart from the grills and steaks, which go up to £35-40)
Dietary requirements? Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
Hours of operation:
- Sunday to Thursday: 9am-11pm
- Friday to Saturday: 9am-12am
A sure sign of a dog-welcoming pub is having a beautiful Chow as the logo for your establishment. Sure enough, The Maltings does exactly that, offering dog beds of all sizes, free dog biscuits, and an “A La Bark” menu featuring appetisers, mains, and even desserts, plus, water bowls and free dog biscuits from the bar.
Throw in blankets, and toys, as well as plenty of signage (and a massive doggy station at the entrance) indicating the dog-related services they have on offer, and you know that you and your dog will have a top time at The Maltings.
The Architect, Chester
Address: 54 Nicholas Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2NX
Telephone: 01244 353 070
Nearest train station: Chester, but you’ll need to jump on a bus to Grosvenor Street
Reservations needed: Recommended if you’d prefer not to wait for a table, but not compulsory
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both available, but you can only reserve indoor tables
Price range (a meal + pint): £15-£25
Good for: Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
Hours of operation:
- Monday to Thursday: 12pm-11pm
- Friday to Saturday: 12pm-11:30pm
- Sunday: 12pm-10:30pm
Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome in the bar area. They also get blankets and their own menu upon turning up to The Architect, which isn’t surprising given its central location next to Chester Racecourse and its prominence on several dog walks. They’re probably worn out!
The pub also runs a monthly charity dog walk if your pup needs some pals. The staff are super welcoming and friendly to humans and canines alike, and the dog station is packed with treats, water bowls, beds, and toys.
The Wateredge Inn, Ambleside
Address: Borrans Road, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 0EP
Telephone: 01668 214616
Nearest public transport: Windermere, but you’ll need to hop on a bus to Wateredge Inn for the Pier bus stop
Reservations needed: You can email to book for groups over five, but you can only make table bookings for groups of eight or more
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both available
Price range (meal and a pint): £15-£25
Good for: Vegetarian and vegan options
Hours of operation:
- Daily: 7:30am-11pm
The staff at The Wateredge Inn love dogs, giving treats and leaving bowls out, and this shows in the crowd of families with dogs that stands out as you walk in. They also have a dog menu featuring food from Sir Woofchester and provide designated dog-friendly spaces in the pub and restaurant.
The Wateredge’s garden is a superb space with a couple of water points for bowl-filling, and any bar-top that features two jars of treats is a plus. Also, for an extra £15 per night, your dog can stay with you in one of their dog-friendly rooms in the annexe building, The Windermere Rooms.
The White Lion, Wigan
Address: 117 Mossy Lea Rd, Wrightington, Wigan, Greater Manchester, WN6 9RE
Telephone: 01257 425977
Nearest public transport: Wigan North Western train station, then a bus to Pepper Lane – but you’ll still have about a half-hour walk from there.
Reservations needed: Booking advised for a dog-friendly table
Indoor or outdoor seating: In the bar and beer garden, although special areas both inside and outside are dog-friendly
Price range (meal + pint): £15-£20
Good for: Vegetarian and vegan options
Hours of operation:
- Monday to Saturday: 10am-11pm
- Sunday: 10am-10:30pm
The White Lion has a special indoor bar area for people to chill with their dogs, as well as a specialised doggy menu offering dog-safe ice cream and beer. If you’re booking online and have a dog, use the “Inside Dog Friendly” or “Outside Dog Friendly” options. In the fenced garden, dog bowls are scattered around, although the astroturf grass might get hot under the paws during summer, which is worth bearing in mind. However, there’s ample shade available.
At the pub’s covered outdoor tables, dog lead connection points are available, which is a thoughtful way to avoid the table leg spaghetti junction that can develop when wrapping your dog’s lead around a pub table’s legs. (Plus, if your dog happens to be a horse, you can park them outside, because they offer horse parking, too. Just saying.)
The Fox and Pheasant, Armathwaite
Address: Front Street, Armathwaite, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA4 9PY
Telephone: 01697 472162
Nearest public transport: Get the train to Armathwaite
Reservations needed: Booking not mandatory but recommended due to high footfall
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both available
Price range (meal + pint): £15-£20
Dietary requirements? Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options
Hours of operation:
- Monday to Thursday: 12pm-10:30pm
This small, cheerful, chirpy pub has staff to match, and they love it when a dog enters, offering bowls and water with a smile. They make no bones (pun intended) about being dog-friendly too, with obvious signage letting you know your dog is welcome.
With Coombs Woods right nearby, The Fox and Pheasant is a well-placed stopping post after a solid walk amongst the trees and, dare we say, squirrels.
