Smithy Cottage, Penrith

Smithy Cottage is a snug self-catering cottage in the village of Stainton, a couple of miles outside Penrith and well placed for both the northern Lake District and the Eden Valley. It is small, warm and properly equipped, with a log burner in the sitting room, and it works best as a low-key village base for owners who want quiet lanes and easy walking rather than a resort.

Two dogs can stay and there is no pet fee, which is worth knowing on a week-long booking. Dog owners are consistently positive about the fit: the cottage is the right size for a small party plus a dog, and the village and the lanes around it give gentle, safe walking straight from the door, including after dark - handy in a Cumbrian winter when the last walk of the day happens by torchlight.

Two dog-specific pointers come out of guest feedback. The garden is laid with gravel, which dogs with soft or sensitive paws are not always keen on, so bring a mat or boots if yours dislikes rough ground underfoot. And while the pub down the road gets warm praise for its food, it does not welcome dogs - worth planning around if you had hoped to take yours along for an evening meal. Housekeeping draws the odd comment too, with dust under the sofa and beds mentioned, which matters a little more than usual if your dog sleeps on the floor.

Penrith is close by for supplies and there is a bus stop in the village, so you are not tied to the car for the basics. Smithy Cottage suits owners with one or two settled dogs who want a comfortable, inexpensive village base near Penrith with good walking on the doorstep, rather than a large house with a secure lawn to let a dog loose in.