Newfield Inn, Duddon Valley

The Newfield Inn is a proper dog walker's bolthole, tucked away at Seathwaite in the Duddon Valley on the quieter, western edge of the Lake District. It is a traditional country inn rather than a self-catering let, and dogs are welcome - the kind of place where you can come off the fells with a muddy, happy dog and still be made to feel at home.

What makes it work for dog owners is how unfussed the place is about them. The inn openly welcomes dogs, serves evening meals and breakfast, and guests describe friendly, genuinely helpful staff and comfortable rooms, with characterful touches around the building - old photographs, maps and local history that suit the setting. If you want your dog beside you while you eat rather than waiting upstairs, raise it with the inn when you arrange the booking.

The location is the headline. The Duddon Valley is one of the most peaceful corners of the Lake District, with walks straight from the door and high fells all around, ideal for an energetic dog and an owner who wants to walk all day. The flip side is remoteness: this is a single-road valley a long way from the nearest shop, so it suits outdoor enthusiasts who are happy to be off the beaten track and will want to arrive stocked up.

Two practical points before you book. Dogs are by arrangement only, so tell the inn you are bringing one when you reserve rather than turning up with a dog in the car, and there is a charge of £5 per dog, per night, with up to two dogs allowed. Neither is onerous, but both are worth sorting in advance given how far the valley sits from anywhere you could improvise. For walkers and couples who want a relaxed, dog-friendly base deep in the western Lakes, with fells from the door and a proper meal at the end of the day, the Newfield Inn suits very well.