Skelwith Fold Cottage No.3, Ambleside

Skelwith Fold Cottage No.3 stands out for one reason above all: it keeps a proper kit of dog gear on site. A large crate, a dog basket, a plastic dog bed, a bowl and a dog towel are all provided, which means the boot can carry walking boots instead of bedding, and a soaked dog can be dried off at the door rather than on the sofa. Up to two dogs are allowed.

The cottage sits within Skelwith Fold, a wooded park between Ambleside and Hawkshead in the quieter southern Lakes, and the setting is what earns the high guest scores. Walks and open water start from the door, so the daily outing needs no drive, and there is a shop on site for whatever got left at home. Inside it is spacious and smartly done, with a jacuzzi, robes and a welcome hamper, and feedback from a stay with a dog singles out how thoughtfully the place is set up for one.

Two things to plan for. A charge applies for each dog, but the amount is not published, so ask when you book rather than at the door. And the park may ask an owner to remove a dog that causes a nuisance - standard for a site of this kind, but a useful reminder that this is a shared park with other holidaymakers nearby, not a lone cottage on a hillside. Guests have also mentioned creaky floorboards above the ground-floor bedroom, worth knowing if your dog sleeps downstairs and you are a light sleeper.

Skelwith Fold Cottage No.3 suits dog owners who want a comfortable, well-equipped southern-Lakes base with the walking on the doorstep and almost none of the packing that usually comes with taking a dog away.