Damson Cottage, Crook

Damson Cottage is a small stone cottage in Crook, in the quiet farming country between Kendal and Bowness, and it is one of those places where the owners have clearly thought about what people actually need. Guests arriving with a dog find towels put out for it alongside the usual provisions, and the cottage is set up for coming back muddy: a well-equipped kitchen, a snug sitting room, and enough books, maps and DVDs to make a wet afternoon indoors bearable.

One dog is welcome per booking. Dogs cannot be left in the cottage on their own and are not allowed on the furniture, both worth reading before you book if your dog is used to the sofa. There is no secure outdoor space either, so this is a cottage for a dog that will stay put on a lead or under supervision rather than one you can let out into a garden and forget about.

The position is the strength. Crook sits off the main routes, so the lanes are quiet enough to walk straight from the door, there is a dog-friendly pub within reach, and Bowness, the lakeshore and Kendal are all short drives in different directions. Mobile signal is poor, though the internet works fine - no great hardship on a walking holiday, but worth knowing if you need to be reachable.

Two things temper it. There is a bath rather than a shower, which several guests mention and which is a genuine consideration after a day of rinsing down a wet dog, and the parking is tight - workable, but not a spot for a large vehicle. Damson Cottage earns a 4.6/5 paw rating, and it suits a couple with one well-behaved dog who want a properly quiet base within easy reach of both Bowness and Kendal.