Hare & Hounds Newbury

Style

Care of the dog

Setting

All Berkshire, no bite

Hidden nooks, hand-picked wines and hearty meals make the Hare & Hounds Newbury a front-runner for a bucolic British stay, one that – as the name suggests – welcomes pooches with open arms. This 17th-century red-brick pub has modern rooms detailed with aged timber, racing-themed fabrics and some with roll-top copper bath tubs. Take your pick from beds in the stables, paddocks, hunters lodge or coach house, and then reward days of dog walking on the Berkshire Downs by taking your seat at a pint-laden pub table for every season: in the garden, by the bar or next to the crackling fire.

Facilities

Rooms

30, including three suites. Rooms are spread across four buildings: the Stables, Paddocks, Hunter’s Lodge, and Coach House.

Checkout

11am, but flexible, subject to availability and an additional charge of £50. Earliest check-in, 3pm.

More Details

Rates include a hearty breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, breakfast baps or pancakes. You’ll want to properly peruse the drinks menu, too. The matcha and turmeric lattes, fresh juices and marimba hot chocolates will set you up for the day.

Also

There are a selection of accessible rooms (with interconnecting room options), wheelchair access to the reception, restaurant and bar, and accessible parking.

Free Internet Access

Pet Friendly

On-Site Restaurant

At the Hotel

Car park, WiFi, restaurant, bar. In rooms: WiFi, desk, bathrobes and slippers, Roberts radio, Nespresso machines, kettle and Joe’s Tea bags, Bramley bath products, pillow spray

Our Favourite Rooms

There’s little more luxurious than a copper roll-top bath tub: find yours in the Highclere Suite, Downton Suite or Bridle Suite.

Packing Tips

Pack your swimmers – Newbury has one of the few remaining lidos in the UK (and it’s heated).

Also

Newbury has had a hare-raising past: it began as a Saxon settlement, witnessed two battles in 1643 and 1644, and housed the American 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War. Nowadays, it’s well known for its one mile, seven furlong racecourse.

Children

Children are welcome, but note that there’s no kids club or crèche at the hotel.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

If the weather allows, head out to the terrace. Bigger groups of six to eight might opt for one of the intimate side rooms just off the main dining room.

Dress Code

Walking boots and wellies are encouraged for post-walk pints in the bar, but spruce up for evening meals in the Barn dining room.

Hotel Restaurant

Make to the Barn dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The farm-to-table menus evolve with the seasons, but you can always count on plenty of award-winning cheeses, organic vegetables and locally sourced meats. There are pub classics and hearty sunday roasts, but vegan and gluten free options are readily available too. We love the duck liver parfait, chestnut mushroom and truffle gnocchi, coronation chicken burger and grilled monkfish curry. Sweet tooths will be very satisfied: dessert options include apple and rhubarb crumble, sticky toffee pudding and vegan crème brûlée (repeat: vegan crème brûlée). On Sundays, choose from a trio of roasts, oak-smoked celeriac steak or dry-aged rump cap of beef with bone marrow gravy. Sides are predictably indulgent: add on extra homemade yorkshire puddings, smoked beef fat roasted potatoes and cauliflower cheese.

Hotel Bar

The classic British pint and crisps is somewhat elevated here: locally brewed craft ales can be ordered alongside pork scratchings dusted with smoked paprika, artisan sausage rolls, smoked ham and mature cheddar croquettes, and freshly baked sourdough with salted butter. And worry not – there’s plenty more to choose from if beer isn’t your thing. Try the chocolate orange martini, gin bramble, winter Pimms, or alcohol-free ginger mule.

Last Orders

Breakfast is served 7–10am; lunch 12 noon–2pm; and dinner 7–9.30pm. The bar closes at 11pm.

Planes

Heathrow airport is a 45-minute drive from the hotel, and taxis cost around £75–100, depending on time and availability. Call the hotel in advance to organise.

Trains

Newbury train station is just two miles away by car, and the hotel can arrange transfers. The journey from London Paddington takes between 40 minutes and an hour.

Automobiles

There’s a private 24/7 car park at the hotel, the cost of which is included in your stay.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

Start with a stroll along the banks of the Kennet and Avon canal, or a potter around the historic market town of Newbury. Downton Abbey fans will recognise Highclere Castle. This turreted fortress has been owned by the Carnavon Family since 1679, and was the cinematic home to the Crawley family in season one of Downton. You can take a tour of the rooms, grounds and filming locations. The Lambourn valley way trail starts in Newbury town and follows the course of the River Lambourn for 20 scenic miles, or go slightly further into the North Wessex Downs – an acclaimed area of outstanding natural beauty, with bracing walks over chalk hills and cascading streams. Head to Bucklebury Farm Park to amble among a herd of deer – try to decipher between axis, fallow, sika and red species. You’ll see llamas, goats, pigs, sheep and chickens, too. After all that activity, catch a matinée at the unique, pocket-sized, 18th-century Watermill theatre.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .