Lake District Penrith
The Reading Room
Independent pet-friendly review by Four Legged Guests · updated August 2026 · paw rating built from 2 verified guest reviews mentioning pets
Bring your dog if
- You want a whole-property rental - no shared lobbies or corridors to navigate with your dog
- You're basing yourself in Penrith / the Lake District and want a pet-friendly anchor for day trips
- The wider guest experience is strong - guests rate this 9.4/10 overall on booking platforms
Worth knowing
- Paw rating is based on 2 reviews - limited sample, treat as directional
- Pet fee: £0 (max 2 pets) - the amount is published but not what it covers, so confirm the terms when you book
How this review was built Evidence, sources, refresh cadence
- Evidence: 2 pet-mention guest reviews sourced from major booking platforms - guests who explicitly mentioned travelling with a dog. Each review is screened for pet-relevance, then judged for sentiment to compute the paw rating.
- Not a personal visit. We don't stay at every hotel we cover - we summarise patterns from real guest reviews, paraphrased and never quoted verbatim. Full standard on our editorial policy page.
- Wider context: The property has 9 guest reviews overall across booking platforms, averaging 9.4/10 - the paw rating reflects only the pet-mentioning subset.
- Last refreshed: August 2026. Policies and pricing drift; we re-check on a rolling basis. Confirm specifics with the property at the moment you book.
- How the paw rating works: Full detail on the methodology page, including the three verification gates and known limitations.
Pet policy at a glance
- Up to two pets are welcome and there is no charge for them.
Pet-friendly summary
The Reading Room is a converted village reading room in Askham, a few miles south of Penrith on the edge of the Lowther valley, and it is one of the more deliberately dog-friendly self-catering places in this corner of Cumbria. Up to two pets stay, free of charge. The garden is fully enclosed, so a dog can be let out off the lead, and blankets are put out for the sofas, which takes away the usual anxiety about where the dog is allowed to settle. There is a dog-friendly pub a few doors up the road.
Askham itself is a large, unusually pretty village with a well-stocked shop open seven days a week, and the walking starts at the door: the Lowther estate and the river are a short stroll away, Ullswater and Pooley Bridge are about ten minutes by car, and the northern fells are within easy reach. Parking is straightforward, which is not always true in Lakeland villages. Inside, the cottage has been recently refurbished to a high standard, with a large main bedroom and a deep bath.
Two practical points. The bathroom is on the basic side, with the deep bath rather than a shower, which is worth knowing if you like to rinse off quickly after a wet walk. There is also no dedicated drying space for coats and dog towels, so bring something to hang them on. Nightly prices sit at the higher end for the area, though that is fairly standard across the Lake District.
Best suited to couples or small parties with one or two dogs who want a pretty village base with a secure garden and a pub a minute's walk away. Less suited to anyone who needs a shower, or a proper drying room after days out in the rain.
Highlights from pet-mentioning reviews
What reviewers travelling with dogs consistently noted about staying here.
- Two dogs stay free of charge
- Fully enclosed garden for off-lead time
- Dog blankets provided for the sofas
- Dog-friendly pub a few doors away
- Askham village walks and Lowther estate
- No shower and no drying space
About this hotel
The Reading Room is a recently refurbished self-catering cottage in Askham, a quiet village a few miles south of Penrith on the edge of the Lowther valley. It has a large main bedroom, a well-equipped kitchen, a deep bath and a fully enclosed garden, with a village shop and two pubs within a short walk.
Hotel facts
Photos
Location
Reading Room Cottage, Askham, Penrith, Penrith, CA10 2PF
