Rooms36, Keswick

Rooms36 is a small six-room B&B on Lake Road in Keswick, and it makes a straightforward base for a walking trip with a dog. Every room takes dogs by arrangement, so you are not pushed into one designated room at the back of the house, and the place is set up for guests who come back damp and muddy at the end of the day.

Dogs are accepted by prior arrangement rather than simply booked in, so contact the property before you reserve to confirm the room and anything the owner wants agreed in advance. No pet fee is published, which is not the same as there being none, so ask at the same time.

Guests travelling with dogs regularly mention the host, Andy, as welcoming and genuinely useful on where to walk and which pubs will take a dog. They also describe the rooms as clean, with no trace that a dog stayed the week before, which is the detail that most often goes wrong at pet-friendly guesthouses.

The location is the strongest card. The house sits in a quiet cul-de-sac overlooking Hope Park, about two minutes from Keswick's shops, cafes and pubs and roughly five minutes from the water at Derwentwater. The Walla Crag trailhead is a short walk away and Catbells is close enough to fill a morning. Parking is included, but the on-site spaces are limited to a couple of cars and go early; there is free street parking nearby.

A few things to weigh up. The family suite sits on the top floor up around fifty steps, fine for a fit dog but a lot for a puppy, an older dog, or anything that needs carrying. Sound carries between floors, so a dog that reacts to footsteps overhead may settle better lower down. Breakfast is not currently served, though the cafes start a few doors along, and there is the occasional report of dog hair left on soft furnishings against an otherwise high cleaning standard.

With a 4.4/5 paw rating, Rooms36 suits walkers who want a properly central Keswick base and don't need catering on site.