Anthea Gerrie Indulges Her Pooch In The New Forest At The Incredibly Dog-Friendly Montagu Arms
The Montagu Arms, perhaps the most dog-friendly hotel in the New Forest, gives new meaning to the expression “dog’s dinner”. The opposite of the chaotic mess the term traditionally implies, this hotel’s Pampered Pooch package is a choreographed culinary delight for canines as well as their owners.
The writing was on the wall when we were waylaid by the Pups Pick’n’Mix station en route a delightful garden room specially kitted out for our retriever as well as ourselves. Not far from the foot of our own king-sized bed sat a large, fluffy dog bed and a hamper of treats including a new toy – a seagull which proved highly popular once Sammy encountered his first live one; the Montagu Arms is on the watery southeastern side of the New Forest in Beaulieu.
Rooms in the grounds which supplement lodgings in the main house seem made for dog-lovers with their easy access to the hotel’s beautiful gardens. Our own room, the Courtyard Retreat aka Fig, had a private landscaped backyard with its own grass and flowers as an alternative to the large landscaped lawn perched between residential outbuildings and the main hotel, which started life as a 16th century coaching inn.
The house has its own Snug rooms which like the newer and more spacious units in the garden can be booked on a Pampered Pooch package basis. This includes not only canine-equipped accommodation with hamper, but breakfast for all and a £60 per person allowance towards an excellent dinner as well as a four-course canine feast.
We enjoyed our meal in Monty’s, the hotel’s second and more informal pub-restaurant facing beautiful Beaulieu village. The hosts declare a welcome to canines on the outside, backed up in the two dining rooms by the sight of many large, fluffy dog beds set out beside several tables, their occupants relaxing well-fed and content.
You could put it down to the Dog Beer which is the first item on the A La Bark menu, were this canine cocktail not described on the label as non-alcoholic. While we feasted on soup served with a cheese toastie and a black pudding Scotch egg, we surveyed the doggie mains, all real food cooked to order in the kitchen, and chose fish with rice and peas for ours, who had already enjoyed a plate of dog treats with his drink. The dog’s fish came with my own – a whole grilled mackerel accompanied by an Isle of Wight tomato salad. Desserts included delicious ice-cream for both dogs and(locally-made) for humans.
Back in the room, we relaxed in our fluffy bathrobes on our expansive sofa with a decanter of complimentary sloe gin and Netflix(our huge smart TV was enabled for subscribers). There was a Nespresso machine with decaf capsules for after-dinner imbibers to wash down their home-baked flapjacks as well as fully-leaded for morning, plus a kettle and wide choice of quality teas. In the mini-fridge stood an all too rare in hotels bottle of fresh milk, and large bottles of water were replenished every day.
The exceptionally spacious bathroom was a particular delight, thanks to a huge walk-in shower, free-standing bathtub and twin basins, not to mention the luxury of underfloor heating. After ablutions it was time for breakfast in a conservatory reserved for dog-owners, with plenty of hot choices including well-made porridge, breakfast meats from local suppliers and the usual iterations of eggs Benedict. Not to forget “a sausage for the fluffy one” presented by our waitress ready-sliced in a dog bowl with our mains.
A wander through the village with dog on short leash is recommended to explore not only souvenir shops and cafes but the excellent Bellalocus, an Aladdin’s cave of artisanal treasures from all over the world curated by owner and local Ann Scott.
In another direction lies the vast Beaulieu millpond within two minutes’ walk, a nature reserve on which we spotted adult swans taking off in flight from the cygnets with whom they had been swimming in stately procession. On the grass verge several of the ponies for which the New Forest is famous were relaxing – with its acres of open heathland, this quiet corner of the former Tudor hunting ground is a prime draw for wildlife – while a litter of piglets was spotted galloping down the road with their mother, possibly the property of the village farm shop.
Further-flung excursions include Bucklers Hard, an 18th century riverside village on the water where exhibits show how tenants in the double row of terraced houses either side of the harbour used to live. Also nearby are the famous National Motor Museum – no doubt the reason a vintage Alvis and new Aston Martin were parked at the Montagu Arms by their auto-enthusiast owners – and Exbury Gardens, a botanical wonderland with its own steam railway.
Here, dogs are welcome in the carriages and restaurant as well as the gardens themselves – who says the New Forest is only about trees and ponies?! Owners of canines will testify it’s also about an incredibly conducive atmosphere for dogs, welcomed almost everywhere.
Tell Me More About Staying At The Montagu Arms
The Montagu Arms Hotel Beaulieu, Hampshire SO42 7ZL
Tel: +44 1590 612324
Rooms from £200 per night
Pampered Pooch packages from £325 double per night, including bed, breakfast, dinner allowance, dog meals and hampers
