Barney's Cottage, Ambleside

Barney's Cottage is a whole-house holiday let right in the middle of Ambleside, which makes it one of the easier Lake District bases for anyone who would rather walk out of the front door than get back in the car. There is a dog-welcoming pub three doors up, and the village shops, cafes and restaurants are all within a couple of minutes on foot. Rothay Park and the low-level routes towards Loughrigg and Rydal are walkable from the doorstep.

The cottage takes up to two dogs, which is more generous than a lot of central-village lets, and the house rules are specific rather than vague: dogs stay downstairs and off the furniture, so the bedrooms are out of bounds. Worth planning for if your dog normally sleeps on the bedroom floor, so bring a bed and settle it somewhere in the living room instead. The patio is not enclosed, so a dog that bolts will need a lead in the garden as well as on the street.

Having the whole house to yourselves is the other advantage. No shared corridors, no other guests to negotiate with on the stairs, and a front door that opens straight into the village rather than onto a car park.

The honest caveat is condition. Guests travelling with dogs have flagged the interior as feeling tired in places, with a carpet odour and paintwork that could do with refreshing, and bathroom cleanliness below what the price suggests. Issues raised during a stay have been sorted out quickly once reported to the managing agent, but arrive expecting a lived-in cottage rather than a recently refurbished one. At a 4.2 out of 5 paw rating, the location does most of the work here.

Best suited to owners of one or two settled, downstairs-happy dogs who want to base a Lakeland week in Ambleside itself and walk to the pub. Less suited to anyone who wants a pristine interior or a secure garden to let the dog out into unsupervised.