Brigham Farm Apartments

Brigham Farm Apartments is a small group of self-catering flats on the edge of Keswick, and for a Lake District break with a dog it works best as a practical, no-frills base. The draw is the position: the town centre is a 10 to 15 minute walk away, and the old railway path behind the property takes you in on foot without walking along the main road.

Dogs are only accepted in three ground-floor apartments - Eamont, Greta and Duddon - and they need to be requested before you arrive. The pet fee is £30 per stay rather than per night, which makes it good value on a longer break. That ground-floor rule matters: the upstairs flats do not take dogs, so check which apartment you have booked before you travel rather than assuming the whole building is dog-friendly.

Guests who have brought dogs like the shared garden for early-morning and late-night trips outside, the free parking and how warm the apartments stay. The owner is described as friendly and quick to reply to messages. The garden is not fully enclosed, though, so a dog that tends to wander will need to stay on a lead.

The weaker side of the picture is housekeeping. A recurring complaint is that cleaning between stays is inconsistent: guests have reported a sofa that smelt of dog, black dog hair left on carpets by previous visitors, a flat that smelt like a kennel, and showers that swing between hot and cold. The apartments are also dated, and several guests say they need modernising.

It suits dog owners who want self-catering independence, a garden and an easy walk into Keswick, and who are happy to trade polish for location and a low pet fee.