Brackenrigg Inn

The Brackenrigg Inn sits above Ullswater at Watermillock, a few miles along the lake from Pooley Bridge, and it is about as easy a place to arrive with a dog as you will find on this shore. Dogs are welcome throughout, there are rooms set aside for guests bringing them, and the whole operation is geared around walkers coming back off the fells rather than around keeping animals out of sight.

The practical side works well. There is a large free car park, so you are not hunting for a space with a wet dog in the back, and a good-sized garden behind the building with picnic tables and views down to the lake and across to the fells - somewhere to sit with a drink without having to leave your dog anywhere. Staff come in for warm mention from guests travelling with pets, and the bar and dining room both run as dog-inclusive spaces rather than dog-tolerant ones.

Location is the other draw. Watermillock is on the quieter western side of Ullswater, with lakeshore paths and the Gowbarrow and Aira Force walks close by, and Pooley Bridge and Glenridding both within a short drive for boat trips and longer routes.

Two things to set expectations on. This is a traditional inn and it shows its age in places - bedrooms and furniture are dated, and en-suites are on the small side, which matters if you are sharing the space with a large dog and a pile of wet kit. It is also genuinely busy with dogs, to the point that guests who don't have one have found the bar a bit much at peak times, and there has been at least one grumble about staff making a fuss of dogs and then handling food. If your dog is reactive around other animals, ask for a quieter corner or eat early.

Best suited to walkers with one or two sociable dogs who want a straightforward Ullswater base with views, parking and a proper pub downstairs, and who care more about the location than the decor.