Cake with a View at Fernygrove Farm

Another dog-friendly place to eat cake from my 101 Places to Eat Cake with Dogs series. If you’re looking for somewhere with lovely views across the Thames Valley, homemade cake and plenty of space for dogs nearby, Fernygrove Farm is well worth a visit.

Dog-friendly places to eat cake: 101 series #4

How we found Fernygrove Farm

We were introduced to Fernygrove Farm several years ago by our dog-loving friend and author Emma Williams. Her books are fabulous. As someone who is dyslexic, there are few books I will devour in as few sittings as possible, and Emma’s have all been those. I can’t wait for the next one, which will hopefully be out in time for Christmas.

A Trip to Collect a Night Light

Ziva, our eldest dog, is starting to become unsettled at night. It often happens with senior dogs as their eyesight begins to deteriorate, making it harder for them to see once it gets dark. A night light can really help, giving them just enough light to find their way around without making them think it’s daytime.

After a couple of unsettled nights, we decided to find ours. We have a large box of things we’ve collected over the years for different stages of a dog’s life, from puppy through to their senior years. I hunted through it but, unfortunately, there wasn’t one. I’m sure there used to be, but I think it disappeared during one of our house moves.

So, I reached out to the two Emmas I know, Emma Williams and Emma Cossey, on the off chance that one of them might have one. Success! Emma Author, as she’s known in our house, had one and lives on the other side of Bracknell.

We decided to make a trip of it. Laney, our youngest, doesn’t like travelling in the car, so we take every opportunity to drive her in it. I live in hope that one day she’ll simply resign herself to it. She’s okay, but we think she gets a little carsick because she whinges whenever we go round corners or over bumpy roads. It probably doesn’t help that she insists on standing up the whole time.

A Walk at Larks Hill

We collected the night light and decided to stop at one of Bracknell’s many parks for a walk. This time we chose Larks Hill, which has a car park and sits next to a linear SANG (Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace). I didn’t know those were a thing either!

We mooched around the park, being very careful to check for cows as the council uses them to graze the grass during the summer. Then we walked along the SANG to the river, where the girls enjoyed a bit of paddling. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos as we kept the girls on their leads due to the ford being next to quite a busy road and it didn’t feel safe to let them off.

That filled up Ziva’s happiness jar. She’s affectionately known as our Northumbrian water dog.

Cake with a View at Fernygrove Farm

Next it was my turn to fill up my happiness pot, so we drove over to Fernygrove Farm for snacks. Set back from the road, the café is positioned to get stunning views of the Thames Valley.

It’s a pick-a-table-and-order-at-the-counter place, so we picked outside. Although it was a sunny day, there was a bit of a chill at the top of the valley, but the views made it worth it.

There was a good selection of cakes, including vegan and gluten-free options, and dog biscuits were available by the cutlery station. Water bowls had been thoughtfully dotted around for the dogs too.

Our order was a cappuccino with a chocolate brownie, and a hot chocolate with marshmallows (but no whipped cream) and a slice of coffee and walnut cake. I also succumbed to buying two Tunnock’s Tea Cakes to enjoy later that day.

As we sat, we watched the food orders coming out of the kitchen. They all looked delicious. The meat comes from the on-site butchers, and the salads looked very vibrant. It’s definitely somewhere we’d revisit, hopefully before too much time has passed.

When: May 2026

Where: Fernygrove Farm

Who: Trudy, Nigel, Ziva & Laney

Transport Mode: By car