Andy Johnson, his wife Jay and their furry friend Bosley enjoy a weekend of indulgence at the Yorkshire coast

Great British Life: Dogs are more than welcome at Ox Pasture Hall (they can even bring a human with them if they want to)Dogs are more than welcome at Ox Pasture Hall (they can even bring a human with them if they want to) (Image: Archant)

Like most males of the species, he’s not that complex. In fact, give him a ball and a biscuit and that’s him sorted. But I’m glad to say he took a weekend of pure unadulterated indulgence in his stride.

You see our eight-year-old border collie/labrador cross, Bosley, was invited with us to stay at Ox Pasture Hall, because the four-star country house hotel near Scarborough aims to be as welcoming to a daschund as a Duchess.

From the moment he set paw inside reception, nothing was too much trouble. He made a friend for life in general manager Lynsey Fletcher, who immediately offered him a complimentary biscuit, before settling us down in front of the lovely wood burner in the lounge for a warming pot of tea.

We were looked after in a similarly royal manner for our entire stay. Nothing was too much trouble. As Lynsey kept reminding us, we were there to relax.

Ox Pasture Hall is the perfect spot for doing just that. Set in 17 acres of gardens and grounds in the North York Moors National Park, it’s a stunning location. What’s even better is that you’re only a ten-minute drive away from the centre of Scarborough, which was handy as we decided to break up our journey by stopping off in the seaside town to give Bosley a bit of a run out in the bright winter sunshine on South Bay.

If you base yourself at Ox Pasture Hall, you’re equally well placed to visit the Wolds, Bempton Cliffs with its puffins and gannets, or to make the most of the fantastic walks on offer on the moors.

When you return and kick off your boots, you have a choice of 32 rooms, from a classic twin to the top of the range Helmsley Suite, which has two bedrooms, a lounge and a luxury bathroom.

Everything is fitted out to a very high standard. In fact, our suite had a bath so big and deep, I nearly had to call the RNLI to help fish me out.

All that luxury, with an occasional walk, works up an appetite. Dog owners can dine with their pets in the bar, or without in the Courtyard Restaurant. The food and service was first class. Our only gripe was the constant muzak playing both in the lounge and bar. As we were tucking into a lovely afternoon tea, it felt at one point like we were trapped in a lift with Richard Clayderman. Before dinner, the funereal organ music didn’t help much either.

After a fantastic night’s sleep, breakfast was a real treat, but would have been perhaps been even better had the fruit juices been fresh rather than concentrates. But that’s a minor niggle.

While we were there, a steady succession of couples were booking their weddings at the hotel. It’s not hard to see why.

This couple, just past their fifth wedding anniversary and thoroughly relaxed, bathed and well-fed, didn’t want to leave. Nor did Bosley, who enjoyed the goodbye cuddles and biscuits every bit as much as the ones on arrival.

For more details about Ox Pasture Hall near Scarborough, visit oxpasturehallhotel.com or call 01723 365295.