Luxury dog-friendly hotels in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

The Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Norman inhabitants of this 10th-century shire left their mark with castles and hamlets; royal palaces reveal Jacobean treasures; and more contemporary constructions include the iconic film studios at Elstree and Leavesden. London's next-door neighbour has attracted city workers since Elizabeth I, but it's far from a blighted commuter belt – the Chilterns offer wonderful walking and valley-view villages; north lie stately homes and Tudor houses; the southerly Vale of St Albans marks the ancient route once carved by Thames, and Herts' lower east side is punctuated by the Lee Valley park. William Cowper, George Bernard Shaw and Stanley Kubrick all lived here, and for many modern rurbanites, Herts is still where the home is.