Warbrook House

Dogfriendly Magazine Review

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Warbrook House and the Grange, Hook
Review by Anna Bernard

You can tell that most, if not all, the staff at Warbrook House own a dog. It was the epitome of the phrase dog-friendly; everyone was so accommodating and genuinely lovely to Ken and that stuff can’t be faked. Even the other guests were very happy to see him. Before I got there, I asked Sabrina, the front office manager for some local walk tips so I could go visiting the local area before check-in and she was really helpful. 

It was a glorious day so we wanted to make the most of it. We headed to the Basingstoke Canal Walk. There’s a free car park on Sprat’s Hatch Lane over the road from the Barley Mow pub where we started on a picturesque three-mile circular walk which was pretty flat and also muddy at the end of February.

Ken always threatens to jump in bodies of water but never actually follows through but there are areas you’ll need to pop your dog on a lead as there are fishing ponds en route. There are plenty of places to have a dip, though, so bring towels. The scenery and sniffing opportunities on this walk are both outstanding – a chocolate box picture if ever I saw one. The only downside was there was only one dog bin near the car park, so I had to carry the full dog bag the whole way round.

I popped into the Barley Mow afterwards and they were very welcoming to Ken. I would have stayed for lunch as the food looked lovely, but I’d already booked for Sunday lunch at the Tally Ho just down the road from the Warbrook.

On the way to the Tally Ho we stopped off at Yateley Common for another tour and brisk walk and found a five-month-old Labrador puppy called Benjy who was a perfect match for my 17-month-old hush basset and had a great 20-minute rough and tumble. I’d imagined or at least hoped that it would result in Ken lying peacefully at my feet while I enjoyed my lunch. But no. It’s taken me a while to realise that as a cross between a Basset Hound and a Cocker Spaniel, Ken has the basset body but the face and spirit of a spaniel. No amount of play or walks are ever enough and he is always, and I mean, always, ‘up for it’!

Luckily the Tally Ho was another dog friendly place. Our table was near the loos so Ken managed to stop every single punter in their tracks demanding a play or tummy rubs. The owners gave him water and a treat and held him while I went to the loo. 

The food here was utterly delicious – best roast I’ve had in a long time and a brownie to die for. At three we headed to the Warbrook and Grange for check in. Our room was on the ground floor as all their pooch-friendly rooms are to give easy toilet access. The best part of the room was an enormous comfortable bed – big enough for both Ken and I to starfish and there was still space to roll over. He thought all his Christmases had come at once when he got to snuggle up… If there were two of you and you had a big dog then you might need a bigger room but I think you’d just let them know as nothing seems to be too much trouble.

Warbrook House and Grange is located near Fleet off the M3 – it’s a Grade I listed mansion set in Grade II listed gardens. The grounds at the hotel are lovely, complete with it’s own Versailles-style canal and Waterloo-style bridge. It’s not a big walk around but enough for an early morning or evening toilet stroll.

The next day after a filling full English breakfast we headed to Swinley Forest, about 20 minutes away. The forest is owned and managed by the Crown Estate and stretches over 2600 acres of gentle hills. We had a couple of hours pootling around and, as ever, one of the best things about having a dog is meeting other dog owners for lovely chats, usually about how great our dogs are.

In the evening, I ate at the hotel bar and can highly recommend the chicken liver pate and hands down the best chips I’ve had in ages. Again, the hotel looked after Ken while I ate which I hugely appreciated. Dogs are welcome in every area of the hotel except for the restaurant. They can happily set up a dining table in the bar for pooches and their humans to dine. I’d made a passing comment in the evening while eating in the bar about when travelling alone eating in the restaurant can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable, especially for the evening meal. The next morning they set up breakfast for me in the bar as an alternative to the restaurant, which I thought was a lovely touch. I had another continental plus eggs and bacon breakfast and they actually cooked Ken fresh sausages!

For our final outing we decided to head to California Country Park, which covers 100-acres and is about 20 minutes away from Warbrook House. Wikipedia says it has lowland heath and bogland. I can vouch for that as I wish I’d brought my wellies. There’s a huge pond with lots of ducks and swans, so dogs need to be kept on a lead as you walk around. Then Ken and I headed off the beaten track onto a decked pathway. This made me feel like I was in the rainforest with brown oxidised water on the surface. It did look somewhat unpleasant, but I found out later that this appearance indicates good levels of iron in the water and is actually very environment friendly.

And as it was Pancake Day on our last day, we finished off our little adventure with three crepes from the country park’s cafe, known as Jackson’s, which Ken and I shared before heading home after spending a really lovely few days. Dogs are allowed in a large sitting area outside the café.

Warbrook House and The Grange, Hook, review by Anna Bernard and appears in DogFriendly magazine issue 72.  For more information on the DogFriendly magazine visit  https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/magazine