Dove Cot Country Cottage, Ambleside

Dove Cot is a character cottage at Clappersgate, a mile or so west of Ambleside, with a big enclosed garden, long valley views and hard floors throughout, which for anyone who has spent a holiday mopping muddy paw prints off carpet is a bigger selling point than it sounds. Up to two dogs stay free, and the place is set up for them rather than merely tolerating them.

The garden is the draw. It is enclosed, larger than most cottage gardens, has a communal area and a decking balcony, and guests travelling with dogs return to it again and again. It is worth knowing the boundary is low enough that a determined jumper can get over into the owners' garden next door, so a dog that treats fences as a suggestion still needs an eye kept on it. Walks are excellent: the river path to Elterwater is easy and flat, the hill opposite goes straight up from the door, and local taxis will carry dogs if you would rather leave the car.

The serious caveat is the road. The cottage sits on a busy main road with no footpath along the first stretch towards Ambleside and Waterhead, so walking into town with a dog is not comfortable and many guests take the car or a taxi instead. Pulling out of the driveway is awkward too. Dogs need to be on the lead the moment they leave the garden, and this is not the right cottage for one that bolts.

The other theme is upkeep. The cottage is clean enough in the main, but maintenance lags behind: worn crockery, loose taps and fittings, blown bulbs, and standards that vary between changeovers, with reports of a kitchen or decking that needed attention on arrival. Parking is tight for a large car, and the owners live next door.

At 4.4 out of 5, Dove Cot is a very good dog cottage let down by its roadside position and patchy maintenance. It suits owners with a lead-trained dog who want space, views and walking, and it is the wrong pick for anyone hoping to stroll into Ambleside on foot.