The Barley Mow, Bonsall

It was my husband’s birthday this weekend, so I thought we’d do something together as a family, and this had to include our dog. Having decided that he would most enjoy a yomp with the dog, followed by lunch in a nice dog friendly pub that served great beer, I then spent a few hours poring over the map trying to decide where to go.  I settled for Matlock, as I wanted to try the Peak Rail with Tilly, which is one of the local attractions that is truly dog friendly. The train ride was then to be followed by a steep walk over the hills from Matlock to Bonsall. The walk follows part of the Limestone Way, and I was curious to see what the walk would be like.  After a very steep climb out of the Matlock, we started to make the descent down into Bonsall. After checking directions of the pub with a local, we discovered that there are two parts to Bonsall and The Barley Mow lies in Uppertown.

We soon found the pub, and noticed that there were several people sitting outside with their dogs, being a bit unsure of how dog friendly the pub actually was, we ventured inside. We needn’t have worried, as we immediately saw a Golden Retriever sprawled on the floor beside his owner. Collette, the landlady, made us very welcome and after a discussion over which real ale to try, we then check the menu boards for something to eat. Having chosen our food, we then found ourselves in deep discussion with Collette and others in the pub about all manner of subjects, it was lovely just to soak up the atmosphere and have a relaxed chat.

The pub has a “What’s On” board, and top of the list was Wraggy’s Birthday, who turned out to be Dave the landlords! A conversation then followed about whose birthday both my husband and Dave shared… Whilst we were there, a huge birthday cake appeared for Dave, and was ceremoniously placed on a table in the corner of the pub for all to see. During our lunch, several locals appeared with cards and good wishes for Dave.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will be back again soon. This pub is definitely what I would consider to be a proper dog friendly village pub.

The Cricket Inn is situated on the edge of the Peak District and is part of the Thornbridge brewery. It is a very picturesque setting, located next to a cricket ground. The approach to the pub is down a very rickety road, so you feel that you really are in the countryside, but you are so close to Sheffield. It’s the best of both worlds.