The Barley Mow Dog Friendly Review - Winner of The Golden Paws Award 2010/11

The Barley Mow in Witnesham is a little gem of a dog friendly pub. Les Osborne, the new landlord, took over the pub just four months ago, and is clearly on a mission to please his human and canine regulars. Set in the heart of the village on a picturesque bend in the road, the Barley Mow has ample parking for visitors and allows dogs in the main bars, the garden to the rear and the patio seating to the front. Dogs are welcome at all times, and Les is making reputation for himself in canine circles with his propensity to hand out the dog biscuits. Such a reputation in fact that some of his four-legged patrons make straight for the main bar on arrival. The Barley Mow offers great food for humans too, with a large airy restaurant off the garden. Dinner and lunches are available every day except Monday, and when we arrived a little late in the day, Jackie the barmaid was happy to make us up cheese and ham toasties to keep hunger from the door. Well-priced mains average of £6.50 and snacks start around £4. Les is proud to be a local, born just up the road in Otley, and wants to make the pub a real resource for the community. In addition to the occasional quiz night and karaoke, the Barley Mow hosted its first Summer Fun Day on the 14 th August. Inspired by two of the regulars, Ed and his Alsatian, the day was dog themed and centre stage was a dog agility demonstration followed by a chance for local dogs to work with the trainer and show their talents in the ring. Our guys were there, but we must admit their talents and obedience have always been open to question, so we kept them firmly on their leads. You can see some of the photos from the day here. Perhaps a less well-known fact about Witnesham is that the village was the home of Giles the cartoonist. Famous for his cartoons for the Daily Express, Giles opened a studio in Ipswich in 1945 and in later life designed the Witnesham village sign. His life and works are commemorated in Giles Way and this road and the footpath passing the pub form some of the many starting points to the great number of parish footpaths in the area. The parish paths extend over 10 miles in the surrounding countryside and make for some excellent country dog walks. Maps are available from the pub and altogether make a visit to the Barley Mow a perfect dog-friendly day out.

Click on 'Like' to vote for this pub See Photos from the Barley Mow Fun Day

View Dog Friendly Suffolk Walks & Pubs in a larger map