The Helyar Arms

We were sitting near the group who had an issue with the landlord. I didn't even hear their dog bark, though my friend did. It was one quiet bark, and the landlord spoke to the group, who seemed like a lovely, polite family from my interaction with them. As he walked away, he glared at me and said loudly, "we don't like barking dogs in this pub." We had a dog with us too. Such strange behaviour. The pub itself is nice and the other staff were lovely, but we won't be back.

The food was excellent, and Clare and Patrick were especially helpful and accommodating. The village is lovely, the inn has traditional character, the grounds are pleasant, and most of the staff were friendly and welcoming. My room was reasonably comfortable but small. The breakfast and other meals were excellent too. Parking is good, though finding a space in the evening can be difficult. I stayed in Pincushion, which sits above the main entrance and bar. People gathered outside to smoke and talk loudly, so opening the window wasn't really an option. Noise from the bar carried and echoed upstairs, making it hard to get peace and quiet later in the evening after a tiring day. The hotel allows pets in rooms, and mine had a noticeable pet smell that triggered mild allergic reactions. There was a sign asking owners to keep dogs on leads, but that didn't always seem to be enforced. The listing gives the room size as about 194 ft². That might be the full footprint, but the usable space felt limited once the furniture and bathroom were accounted for. The bathroom was roughly 1 m x 2 m, leaving a fairly small bedroom area.

It's a lovely pub in a charming village, and our outing would've been perfect if the owner hadn't been so unpleasant. His cutting comment about a single dog barking spoiled the whole event. If dogs aren't welcome, the pub should simply ban them.

We came for Sunday lunch before Christmas and ordered beetroot Wellington and a kids' meal. The portions were skimpy, the roast potatoes were deep-fried, and the Wellington was soggy. They charged £14.50 for sausages and chips for a child. We won't be back anytime soon.