The Queen's Head Hotel

The Queen's Head sits at Townhead on the edge of Troutbeck, a short drive above Windermere inside the Lake District National Park, and it is one of those inns that is organised around guests with dogs rather than merely putting up with them. Three circular walks of different lengths start and finish at the door, Troutbeck Tongue is close enough to tackle before breakfast, and there is an outdoor dog-washing station with towels for when you come back muddy.

Dogs are well looked after inside too. Rooms come with dog beds and a welcome box of treats, often with a ball thrown in, there is a dog menu in the restaurant, and dogs regularly get a sausage at breakfast. They are welcome in the bar, the lounge and the restaurant, so nobody is left in the room while their owners eat, and the inn books a dinner table for each night of your stay as a matter of course.

The staff are what dog owners mention most. They come across as warm, relaxed and genuinely fond of dogs, and returning guests find themselves and their dogs greeted by name. The rooms are modern and comfortable, the bar has a cosy old-inn feel with little corners to settle into, and the food from breakfast through to dinner gets consistently strong notices.

A few things to know before booking. Only some rooms take dogs, so contact the inn in advance to confirm a dog-friendly room. The flip side of such a dog-centred place is that the bar and restaurant are full of dogs most evenings, with the odd bout of barking, and guests without a dog have found it more than they bargained for. Anyone with allergies should note that dog hair has turned up on room blankets. Smaller gripes are rooms running warm at night and the occasional slow-draining shower.

For dog owners after a Lake District base where the dog is the rule rather than the exception, with fell walks from the door and a pub that feeds dogs as well as people, it is hard to beat.