Rose Cottage, Appleby-in-Westmorland

Rose Cottage sits at Bleatarn, a hamlet in the Eden Valley between Appleby-in-Westmorland and Brough, with the North Pennines rising to the east and open fell country in every direction. It is a whole-house rental rather than a hotel, so dogs travel with the party rather than around it, and there are no shared corridors or breakfast rooms to negotiate.

The property charges twenty pounds per dog and takes up to two, with two house rules worth reading before you arrive: dogs are kept to the ground floor, and they are not allowed on the furniture. That is a clear, workable policy rather than a vague one, but it does mean a dog used to sleeping upstairs or on a sofa will need its own bed brought along.

The cottage itself is consistently described as beautiful, comfortable and unusually well equipped, with a kitchen guests have used for full Christmas dinners and enough beds for a large family group. The garden is described as safe and secure, which matters as much for a dog as for the children it tends to be mentioned in connection with, and the owner is repeatedly praised as helpful and responsive through booking and arrival.

The location is quiet farmland rather than honeypot Lake District. Appleby-in-Westmorland is a few minutes away for shops and the Settle to Carlisle railway, the North Pennines and the Howgills are both within easy reach, and the eastern Lakes are a drive away rather than on the doorstep. For a dog that is close to ideal, with lanes, bridleways and fell paths that stay quiet even in high summer, though it does mean livestock is never far away and a lead is the default outside the garden.

Rose Cottage suits a family or group with one or two dogs who want space, quiet and a proper base for walking, and who are happy to work around the ground-floor and furniture rules. It is a poor fit for anyone wanting to be inside the central Lake District without a drive, or expecting hotel-style pet extras such as bowls or bedding provided.