AT THIS time of the year, when autumn is fast approaching, I find myself travelling the Oxfordshire countryside with Barnaby, my Border collie, in search of dog-friendly pubs that we can enjoy before the cold weather sets in.

Obviously I have my favourites which provide the type of hospitality I enjoy, The Trout, Buckland Marsh, being one of them. You will find this 17th-century pub just 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of Oxford, on an unnamed minor road off the A420.

The pub sits snugly beside Tadpole Bridge, which was built in 1802 to carry the local Turnpike Road between Buckland and Bampton.

Because it stands in the middle of the countryside and at least three miles from Bampton, it did not have electricity until quite recently.

Customers who requested ice in their drinks not so long ago would have been told to come back in the winter, when there was ice on the ground.

I was delighted to discover that for the second year running The Trout has been named Oxfordshire’s Dining Pub of the Year by The Good Pub Guide. It is certainly a well-deserved accolade as it’s a delightful pub and The Good Pub Guide a well-respected publication.

The guide describes it as a busy country inn by the River Thames with a fine choice of drinks, popular modern food and seats in the waterside garden.

Food served here, the guide says, is equal to that in the best restaurants and often better as it serves imaginative meals prepared by creative chefs using the best local, and quite often their own, produce at prices customers feel are fair for the quality.

So what is the secret of this pub’s success? How is it winning important accolades while other pubs continue to close down?

Perhaps it is because the proprietors, Gareth and Helen Pugh, are so relaxed about what they offer, insisting that it is a family pub that’s dog-friendly but not a gastro pub.

Drinkers at this pub are as welcome as those who come to eat, as the imaginative choice of real ales signifies.

Gareth says that they positively welcome people just popping in for a pint, and that they have a strong local following who use the pub every night.

I’ve often popped in for a quick drink after walking the Thames Path to Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve just a mile away and have been made as welcome as if I was calling for lunch. A bowl of cool water is available for the many dogs made welcome too.

I guess, however, I had better admit that my dog Barnaby totally disgraced himself when I called for lunch at The Trout last weekend and accidentally let his lead slip out of my hand while I tried to take a photograph.

On discovering he was free to explore, to my shame he did just that. I had mistakenly assumed that the little horror was ready for the “fine dining experience”, but it seems he still has a long way to go before he can be trusted to keep his paws under the table.

The impressive thing about the entire incident, however, was the professional and courteous manner in which the staff calmed me, helped catch Barnaby and (on my insistence) lay a table in the garden where I could finish my meal.

I admit to this episode because it is quite clear that the staff are trained to deal with “little problems” that ensue from time to time when canines are made welcome.

The meal I had selected was fantastic. Because it is always fun to link the name of the pub with the meal, I had gone for trout, served on crushed new potatoes. A perfect choice actually, particularly when you are using your left hand to secure the dog.

One of the other things that makes this venue so special is the unspoiled nature of the Thames Path next to the pub as it leads to Shifford Lock and then Newbridge, which attracts a superb variety of bird life.

As you approach Chimney Meadows you notice the first of several Second World War pillarboxes standing near the river bank. This one has been converted to accommodate bats. Walkers are requested to respect this fact.

Because so many birds build their nests in the reeds that line the river bank, it’s advisable to keep your dog under control. A small sandy bay at the beginning and end of the walk should satisfy most dogs’ needs.

Gareth and Helen have years of experience in the hospitality industry, and have owned and managed some of the finest country house hotels in the UK.

They have previously won the AA Hotel of the Year, a Michelin Star and achieved a Cesar award for the Country House Hotel of the year.

Now they are running an Oxfordshire pub that really deserves to be named Oxfordshire’s Dining Pub of the Year by The Good Pub Guide 2014.

The Trout at Tadpole Bridge. Call 01367 870382 or see trout-inn.co.uk