1 Brathay Fell

1 Brathay Fell is a spacious apartment in Clappersgate, a quiet hamlet about a mile west of Ambleside where the Brathay river runs down towards the head of Windermere. It is let as a whole property with its own outside space, which is the detail dog owners tend to care about most: somewhere to let a dog stretch out and sniff around after a day on the fells, with no shared corridor or lift to negotiate on the way in.

One small to medium dog is welcome and a small charge applies. Guests travelling with dogs are consistently positive about the setup, singling out the outdoor space and how easy the property is to arrive at and settle into, and it gets used regularly as a base for walking weeks.

There is one caveat worth knowing before booking. The apartment is finished to a high standard with pale carpets, and dogs are not allowed on the sitting-room furniture. Owners of a dog that is used to having the sofa have found this changed the feel of the stay and made it harder to properly relax. If your dog settles happily on a bed or a blanket on the floor it is a non-issue; if not, factor it in.

Clappersgate suits the kind of trip where the dog does most of the walking. Ambleside is a flat, easy stroll along the river, with dog-friendly cafes and pubs in the village, and Loughrigg Fell, Skelwith Force and the Langdale valley all start within a short drive. Rothay Park and the shore path at Waterhead are the obvious short-leg options for early mornings and late evenings.

It earns a 4.3 out of 5 paw rating: a well-kept, generously sized base for one dog, best suited to owners of a settled, house-trained dog who are happy to keep them off the furniture, and less suited to anyone travelling with a large dog or more than one.