The Black Bull, Sedbergh
Address: 44 Main Street, Sedbergh, Cumbria, LA10 5BL
Telephone: 01539 620264
Nearest public transport: Hexham Bus Stop, with Newcastle as the nearest train station for visiting tourists
Reservations needed: Booking recommended but not compulsory
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both are available
Price range (meal and a pint): £25-£30
Good for: Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
Opening hours:
- Sunday to Tuesday: 11am-10pm
- Wednesday to Saturday: 11am-11pm
Esteemed gastropub The Black Bull boasts award-winning grub from chef Nina Matsunaga and has all the best bits of a pub, restaurant, and inn (and if it is a little on the pricey side, they earn it – it’s some of the best pub grub our PHO has ever eaten). Plus, they’re dog-friendly, and your dog has access to beds, blankets, and a gourmet dog menu for a special treat.
A high-end gastropub being down-to-earth enough for all the staff to compliment your dog like they’re the chef? Yes, please.
The Traveller’s Rest, Warrington
Address: 443 Newton Road, Lowton, Warrington, Cheshire, WA3 1NZ
Telephone: 01925 293222
Nearest public transport: Wigan Wallgate, then a bus to Parkside Road
Reservations needed: You can book online for up to six people or phone in for more than that, booking recommended as it’s popular
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both
Price range (meal and a pint): £20-£25, with steaks coming in around £35
Dietary requirements? Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
Opening hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday: 12pm-10:30pm
- Friday and Saturday: 12pm-11pm
- Sunday: 12pm-10:30pm
This Victorian-style country pub is right near Highfield Moss and is popular with the many dog walkers who take their furry chums for a leg stretch and sniff. It makes sense, then, that well-behaved dogs on leads get a warm welcome at The Traveller’s Rest, with good behaviour also earning free dog biscuits.
The staff adore dogs, and the garden is enormous and secure with water bowls scattered all over. This means that your dog can let off some steam worry-free.
The Queen’s Head, Troutbeck
Address: Town Head, Troutbeck, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1PW
Telephone: 01539 43404
Nearest train station: Penrith is the nearest station, but it’s still about an hour and a half away from the closest bus stop, Town Head by spring.
Reservations needed: Booking recommended as they fill up quickly, although you’ll automatically have a table booked if you stay there as a hotel guest
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both available
Price range (meal and a pint): £15-£25, with steaks at £35 and up.
Good for: Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
Hours of operation:
- Sunday-Wednesday: 12pm-10pm
- Thursday-Saturday: 12pm-11pm
As soon as you walk into The Queen’s Head, you’re greeted with treats, beds, and blankets. And the bar staff make offering treats a priority, giving the impression that if they could make a living just serving dogs instead of humans, they’d strongly consider it. However, that’d be a shame for the humans, given the stunning view from the pub.
The Queen’s Head offers a dog menu to be proud of, sporting British pub classics like roast dinners and fish and chips. And they’re such huge dog lovers that they named their house ale, “Patterd’ Ale,” after their landlady’s dog. (A Patterdale terrier, you’d assume, otherwise that’s a wasted opportunity.) Plus, they have a paw-washing station to clean off after those muddy walks around Windermere and the rest of the Lake District.
The Best Dog-Friendly Pub in the North West: Fairhaven, Lytham St Annes
Address: 1 Marine Drive, Lytham St. Annes, Lancashire, FY8 1AU
Telephone: 01253 747468
Nearest public transport: Ansdell & Fairhaven rail station, which is about a five-minute walk from Fairhaven
Reservations needed: Book as early as possible to avoid disappointment, but you can confidently walk in for a drink without booking
Indoor or outdoor seating: Both
Price range (meal and a pint): £15
Live music: No
Good for: Vegetarian and vegan options
Opening hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 11:30am-10:30pm
- Friday: 11:30am-11pm
- Saturday: 10:30am-11pm
- Sunday: 10:30am-10:30pm
Right near three great beach areas for walks (Lytham, St. Annes, and Formby), Fairhaven embraces dogs, providing cosy corners, treats, and water bowls for your four-legged friend. The tea room and parkland of the nearby Lytham Hall are also dog-friendly, although not the hall itself, meaning there’s plenty to do inside and outside the pub.
Plus, your dog has access to Bark Burgers, Bark Bangers, roast dinners, and fish and chips from Sir Woofchester’s range of meals and bar snacks.
Other Dog-Friendly Pubs in the North West
Our reviewers looked at another pub, too, if you happen to be nearby, although it didn’t meet the dog-friendly standards of others on the list:
Not sure your dog is pub-friendly?
Whether they get protective over food or are simply too excitable in settings with lots of new people (and potentially other dogs), not every pooch is destined to be a pub dog. But fear not, you can still enjoy the North West’s pubs while your dog has a fun time with a Rover dog sitter. There are plenty of local sitters across the region offering services like drop-in visits, doggy day care, and dog walking.
